6. The aim of freedom

Buddhism is the teaching aiming at freedom or Nibbana which is the ultimate goal of the Buddhist. The Buddha illustrated this by saying that although the ocean is very wide the waters are all salty, in much the same way the teaching of the Buddha has one goal, freedom from suffering and all defilement. On one occasion, the Buddha said that his teaching aimed at freedom, detachment from defilement. No Dhamma can be attached to because its nature is impermanent, depending on its cause. In practice, human beings must discern the truth of cause and effect; otherwise they will misunderstand the truth. To understand the truth is to arrive at freedom.

At first, the Buddha’s teaching is compared to a raft which a person uses when he or she needs to cross a river. When he has crossed to the other bank, he will leave the raft on the shore, he does not need to carry it with him after its purpose has been fulfilled because it is useless on land. This is the characteristic of detachment in Buddhism which begins with detachment from a person or a master. He is just a guide or a good friend who advises students or friends on the truth of reality. As is said in the Vakkali sutta; Vakkali was a new monk who liked the physical form of the Buddha very much so he liked to follow the Buddha everywhere without really learning and practising Dhamma. The Buddha knew that, and waited for his readiness, until, one day, the Buddha said to him, “Behold! Vakkali, this body is subject to impermanence, suffering, and it has no permanent entity. Not long in the future it will become ill, old, and eventually die. You should commit yourself to learning and practising meditation so that you can attain freedom from all suffering.” He also taught him, “Who understands Dhamma, that person sees the real me.” This saying of the Buddha illustrates the Buddhist intention to move from materiality into spirituality, or the realm of reality.