THE LESSON OF OBEDIENCE
--Oh, Brahmin! By what cause and by what precondition, while Rajagaha is present, while the road to Rajagaha is here, while you are also here as the guide, while you are giving such advice and instruction, someone, instead, takes the wrong road towards the west whereas the other can safely reach Rajagaha?
-- Venerable Lord Gotama, what can I do now? I’m just the guide, Lord.
--Similarly, Brahmin, while the Nirvana is present, while the road to the Nirvana is here, and while I am here as the guide. My disciples have got such guiding and instructing. But some of them could achieve the ultimate truth of the Nirvana whiles some could not make it out. Here, oh, Brahmin, what could I do? The Tagatatha is just a guide. (Middle Length Discourses Sutra, Section 107, The Discourse on Ganaka Moggallāna).
This is a long piece of sutra indicating the Buddha’s teaching steps for his disciples. It is not different from the Great Sutra of the Horse Neighborhood. Finally, that Brahmin asked the Lord “Have all the Most Venerable’s attained the Enlightenment? Why?
Above are the Buddha’s coherent answers. Those who comply with the Lord’s guidance will attain the Nirvana. Those who disobey his will not.
A couple of years ago, I ordered a small sofa online. After the delivery, I asked the two meditating students to assemble it. They carefully opened the big box, removed the big cushions, wooden legs, small screw boxes and put them aside. They read the instructions and checked the above items scattering in the room. Then, they read each step and gathered the parts cautiously. Around an hour later, the sofa was completed.
Recently, by my eyes, I saw two new-high school graduates assembled a computer, though complicated but finally done.
Sometimes, when I was using my laptop, suddenly an ad popped-up. If I kept typing, the laptop stopped working, but sounded “dinging, dinging”. It did not reinstate till I gave up and closed that ad.
To create a PowerPoint slideshow, it recommends to keep its instructions: to start PowerPoint, choose slides, click Home, pick and adjust the shapes, select the colors, dark or light and etc. Many steps but with the repetition, it turns into our knowledge and easy for us to perform.
Oh, Gosh! How come we always obey the laptops in such a way? Let’s not follow their commands in order to be sure whether they know that or not. They do not work if we are not their obeyers. Without “save”, they lose everything; and you are responsible for that. Angry at them or smash them? Just hurting your hands. When breaking them down, you have no choice but to purchase the other ones. Who is the poor loser? We might as well accept their orders. But why do we have to obey the senseless machines?
When purchasing a cabinet, a bed or a blender, we cannot use them until we have gathered the parts in the proper instructions of their manufacturers. If you ignore the assembling guidelines, they do not operate. We have two options only, either being stubborn to manipulate them in your own way and return them or complying with the directives for assembling and usages. That’s it. Most of us must obey them to get smooth operation. Right? If we get angry at them and destroy them, folks might think we are really mad.
Ah! It shows that we or everyone, billions of people all over the world, must respond to the requirements of the machines and technology to stay well in life. It is the absolute response, isn’t it? Let’s see what we should follow the commands on manipulation. The cars, traffic regulations, bikes and motorbikes, blenders, electric rice cookers, washers and dryers, microwaves, ovens, laptops, TV, smartphones, etc. All are convenient machines with complex functions, but we can use them smoothly just because we have learned and properly fulfilled their requirements.
Have we ever thought of those things? Have we every self-praised?
- Oh! We can make use of those conveniences to the maximum.
We have utilized them skillfully just due to our strict compliances with their mandatory rules. We feel cheerful because they are so amazing, and humans are so smart and creative. Quite agreeable! Folks are so intelligent that they can reach up to the moon. We can benefit from that cleverness. We can fly everywhere without making strenuous efforts in the practice of supernatural powers.
Ah! We have enjoyed all types of material conveniences. In another word, those amenities are over excessive. Those in the heavenly realms are probably the same. But folks! How come we are still unpleasant with this and that or angry at the others?
Have we ever wondered if something is lacking? Our material life is more than enough. The service for our mental life is also abundant. The celestial realms expressed in the canons are possibly similar. Clothes are piled up in the wardrobes that many of them are donated to reduce the massive amounts. Foods are heaped up in the fridges. Fruits yielded from the back yard are too excessive that we have to share them with our friends or folks at the temples. Entertainment is countless. We stay at home but can enjoy all types of movies, sport matches and beautiful tours around the world. Opening the laptops, the whole world appears in front of us right away. We can read the books of every author. Thinking of someone, we just pick up the cell phone and tap them. We could see them or listen to their whispering voices though they are away from us thousands of miles. What else could we expect? Travelling up to the moon to see the guy Cuội?
Living among the excess of such material conveniences, how come guys get depressed, sick of life, or commit brute terrorism to wreak havoc and affliction on each other? Why do wars happen? Why do guys competitively launch missiles and bombard upon one another?
Upon consideration, I found the answer. It is the deficiency of human morality, righteous personality and intellect. The last of them refers to the one beyond mundanity. Generally speaking, human spirituality has not been developed yet. But it should be esteemed the utmost wisdom, and the cornerstone ground for the life of serenity, harmony, and well-being that is the idealism humankind have been pursuing for long.
Referring to this ideal life, in fact, the Buddhas in the ten directions of the three marks of time have come into this world just for the unique objective: coherently indicating the dharma from which human beings can apply for their mind practice to cease all sufferings so that they can live calmly and happily in the realm where they are existent.
The path all the Buddha have gone through, so did the Sakya Buddha, and so will the Buddhas-To-Be is just the road of the three phases: Commandments -Concentration -Wisdom. Oh! How simple it is!
Then, the Buddhas gave further explanation in the analysis of the eight steps to practice, that is the Noble Eightfold Path.
--The Right View and the Right Thinking: it is the Wisdom.
--The Right Speech- the Right Karmas and the Right Livelihood: it is the Precepts.
--The Right Efforts - the Right Mindfulness -the Right Concentration: it is the Concentration.
The Nikāya scriptures clearly determine that. The ancient citadel, the Noble Eightfold Path, discovered by the Buddhas in the three marks of time. The Sakya Buddha also found it recently after overcoming many a challenge and hardship. Oh! The Buddhas’ stronghold consists of the Precepts-Concentration-Wisdom that, after being cultivated and strengthened, turns into the masses as solid as diamonds. They can smash all types of cravings, rage, ignorance, subconscious leaking defilements, various bondages and dormant seeds. They are also able to break down griefs, sufferings, and terminate the cycle of deaths and rebirths. The three aggregates of the Precepts, Concentration and Wisdom can be intermingled into one. They are the three approaches that lead to the same destination. What destination? – The Mind. The Nirvana.
Hey, folks! The Buddhist canons have strongly stated that but how come you have not followed them?
May everyone obey the Buddhas’ teachings as they have complied with the requirements of the laptops or any other machines in their life.
Bhikkhuni Thích Nữ Triệt Như
Sunyata Monastery, June 29, 2021
English version by Ngọc Huyền
Link to Vietnamese article: https://www.tanhkhong.org/a2523/triet-nhu-snhp013-bai-hoc-vang-loi
%7Cutmcsr%3D(direct)%7Cutmcmd%3D(none)%3B%2B__utmv%3D504571448.-%3B)