Dhamma Talks - The Way Of The Buddha :: Buddhapadipa Thai Temple

Written by Dhammacaro on 01/29/2007

The Buddha is known as a great teacher who found the path leading to the cessation of suffering and in becoming enlightened; he went onto teaching the World.

Many people often wonder what the Buddha’s daily routine consist of, but whatever it was, there is no doubt that he did it with the utmost loving-kindness (metta) and compassion (karuna). After all, he dedicated his whole life in showing the people the way out of suffering.

In brief, the Buddha’s daily routine consisted of completing FIVE main activities:
1. At dawn: Alms round
2. In early morning: use his clairvoyant ability to looking into the lives of all beings. He would then go onto selecting those who posses the necessary traits and qualities to be taught his Dhamma so that he would later travel the land to meet these beings and give them his guidance. It is also documented in the Brahmajala Sutta that the Buddha did this twice a day: in early morning and in late afternoon.
3. In the evenings: Give Dhamma talks
4. At Dusk: Teach disciples
5. At night: Answer Dhamma questions from all living beings (including all those not within the human realm)

At dawn, the Buddha would be up early for alms. Sometimes he went into the villages alone, other times he would be accompanied by one or more of his disciples and the village lay people would be lined up along the path, ready and waiting. After making their offerings, some people would follow him back to the temple and waited patiently for the Buddha and the Sangha to finish their breakfast before receiving their blessings.

In early morning, his first request of the day to his sangha would be that they practise meditation, by saying:

“Behold monks, you should not be careless, you should live a moral and mindful life because as a human beings, you can practise meditation to develop your life”

“It is difficult to be born as a human being, the becoming of the Buddha is difficult, to listen to Dhamma is difficult, to understand Dhamma is difficult”

“So now that you finally have an opportunity to do either of those things, you should practise earnestly”.

After which the Sangha would disperse either to their desired spot within the monastery or to the nearby forest and practice accordingly while the Buddha returned to his resting quarters.

When the Buddha was within his resting quarters, he would divide his time in doing the following:

1. Reclining meditation: for resting purposes.
2. Walking meditation: for exercise purposes.
3. Sitting meditation: for the purpose of looking into the lives of all beings in search for those ready to be taught his Dhamma. He would later go on to teach them Anubuppikatha (the following topics of Dhamma) and guide them to understanding the principle of The Three Treasures (human or worldly one, sublime one, and Nibbana as their own perfection).

In the evenings, the lay people would flock to the temple, taking with them offerings of flowers. They would gather in the Dhamma hall where the Buddha would be waiting to give his daily Dhamma talks. It was from listening to these talks that they were converted into becoming Buddhists or chose to enter the monastery life through ordination.

As everyone is different, some people were able to put the dhamma that they learnt into practise and some were not. Some people went to listen to the Buddha’s dhamma repeatedly, whilst others did not. For those men and women that chose the path of ordination, the Buddha would tutor and mentor them through their development. Once they were competent, they would be able to practise without supervision and wonder into the forest in search of seclusion. They would always return to the Buddha when in doubt or when in need of further guidance and through his support, some were able to gain enlightenment while those who yet hadn’t achieved the ultimate goal would continue to persevere. So all in all, the act of listening to Dhamma is a good starting point on the journey to Nibana.

At dusk when all the lay people had retreated back to their homes, the Buddha would give his time to the Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni who had any questions. They would have travelled from near and far and from different regions of the land to see him. The Buddha encouraged his disciples to be inquisitive, to analyse and reflect with reason, and to see for oneself by practising. The Buddha would use this time to offer advice, support and encouragement wherever needed.

At night the Buddha would retreat to his quarters. In being clairvoyant, he would sit and contemplate on various lives in various worlds. It is also said that other beings not of the human world, such as deities would pay him a visit at this time to ask questions on Dhamma, an indication that his compassion was extended to all beings without exception. As a result, The Buddha was also known as “the great teacher” or “The teacher of all beings”.

The Buddha followed this strict routine for 45 years without fail from the day he became enlightened. He dedicated his life for the good of the many. No obstacle was too great to deter him away from his mission. He was a great example and inspiration to his Sangha, whence from his death was able to keep his teachings alive until this very day.

Although their wisdom and ability can not be equal to that of the great Buddha himself, through hard work and dedication, they have allowed us to be able to follow in the Buddha’s Dhamma.

As long as they are able to continue this tradition, the World will have the Buddha’s Dhamma as refuge, whatever the future may hold.

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