Differentiated Teaching by The Buddha

For 49 years, the Buddha had dedicated his life to teaching sentient beings the Four Noble Truth and the Noble Eightfold path to help them end endless suffering from the sea of samsara. 

Buddha said that everyone can attain enlightenment, even for slow learner. He used differentiated teaching to teach his many disciples with different abilities and interests. The following stories showed the different methods the Buddha used to help his many disciples to attain enlightenment. 

 

Direct Instruction Teaching: Most of the time, the Buddha will give Dharma talk to the monks in the open field and verbally explain to all. This is like direct teaching in the classroom. The benefit is many disciples can hear his teaching. 

 

Body Kinesthetic and Verbal: (The story is from Fo Guang Shan)

In the following story, Buddha taught Ksudranpanthaka using kinesthetic and verbal method. As he sweeps the floor holding the broom using his hands, he repeats sweep and clean till one day he attained enlightenment. 

 

One day the Buddha heard Ksudrapanthaka sobbing loudly. The Buddha approached Ksudrapanthaka and asked him why he was crying.

“What has made you cry so hard?” he asked.

“Oh, Lord Buddha,” He said. “I am just a stupid person. I followed my brother into the monastic life, but I seem to be unable to remember anything I am taught. My brother has tried to teach me the Dharma many times, but I always forget what he tells me. Today he told me that since I have such a bad memory, I should leave the monastery and go back home. Oh, Lord Buddha! I don’t want to leave. Please help me!”

        

When he finished speaking, the Buddha replied very softly, “Don’t worry about how much you know or don’t know. That’s not important. It is a form of wisdom to realize that one is ignorant, and it is a form of ignorance to believe one is wise.Come with me now.”

He began to teach him to repeat the phrase, “Sweep and clean, sweep and clean.” Ksudrapanthaka, however, proved unable to remember even these simple words. When the other monks learned of this, they decided that Ksudrapanthaka was beyond all hope. The Buddha, however, having unending compassion, continued trying to teach him the phrase.

“Take this broom,” the Buddha said to him. “As you sweep the ground, say the words I have taught you over and over again.”

 

Ksudrapanthaka did as the Buddha told him, He worked at it day after day until he was able to say it without any help from anyone. Then, slowly, he began to really think about the words as he swept back and forth across the grounds of the monastery. He thought to himself, “There are really two things that must be swept and cleaned. One of them is outside and the other is inside. The dirt and dust outside of us is easy to clean away, but the dust and dirt inside of us requires great wisdom to clean away. The dirt and dust inside us is nothing other than our suffering, our greed, our anger and our selfishness.”

Ksudrapanthaka continued sweeping and he continued thinking. And as he continued, his mind gradually started becoming brighter. Things he had been unable to understand before gradually became understandable to him. He thought, “All of the dust inside of human beings originally is caused by only one thing: desire. Only wisdom can overcome desire. If desire is not overcome, then the cycle of birth and death cannot be escaped and suffering can never end. Desire causes suffering and it causes karma, which keeps us lashed to the wheel of birth and death. As long as we are victims of our own desires, we can never be free.

 “As soon as we get rid ourselves of all desire, however, our minds will be pure. We will see the Truth and we will be free forever.”

 As Ksudrapanthaka continued sweeping and thinking like that, he slowly managed to clean his mind of all its impurities. Gradually, he entered a state of complete equanimity wherein he had neither desire nor aversion, wherein he saw neither good nor bad, and wherein all his previous ignorance was entirely eradicated.

Ksudrapanthaka became enlightened.

With his new understanding, he went joyfully to the Buddha and said, “Lord Buddha, I am liberated! I have swept and cleaned just as you told me, and by doing so I have swept away all the impurities in my mind!”

Buddha was full of joy to hear that Ksudrapanthaka had said, and from that day on Ksudrapanthaka became one of Buddha’s most respected disciples. 

 

Motivation through Interests

 

Since his half-brother, Nanda was ordained, he had not been practising the Dhamma but was thinking of his beautiful wife Janapada Kalyān.

Learning of this, the Buddha took Nanda on a journey to Tavatimsa Heaven. Nanda saw beautiful Apsara goddesses. 

The Buddha asked Nanda: "Which do you consider more beautiful? Those nymphs or Janapada Kalyāni?"

 

Nanda said the Apasara are more beautiful as compared to his wife. 

The Buddha said: "Nanda, can you see that what you thought to be exceedingly beautiful now pales in comparison to greater beauty?"

Upon hearing this, Nanda practiced diligently and eventually attained Arhatship.

Investigative and Questioning

 

The Buddha never expected people to accept his Teaching out of blind faith and superstition. He encouraged people to investigate the truth of His Teaching for themselves before accepting it. People should only practise what they find to be beneficial physically and mentally. The following story is taken from Fo Guang Shan FB.

 

The Buddha was strict with his son Rahula. Rahula, the first sramanera to join the Sangha, was intelligent but liked to tell lies. After the Buddha found out, he ordered Rahula to bring him some water. The Buddha then washed his feet, pointed at the water, and asked, “Is the water in this basin fit for drinking?” Rahula responded, “This water is dirty and thus undrinkable.” The Buddha said, “You are like this water. Originally pure, but because of your dishonesty, you have become just like dirty water.” After Rahula emptied the basin, the Buddha asked, “Can this basin be used to hold food?” Rahula responded, “No, this basin is not clean and thus not fit to hold food.” The Buddha said, “You are like this basin. Although you have become a monk, you do not purify your body, speech, and mind, so how can the Dharma enter your heart?” 

After this, Rahula abandoned his mischievous habits, strictly upheld the precepts, and practice diligently. Eventually he also became an Arahant. 

 

There are different ways to attain the fruit of enlightenment.

Meditation - Be Mindful

Last Friday, I went to Singapore National Gallery with my buddy to view Georgette Chen's painting. One of the oil paintings that I like is the Meditating Bhikkhu. He looks serene and at peace. 

Looking at the painting reminds me of Buddha's teaching on the importance of meditating to gain wisdom to end samsara. One go through the cycle of rebirths due to delusion and craving for sensual pleasures of the five senses. 

2500 years ago, Buddha Shakyamuni sat in meditation at the foot of the Bodhi Tree and resolved not to rise until he had reached enlightenment. On the full moon of the fifth lunar month,  he attained enlightenment.  First he recollected his many past  lives, understood the cause and effect that affects the next rebirth and nature of samsara, and the path to end samsara.  At dawn, while 100,000 world systems trembled, he became the Fully Enlightened Buddha.

After enlightenment, the compassionate Buddha Shakyamuni spent the next 49 years of his life teaching many sentient beings the path to end samsara- The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold path. Just meditating is not enough- Wisdom and Precepts are also important. 

To read more on Meditation on Breathing, you can click Access Insight here.

From Access Insight:Anapana Sati

Meditation on Breathing

by 

Ven. Mahathera Nauyane Ariyadhamma

Let us first examine the meaning of the text expounded by the Buddha on anapana sati. The text begins:

"Herein, monks, a monk who has gone to the forest, or to the foot of a tree, or to an empty place, sits down cross legged, holding his back erect, arousing mindfulness in front of him."

This means that any person belonging to the four types of individuals mentioned in this teaching — namely, bhikkhu (monk), bhikkhuni (nun), upasaka (layman) or upasika (laywoman) — desirous of practicing this meditation, should go either to a forest, to the foot of a secluded tree, or to a solitary dwelling. There he should sit down cross-legged, and keeping his body in an erect position, fix his mindfulness at the tip of his nose, the locus for his object of meditation.

If he breathes in a long breath, he should comprehend this with full awareness. If he breathes out a long breath, he should comprehend this with full awareness. If he breathes in a short breath, he should comprehend this with full awareness. if he breathes out a short breath, he should comprehend this with full awareness.

The Meditating Bhikkhu

 

Buddha Can Go Nirvana- Interesting Talk by Ajahn Keng

I like listening to Ajahn Keng’s Dharma talk as he shares his experiences and knowledge with humour. The room will be filled with laughter as we listen to his talk. Ajahn Keng is a Singaporean monk ordained in Thailand as forest monk.

 

During the question and answer session after the talk (1:15:00), he shared that transference of merit is real. 

He shared that he was disturbed by pretas at night and he saw that some had no clothes or skin. He asked the village chief to gather their relatives and organize dedicating of merits to them. After the transference of merit, some pretas had skin when previously they had no skin. Those with no clothes, had cloths. 

 

Someone asked Ajahn Keng if he heard of a type of meditation where the mind detaches from the body. He shared his own experience when his mind was out of the body when his life was in danger in the midst of war between the minorities and Burmese army many years ago. He shared that in the first situation, he was able to be out of the body whereas in another state, an hour later, he could not. He related his experience to karma and Maudgalyayana who died at the hands of hundreds of bandits. Maudgalyayana was one of Buddha’s chief disciples, foremost in psychic power.  

In his past life, Maudgalyayana had taken his old parents into the forest where he had beaten them to death and then claimed that they had been killed by bandits. The action of his past life affected the next life. After he paid back the debt, he patched up his body using his psychic power and paid respect to the Buddha.  

There are many more interesting sharing in this long video. 

I hope covid will end soon. Hopefully in the near future, I can attend 8 precepts and meditation retreat lead by Ajahn Keng in Singapore preferably during the school December holidays. I hope Ajahn Keng will be back to Singapore soon to conduct dhamma talk and meditation retreats.    

Phra Ajaan Keng Khemako was ordained on 29 July 1987, and he has been a monk for the past 31 years. He is currently the President of the Palelai Buddhist Temple, Abbot of Santi Forest Monastery in the Ulu Tiram, Johor, Malaysia and Abbot of Wat Pa Doi Cherontham in Om Koi, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Ajahn Keng was conferred of the Ecclesiastical Title of Chao Khun on Phra Ajaan Keng Khemako Bhikkhu by H.M. the King of Thailand, in 2013.

Buddhism for Beginner

If you want to learn more about Buddhism, you can click this really informative book here. 

Buddhism for Beginners is a book that was used in Singapore schools in the mid 1980s and early 1990s and taught as a curriculum. It covers the basics of Buddhism like the Life & Teaching of the Buddha, Buddhism in Practice etc.

The Dialogue with the Buddha (Page 74 to 76 from Buddhism for Beginners)

Concerned about the welfare of his son, King Shuddhodana wanted to know how He could lead the life of a monk after being brought up as a prince, so he asked, “When you were young, you wore beautiful woollen slippers and walked on carpets, with an umbrella over your head. Now, you walk bare-footed in the open; are your feet not hurt?”

“I have renounced everything and destroyed craving. I feel no pain,” the Buddha replied.

“When you were in the palace, you bathed in cool water scented by sandalwood. Now you roam about in cold nights in the forest. How do you bathe and refresh yourself when you are weary?” asked the king.

“Now, I bathe in the stream of virtues. The Dharma is the pool of virtues. It is pure and is always praised by man,” answered the Buddha.

“When staying in the palace, you wore garments made of the finest quality cloth. Now you wear a robe, coarse and plain. It is strange that you can bear it.”

“A Buddha does not pay attention to the beauty of His clothes, the comfort of His bed, or the taste of His food. He does not pay heed to sense pleasures.”

“Formerly, you slept on soft cushions of silk strewn with owers. Now, you sleep on the grass in the field, or on the hard ground. Does not your body ache?”

“My life is without grief and sorrow now, for craving is destroyed. I sleep well and happily.”

“Formerly, in the palace, you were protected by armed guards. Now, in the forest, you are unprotected. Are you not afraid?”

“I have overcome fear. I am not moved by blame or praise. Like a lion, I am not frightened by noises. Can a conqueror, a leader of men, be afraid?”

“ The whole earth would be your kingdom if you had not renounced the world.”

“ The whole earth is still my kingdom. Thousands are my disciples!” the Buddha replied.

Greatly impressed by the answers given by the Buddha, the king exclaimed,“Your renunciation of family and kingdom has not been in vain. Your struggle for Enlightenment has been fruitful.”

The next day, as He had not been invited to the palace for His meal, the Buddha and His disciples went into Kapilavastu for alms. Yashodhara, who witnessed this scene, quickly reported it to the king. Immediately, the king went out to meet the Buddha and asked, “Son, why do you disgrace our royal lineage by seeking alms?”

“Seeking alms is the custom of my lineage,” replied the Buddha.

“Is it the custom of our royal lineage to earn a living by seeking alms?”

“My lineage is that of the Buddha’s,” He answered.

Then the Buddha and His disciples were invited to the palace for a meal. When the meal was over, the Buddha said to the Shakyans:

"One should practise the Dharma well,

One should not do evil.

He who practises the Dharma well, rests in bliss Both in this world and in the next.”

On hearing this verse, King Shuddhodana and Prajapati gained faith in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

Awaken Magazine

I realised that a lot of suffering arises from the mind. If you understand the root cause of suffering and understand and observe how the five skandhas are affecting you, your mind will no longer be afflicted by it. Just let go and focus or redirect your thoughts 

I came across this free magazine, Awaken published by Singapore temple Kong Meng San Chor Kar See Monastery. I like this inspiring magazine. In this issue, there are articles by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, Jack Kornfield and lay Buddhists. There are also vegetarian recipes and restaurants in Singapore. 

You can read this free magazine via the link here awaken__50_eng_issuu_2.

I used to be tight-fist with my money as being single, money gives me a sense of security. But now I think it is more useful to donate money to temples to share this wonderful Dharma taught by our most revered and compassionate teacher, the Buddha as what he taught will help many people overcome suffering due to greed, ignorance and hatred with the Noble Eightfold path: 

Right view

Right resolve

Right speech

Right conduct

Rght livelihood

Right effort

Right mindfulness

Right samadhi 

A reminder for me from the Heart Sutra.

When Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara practised the deep Prajnaparamita, he saw that the five skandhas were empty; thus he overcame all ills and suffering. 

"HE PERCEIVED THAT ALL FIVE SKANDHAS ARE EMPTY"

The five skandhas, namely form, feelings, perceptions, volitions and consciousness continually provide five occasions for craving and clinging. Two types of craving and clinging characterize the human mind: 1) Craving and clinging to form and 2) Craving and clinging to mind. Clinging to form is the domain of the form skandha; the remaining four skandhas constitute the domain of the mind and the clinging to mind is generated in those four realms. All our grasping, manifested in our attachments and aversions, is generated and developed due to the activity of these four skandhas. Craving and clinging emerge at birth, and the Buddhadharma aims to sever them.