Dhamma Talks - Integrated Instruction Of The Buddha :: Buddhapadipa Thai Temple

The Buddha’s teachings are integrated methods such as politics, medical science, social ways of lives, regime, health, philosophy, psychology and other educational methods namely an aspect of teacher, how to teach people, aspect of teaching method, question-answer, interview and feedback, an aspect of listener, his habit or tendency, his looks and an aspect of result, now and future. So the Buddha is so called ‘the greatest teacher of the world’. Why is he so called? Because he consists of four qualities, the Buddha’s style or manner of teaching; 1. elucidation or verification 2. incitement to take upon oneself; inspiration towards the goal 3. urging; encouragement; animation; filling with enthusiasm 3. gladdening; exhilaration; filling with delight and joy.

The Buddha himself taught people for forty-five years since he became enlightened till he passed away. He walked to help people from a beggar to a king, from the wise to the thieves. This world is his school from the palace to the battle.

He has been far different from other teachers so far, I would like to show you two aspects; First aspect, his loving kindness before he taught people, he suffused his loving kindness to all beings. He did need to help people escape from suffering so he pointed it out as the first noble truth. Some people know they have a suffering because it is brought about by conflict, some do not know they are suffered because they get used to it. Those who know they have a suffering, it is easy to teach but it is hard to teach those who don’t know they have the suffering. It is because of the Buddha’s loving kindness, he taught people to know the suffering exists in this world, then its cause, its solution and the path leading to the cessation of suffering. When they know that the suffering does exist, they will commit themselves to the investigations. The second aspect is for those who have already known that the suffering exists, he would teach them according to their faculties. He would give the most importance to an individual. When he knows they are ready, he will teach them according to their abilities. They may be a beggar, a king, a poor man, a rich man, a thief or a wise man and so on.

He will see their habits of enlightenment or who are ready to get benefits from his teaching and see the conditions of the listener. The condition is as follows;

1. Time which means calm and patience. The Buddha taught people calmly and patiently. He waited for their perfection, then he would teach them for examples; Venerable Vakkali who was ordained in Buddhism because he wanted to see and follow the Buddha. He did not want to learn or practise so the Buddha did not teach him anything but when he was ready. The Buddha taught him ‘Those who practise Dhamma can make use of it ’ and a lady who once listened to the Buddha’s teaching when she was 7 years old. After that she had not seen the Buddha for a long time but she still followed the teachings. When her last time was coming, the Buddha saw the big benefit of teaching her so he went there but that day she was very busy so she thought she would listen to the Buddha’s teaching in the last session. During that period, the Buddha did not say a word till she came, then he said Dhamma. This is that the Buddha is calm and patient.

2. Place which means good environment which supports the knowledge of listeners, for examples, when Pasendikosala King who lost his queen, he was very sad. Then the Buddha went there for alms near the palace. When the king invited him to have breakfast in the palace, he refused to do so and told that he wanted to have at the Royal garage. After breakfast, he taught the king about the decay of body by giving a simile that the royal carts which were decorated well but they had not been used then because they were very old. Where are they? In fact, there are no carts but they are just the temporary groupings like ourselves, we are like the old carts, not more than 100 years. This body is left behind. And another example, a Queen of Bimpisala named Khema, she was very beautiful. She did not want to hear of ugliness. She was ready to be taught but the palace was not a good environment so the Buddha asked her to come to Bamboo grove temple where she was taught about impermanence. That day there were a lot of ladies, from the most beautiful lady to the ugliest, from the youngest to the oldest. She saw a variety of them so she realised of the impermanence.

3. Dhamma which means the Buddha’s teaching including teaching’s methods or techniques. They are according to people. Sometimes the Buddha taught people by words, sometimes in silent, sometimes by admiration, sometimes by blame, sometimes by demonstration etc. For examples, a couple who observed the different religions, a wife followed Buddhism, a husband followed another. One day they made a quarrel with each other, a husband was about to kill his wife but he dare not so he went to the temple and scolded the Buddha in angry. The Buddha was quiet, not responding to him. He scolded the Buddha till he was tired then he was relieved. Surprise him, the Buddha was not angry nor responding anything to him so he asked him when he blamed him where was the blame. Then the Buddha gave him a simile that the food was prepared for the visiting-relatives but they did not eat so it belonged to house’s owner, it was the same as the blame. One example is a thin lady named Kisa who wished to have a son. She was fulfilled but later her beloved son died, her son’s death drove her mad and she wanted her son to be alive again so she carried her son’s body to a doctor. No doctor could bring her son’s life back, some said you were mad and chased her away. A wise man suggested her to see the Buddha so she went there and asked for help. The Buddha said yes but she had to find a mustard seed in the house where no body died. She was delighted with hope and went for the mustard seed. But she was told the death was common and was comforted form house to house, then she realised that human beings were subject to death, not only her loss but so did people.

These are teaching methods of the Buddha which are useful now.