The Living Computer
Photo: Buddhadāsa Indapañño Archives C03356
“Upon reaching the state of Nibbāna, what is the stimulus for working toward the betterment of the world? Wouldn’t it be just as easy to be lazy? What drives you personally?”
~ Response by Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu ~
The study and practice for the sake of Nibbāna is one of overcoming and removing selfishness in order to act merely for the sake of Dhamma, to act unselfishly. Thus when one realizes Nibbāna, there remains the momentum of all those unselfish acts that have been practiced previously. And this momentum is what induces or brings the Buddha and the arahants (the perfected human beings) to do things that are of benefit for others. It’s this momentum of unselfishness that carries on. And so you needn’t wonder or worry that you will be lazy once you realize Nibbāna.
There is a pair of opposing things here: there is selfishness and unselfishness. Selfishness is under the power of the defilements, whereas unselfishness is under the power of sati-paññā (mindfulness and wisdom), which means Dhamma. When there is selfishness, there is no Dhamma at all. When there is no selfishness, then there is Dhamma. And when there is Dhamma, then one just acts for the benefit of others. It’s not possible for life to remain still, life is movement, and when there is Dhamma, the movement is solely for the benefit of others – that is, for the sake of Dhamma. And so don’t worry, this momentum of Dhamma, of unselfishness, will carry on, and so one can live solely for the benefit, for the happiness of others.
When one is successful in one’s own practice and has solved all of one’s problems, then one asks, ‘Well, what does one do next?’ It’s not possible to do nothing, to just vegetate or something. It’s natural that one then looks around to see what needs to be done. When we have fulfilled our personal duty towards ourselves, then one looks around to see what needs to be done beyond that. And because of the whole flow of one’s practice before, the answer is apparent and obvious. Well if I have practiced like this and done this with the result that now I have found perfect peace for myself, then I can invite you all, or encourage you, and help you in any way possible so that you will have the same peace, and to request that you all help, that you all work together to spread this peace amongst all human beings. This is how it has worked in the past with the Buddha and with all the arahants – that finding their own peace, they then worked to help others to find it as well.
Please don’t be surprised or startled when you hear that even the arahant needs entertainment, even the perfected human being seeks entertainment. But the arahant doesn’t look for sexual entertainment or worldly entertainment. The entertainment of the awakened being is dhammic, it’s the kind of entertainment that has to do with Dhamma. So the arahant finds his joy, relaxation, and fun – similar to playing sports or games – in helping others. Whatever way the arahant has practiced and lived in order to find perfect peace, then the arahant helps others to do the same. So you need not worry that the arahant will be lazy or useless.
And so why don’t all of you try out this kind of entertainment? Why don’t you seek this dhammic entertainment or spiritual entertainment of helping others? We can call this ‘moving usefully,’ since life is movement. This is just a matter of making that movement useful and beneficial. So start on a small little level and then develop it further and further until the highest level, until one’s life is a kind of movement which is the greatest benefit for others.
In order to find spiritual or dhammic entertainment, the most wonderful tool is ānāpānasati [mindfulness with breathing]. This is the kind of entertainment which leads to bodhi (enlightenment). Through ānāpānasati one learns to enjoy doing what is truly useful on higher and higher levels. So this is the kind of entertainment which leads to enlightenment. And when one has finished helping oneself, then all that one has to do is help others to do what one has oneself accomplished.
(From the retreat “The Living Computer,” as translated from the Thai by Santikaro)
Dhamma Questions & Responses sessions were offered by Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu in 1990-1991 to foreign meditators attending Suan Mokkh International Dharma Hermitage courses.
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