But, the most loving, kind, and compassionate thing a Teacher can do, is give you that
“hard truth” so that you know what is “true reality” and have the opportunity to remedy it,
solve it, eradicate it, and get closer to Enlightenment. And, if an individual chooses that
truth is too hard to bear, due to the painful feelings arising in the mind all caused by the
mind itself, and then one negatively judges the Teacher, due to not being perceived by the
Teacher and other members of The Community in a certain way, ultimately choosing to
walk away from the very help that is going to allow the mind to overcome its challenges,
then at least as a Teacher, they will know, “I did the very best thing I could do for this
individual”.
“I told them the truth”, no matter how hard that was for them to hear, and perhaps,
someday, they might consider what was shared and decide to learn, grow, and
evolve based on that “hard truth".
“I told them the truth” and at least now they can choose whether to walk forward towards
an improved way of life or, they can run away from that challenge and “hard truth”,
deciding to remain in the “unknowing of true reality” with a lack of wisdom, choosing to
stay in the darkness.
The Buddha taught, do "not to shrink back from the struggle”. Because, running away
from a “hard truth” will never lead to Enlightenment, or any kind of improvement in one’s
own life.
Someday, you might hear a “hard truth” from your Teacher. I would like you to
understand, that is being shared with the utmost care, politeness, kindness, friendliness,
and respect. It is being delivered with the utmost love and compassion for you.
As The Buddha shares…
One Who Points Out Treasure
Ānanda, I shall not treat you as the potter treats the raw damp clay. Repeatedly
restraining you, I shall speak to you, Ānanda. Repeatedly guiding you of what to avoid, I
shall speak to you, Ānanda. The truly dedicated will stand [the test].
Regard him as one who points out treasure, the wise one who seeing your faults guides
you of what to avoid. Stay with this sort of Teacher.
For the one who stays with a Teacher of this sort, things get better, not worse.
(Reference: MN 122 & DHP 76-77)
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Chapter 38
The Introduction of Ajjhāyaka
Then some of these beings thought: Evil things have appeared among
beings, such as taking what is not given, condemning, lying, punishment and
banishment. We ought to put aside evil and unwholesome things.
And they did so.
“They Put Aside Evil And Unwholesome Things” is the meaning of Brāhmin,
which is the first regular title to be introduced for such people.
They made leaf‑huts in forest places and meditated in them. With the
smoking fire gone out, with pestle cast aside, gathering almsfood for their
evening and morning meals, they went away to a village, town or royal city to
seek their food, and then they returned to their leaf‑huts to meditate. People
saw this and noted how they meditated. “They Meditate” is the meaning of
Jhāyaka, which is the second regular title to be introduced.
However, some of those beings, not being able to meditate in leaf‑huts,
settled around towns and villages and compiled books. People saw them
doing this and not meditating. “Now These Do Not Meditate” is the meaning
of Ajjhāyaka, which is the third regular title to be introduced.
At that time it was regarded as a low designation, but now it is the higher.
This, then, Vāseṭṭha, is the origin of the class of Brāhmins in accordance with
the ancient titles that were introduced for them…
(Reference: DN 27)
In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares “the origin of the class of Brāhmins”.
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Chapter 39
Reciting The Teachings
The Basis of Liberation
Again, neither the Teacher nor a fellow Monk in the position of a Teacher
teaches The Teachings to a Monk, nor does he himself teach The Teachings
to others in detail as he has heard them and learned them, but he recites The
Teachings in detail as he has heard them and learned them.
In whatever way the Monk recites The Teachings in detail as he has heard
them and learned them, in just that way, in relation to The Teachings, he
experiences inspiration in the meaning and inspiration in The Teachings.
As he does so, joy arises in him. When he is joyful, joy arises. For one with a
joyous mind, the body becomes tranquil. One tranquil in body feels calm. For
one feeling calm, the mind becomes concentrated.
This is the third basis of liberation, by means of which, if a Monk resides
motivated, dedicated, and determined, his unliberated mind is liberated, his
undestroyed taints are completely destroyed, and he reaches the as-yet-
unreached unsurpassed security from bondage (Enlightenment).
(This is taken from the five bases of liberation.)
(Reference: AN 5.26)


In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares one aspect of practice that leads to
liberation of mind which is to recite The Teachings “in detail as he has heard them and
learned them”.
The Buddha explains that through reciting The Teachings a Practitioner experiences
inspiration, joy, tranquility, and calm. When the mind is joyful, the body becomes tranquil.
With the body being tranquil, the mind is calm. When the mind is calm, the mind is
concentrated.
The Buddha explains this as the third basis of liberation allowing the Practitioner to
eliminate The Ten Fetters to attain Enlightenment.
Equanimity is cultivated through training the mind in Breathing Mindfulness Meditation to
reside peaceful and content but more actively in daily life when difficult situations arise.
Equanimity (Pāli: upekkhā) is mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper,
especially in a difficult situation; treating everyone impartially.
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As a difficult situation is experienced, a Practitioner will need to arise equanimity cutting
off and letting go of any uncalmness or unsteadiness that arises in the mind bringing the
mind to the middle practicing mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper,
especially in a difficult situation.
Allowing the mind to be shaken up to become unsteady will only create more difficulties
by the mind being uncalm.
Calm —> Mindfulness —> Concentration —> Wisdom
It is calmness of mind that leads to a Practitioner being able to practice mindfulness (i.e.
awareness of mind). By practicing mindfulness, the mind can then be concentrated (i.e.
singleness of mind with focus). With concentration, a Practitioner can access wisdom to
make wise decisions leading to wholesome outcomes.
But, allowing the mind to become uncalm, will have the downstream negative effects of
inhibiting the practice of mindfulness (i.e. awareness of mind), concentration (i.e.
singleness of mind with focus), and then being unable to access wisdom to make wise
decisions leading to wholesome outcomes. Allowing the mind to be uncalm or shaken up
can create a situation where, due to a lack of being able to access wisdom, the situation
turns from bad to worse or even detrimental. Through maintaining one’s calmness and
composure, they can then make wise decisions to improve the situation based in wisdom
maintain a joyful mind.
Observing a difficult situation and then arising equanimity to maintain calmness needs to
be developed and cultivated so that it becomes first nature during any and all life
situations.
In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, we can observe the method of learning and
sharing The Teachings during The Buddha’s lifetime as reciting The Teachings. Learning
orally and then reciting The Teachings is how Students would learn with him over 2,500
years ago and retain The Teachings.
Gotama Buddha shared The Teachings orally and nothing was written down during his
lifetime. It was not until later, after his death, that it was decided to capture The Teachings
in written format.
An Enlightened mind has such a high degree of memory that all the Enlightened beings
who had attained Enlightenment during Gotama Buddha’s lifetime were committed to
recite what they remembered and to document The Teachings for future generations.
The spoken words of The Buddha were recited by his more developed Students and
captured for the ultimate development of what we refer to as The Pāli Canon or The Pāli
Text.
“The Words of The Buddha” book series is comprised of those spoken words that came
from the mind of Gotama Buddha, into the minds of his Students, produced countless
Enlightened minds, remembered for the duration of The Buddha’s lifetime, then recited
and captured to eventually end up in The Pāli Canon and into your hands at this moment.
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These Teachings have been preserved throughout history because they work. These
Teachings in the format of this book series provides a method of learning that was not
available during the lifetime of The Buddha. Today, you have access and we can distribute
these Teachings worldwide in an instant with the ability to reference these Teachings
throughout your life as you develop your life practice.
Today, recitation of The Teachings “word for word” is not needed. Instead, one needs to
learn, reflect, and practice The Teachings for deep understanding.
Gotama Buddha shared this same method of learning during his lifetime.
1.) Learn: “when one has learned The Teachings by ear, recited them verbally”.
2.) Reflect: “examined them with the mind”.
3.) Practice: “penetrated them well by view”.
While today we have books, videos, podcasts, and other methods of sharing The
Teachings, it is important to also learn directly with a Teacher in an environment where a
Teacher can verbally explain The Teachings and you have the opportunity to ask
questions for clarification.
It would be impossible for someone to read a book, watch videos, listen to a podcast,
and/or use other resources in a way that would produce an Enlightened mind without any
interaction with The Community to include a Teacher.
There are many questions and points of clarification that are needed along The Path to
Enlightenment. There are many challenges and having a relationship with a Teacher will
allow you to gain insight through seeking guidance.
As one does, they come to develop the mind in this life and have an improved ability to
attain Enlightenment experiencing the life changing results of developing one’s life
practice with guidance from a Teacher.
If one applies effort towards learning and does not attain Enlightenment, then there is an
improved rebirth for one’s next existence.
The goal is to attain Enlightenment as an Arahant and to no longer experience rebirth into
a new existence. But, should that not occur, one will have gained the benefits of learning,
reflecting, and practicing in this life. In fact, you may have learned, reflected, and
practiced in a previous life and this is now part of your continuation of The Path to
Enlightenment in this current life.
159

The History of
Misunderstandings
Arising from
Unreliable Literature
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Chapter 40
Misunderstanding Regarding
Benefits of Creating Buddha Images
The benefits of creating Buddha images can be found in
Vattangulirāja-jātaka which shares the creation of The Buddha image from
sandalwood by King Pasenadi of Kosala that “Once upon a time The
Perfectly Enlightened One journeyed from Sāvatthī to a distant place to
share The Teachings. At that time King Pasenadi of Kosala surrounded by a
great number of people, went to the great monastery in Jetavana. Not seeing
The Perfectly Enlightened One, the King was filled with disappointment and
saying, ‘this world without The Perfectly Enlightened One is without a refuge
and without a protector’.
Once he returned home he thought of making an image of The Buddha.
When The Buddha returned to Jetavana, having worshipped the Master the
King asked The Buddha if he will allow an image of himself to be made and
The Buddha gave permission to the King. When The Buddha image was
completed he invited The Buddha to see the image and asked what would
be the benefits of creating a Buddha image. The Buddha then told the
benefits that whoever creates a Buddha image, whether a man or a woman,
whether made of clay or of rocks, made of metal or copper, made of wood or
zinc, made of precious stone or silver or gold, they produce great merit. As
long as there is a Buddha image, this world will not be empty. The Buddha
image helps prolong The Teachings and practices.
Those who build Buddha image will encounter happiness and all their wishes
will be granted. The Buddha while still unawakened, not yet fully Enlightened,
repaired the broken finger of a Buddha image.
The benefits he gained were achieving a heavenly rebirth and passing away
from the heavenly realm entered into a powerful Kingship, he was able to
defeat an army merely by lifting and bending his finger: Then The Buddha
narrated an incident from one of his previous lives as King Vațtanguli who
was able to defeat an army merely by lifting and bending his finger”.
…Out of fifty tales in the Paññasa-jātaka, Vațtangulīrā-jajātaka is the
twentieth Jātaka. However, the period, the composer and the place of the
composition is still unclear. Some of the accepted evidence has now
become uncertain because new contradicted evidence has been found...
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The accepted opinion is composed by HRH Prince Damrong Rajanubhab in
the preface of the first publication of Paññasajātaka that:
“The book of Paññasajātaka consists of fifty ancient tales told in Thailand. A
Monk from Chiang Mai compiled and composed the tales in Magadhi
language in around 1457-1657 CE, which was the period when Monks in this
country studied from Sri Lanka and were fluent in Magadhi language. They
published books in Magadhi language in their hometown by explaining and
elaborating the teachings, like the Monks in Sri Lanka.” HRH Prince
Damrong Rajanubhab also spoke about this book that:
“…Originally the book of Paññasajātaka comprised of fifty palm leaf
manuscripts tied together. Today can only be seen in Thailand, Luang
Prabang and Cambodia, other than that they cannot be found. It has been
told that the book was once found in Burma (Myanmar), they called it Chiang
Mai Paññasa. However, one of the Kings in Burma (Myanmar) said that the
book is counterfeited Words of The Buddha and ordered for them to be
burned. Thus, the Paññasajātaka can no longer be found in Burma
(Myanmar)..”
The tales in Paññasajātaka are well known in Thailand for example
Samudaghosa tale, Sudhana-Manohara tale, Sang Thong tale, Rathasena
tale and Gavi tale…”
References:
H.R.H. Prince Damrong Rajanubhab. (1924)
"Explanation" in Paññasajaātaka Part 2
Bangkok: Sophonphiphatthanakorn Publication
(Printed for the funeral of M.J.Y. Prompraopan T.C. 15 December 1924)
Phramaha Tanin Aditvaro (2003). Paññasajātaka Chapter 3-27: Review and Analytical
Study
Thesis for M.A. Program in Pāli, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University
Niyada Laosunthon. Paññasajātaka: Its Genesis and Significance to Thai Poetical Works
Krung Thep: Maekamphang, Referred in Phramaha Preecha Mahosatho (1998)
The Influence of Pāli Literature of Paññasajātaka to Thai Society
Thesis for M.A. Program in Buddhism, Mahachulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya University
Phramaha Preecha Mahosatho (1998)
The Influence of Pāli Literature of Paññasajātaka to Thai Society
Thesis for M.A. Program in Buddhism, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University
Anne M. Blackburn, Jeffrey Samuels, Editors Approaching The Teachings: Buddhist Texts
and Practices in South and Southeast Asia BPS Pariyatti Editions, Onalaska, WA USA
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These newly developed literature that are supposed to be the discourses from The
Buddha on the benefits of creating a Buddha image are in conflict with what The Buddha
has stated, spoken, and prescribed prior to his Final Enlightenment (i.e. death) to allow
The Teachings that he shared to be the Teacher.
He also shared to reside with ourselves and with The Teachings as our refuge and with no
others. Additionally, he shared the harm of explaining what has not been stated, spoken,
and prescribed by The Tathāgata as having been stated, spoken, and prescribed by him.
Those are acting for the unhappiness of many people, for the ruin, they generate much
unwholesome Kamma and cause the good Teachings to disappear.
There are no creditable sources of The Buddha describing the creation of Buddha images
as being beneficial in any way, but instead, The Buddha spent forty-five (45) years of his
life dedicated to sharing The Teachings on The Path to Enlightenment that lead to
liberation of the mind through learning, reflecting, and practicing The Teachings to train
the mind, liberating it from discontent feelings. The mind is liberated through wisdom and
an image of The Buddha alone will not create wisdom in the mind improving one’s
wisdom, moral conduct, and mental discipline to attain Enlightenment.
Furthermore, this newly developed story shares that The Buddha said, “Those who build
Buddha image will encounter happiness and all their wishes will be granted”. There is
never a time in The Words of The Buddha from the most complete and reliable source,
The Pāli Canon, where The Buddha spoke of anything that would involve declaring a wish
and granting a wish for happiness. Instead, The Buddha taught The Path to
Enlightenment as the way forward that leads to the elimination of discontentedness which
a highlight of his Teachings is to acquire wisdom through learning, reflecting, and
practicing his Teachings.
There is no ability to wish for happiness or wish for the elimination of suffering. Rather, it
is through training the mind that one will eliminate 100% of all discontent feelings and the
suffering they cause. The mere creation of a Buddha image to “encounter happiness and
all their wishes will be granted” is completely opposite of all that The Buddha taught as
The Path to Enlightenment.
The creation of Buddha images was not taught by The Buddha. He never taught to
worship him or a statue of him. In contrast, he taught to learn, reflect, and practice The
Teachings through determination, dedication, and diligence to train the mind.
One cannot have a wish granted. Who would grant the wish?
If you would like to test this out for yourself, make a wish right now and see if it comes
true. Did it come true? “No”?
Now you have your proof, it is not possible to make a wish and have it granted, therefore,
this newly developed literature is not an accurate representation of The Words of The
Buddha or The Teachings that lead to Enlightenment. The Buddha never taught to make
statues of him, that his spirit resides in the statue, to pray to a statue, or to worship a
statue. There is no benefit in doing so and there are no beneficial results towards the
attainment of Enlightenment that would be experienced from doing so.
In fact, doing so would be to have “wrong view” and continue to allow the fetter/taint/
pollution of mind described as “wrong behavior and observances” to exist in the mind.
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Wrong behavior and observances (The mind’s belief that rites, rituals, ceremonies, and worship
will help a Practitioner to attain Enlightenment.)
Gotama Buddha Statues: Every statue of Gotama Buddha looks very different
depending on what culture has created the statue. China, Tibet, Thailand, Sri Lanka and
other cultures all have Buddha statues but they all look different.
What you will notice is that each culture casts statues of Gotama Buddha based on local
tradition and local appearances from within the culture that casts the statues. Statues in
Thailand look very Thai while Chinese statues look very Chinese, and so forth. None of
these statues resemble the description of Gotama Buddha in his Teachings. (See “Image
of Gotama Buddha” at the end of this Chapter.)
People cast statues based on their culture’s appearance due to the affection that people
have for Gotama Buddha in that each culture would like Gotama Buddha to look as close
to them as possible.
It is a form of craving or mental attachment to Gotama Buddha and having a craving or
desire for Gotama Buddha to be from the culture that made the statue.
Keep in mind, we should not allow the mind to crave/attach or worship any image or
statue of Gotama Buddha. Gotama Buddha taught us to learn and practice his Teachings
so that we can attain the results which is Enlightenment. He was not interested in
teaching us to attach to his image or worship him as he knew it would lead to
discontentedness of mind and not to Enlightenment. Any and all forms of attachment will
cause a discontent mind.
Some people believe the spirit of Gotama Buddha resides in the statues and they can be
found praying to the statue (i.e. Gotama Buddha’s spirit) asking for benefits. Gotama
Buddha never taught to create statues of him or that his spirit resides in any statue. In
fact, he never taught whether a spirit or soul exists or does not exist. He left this as an
undeclared Teaching.
The highest form of respect you can give to a Teacher is to practice their Teachings.
Merely, worshiping Gotama Buddha’s image will not produce Enlightenment, thus, he did
not teach us this practice. He only ever taught us Teachings that lead to Enlightenment,
and worship of a statue does not produce Enlightenment.
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Chapter 41
Misunderstanding Regarding
Listening to the Great Birth Sermon
An Arahant, Fully Enlightened Buddha Named Maitreya by
The Words of The Buddha
The Words of The Buddha in The Pāli Canon illustrates the arising of an
Arahant, Fully Enlightened Buddha named Maitreya that states:
“And in that time of the people with an eighty thousand-year life span, there
will arise in the world a Fortunate One, an Arahant, Fully Enlightened Buddha
named Maitreya, endowed with wisdom and conduct, a well-farer, knower of
the worlds, incomparable trainer of men to be tamed, Teacher of gods and
humans, Enlightened and fortunate, just as I am now.
He will thoroughly know having realized it by his own experience and
proclaim, this universe with its heavenly beings and Māras and Brahmas, its
Ascetics and Brāhmins, and this generation with its princes and people, just
as I do now.
He will teach The Teachings, lovely in its beginning, lovely in its middle,
lovely in its ending, in the spirit and in the letter, and proclaim, just as I do
now, the holy life in its fullness and purity. He will be attended by a company
of thousands of Monks, just as I am attended by a company of hundreds.”
This was all The Words of The Buddha mentioned in The Pāli Canon
regarding the Arahant, Fully Enlightened Buddha named Maitreya.
(Reference: DN 26)


An Arahant Fully Enlightened Buddha Named Maitreya by
Unreliable Literature
Phra Malai Kham Luang is a Buddhist literature which does not appear in
The Pāli Canon. The period of Maitreya is found in a scripture called "Malai
Discourse” which talks about a Buddhist Monk named “Malai” who was born
in Sri Lanka, attained Arahantship and had a supernatural power. He was
able to travel to hell, distinguish the fire burning in hell, destroy a red-hot
metal cauldron, extinguish sorrow for hell-beings, able to travel to heaven to
bestow lotus to the Culamani-Shrine, converse with Phra Sri Ariya and
informed that humans want to be reborn in Phra Sri Ariya era. Monk Sri Ariya
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instructed Monk Malai to tell people (on earth) to always make merit, practice
generosity, and follow the Buddhist precepts. Whoever listens to the story of
Phra Vessantara in the Great Birth Sermon that comprise a thousand
incantations within one day and bestow different type of lotuses, one
thousand lotuses each, they will be reborn in the Phra Sri Ariya era as stated
in the Malai Discourse that:
…The future Buddha, joyful to hear (this) news of human beings in Rose-
Apple Island, said ‘Sir, let everyone who wishes to see me when I have
attained omniscience listen to a complete recitation in one day of the Great
Vessantara Birth-Story; if they worship with a thousand lamps or a thousand
lotuses, a thousand blue lotuses, blue water-lilies, Mandara-flowers, flax
flowers, a thousand banners, parasols, flags or vehicles, and bring
everything to worship The Teaching, they will attain Arahantship along with
the analytical insights at the time of my Enlightenment (and) in my presence’.
A book called Kae roi Phra Malai (tracing Monk Malai) stated the source of
Phra Malai which can be summarized as follows:
…Phra Malai manuscript can be found in several literary styles. It was
originated in Sri Lanka, taken to Burma who composed “Maleyya
Discourse”. From Maleyya Discourse to Maleyyaheavenly beingttheravatthu
in Lanna (Northern Thailand) and spread to Ayutthaya which led to the
composition of Maleyyavatthudipanitika in Ayutthaya. Moreover, various
literatures were composed about Monk Malai such as Phra Malai Kam
Luang, Royal literature, Phra Malai Klon Suat, folk version of Phra Malai that
talks about hell and heaven, Phra Malai tale, preacher manual teaching hell
and heaven, Sermon version of Phra Malai used in donating merit to the
deceased.
In addition, the above book also mentioned the effects of Phra Malai Kam
Luang on people’s way of living and cultures such as teaching them to be
scared of hell and to aim for heaven, pouring water to donate merit to the
deceased, listening to the Great Birth Sermon in order to meet Phra Sri Ariya.
Phra Malai is also recited in weddings and funerals.
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References:
Sinlapanon, Dendao. 2010. Kae roi Phra Malai. Krungthep : Museum Press.
Thammathibet, Chao Fa (Prince). 2007. Phra Malai Kham Luang.
Nonthaburi : Sukhothai Thammathirat University
Udoporn Khampiranon. 2008. A Study of Buddhist Teachings as Appeared
in the Phramalaikamluang Literature Master's thesis of the Buddhist Studies Graduate
School Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University.
Maurice Walshe (trans.) (2012). The Long Discourses of the Buddha:
A Translation of the Digha Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN
978-0-86171-103-1.
K.R. Norman. 1993. Journal of the Pāli Text Society XVIII The Pāli Text Society. Oxford.
The Teachings from Phra Malai Kham Luang Buddhist literature do not appear in The Pāli
Canon. The stories of Maitreya Buddha from this text are not considered to be accurate
and can be disregarded and ignored.
Why Did Gotama Buddha Share That He is a Buddha and Why Will Maitreya Buddha
Not Share with The Public That He is a Buddha?
During the lifetime of Gotama Buddha, people did not know what is a Buddha. To help
humanity understand what a Buddha is, Gotama Buddha needed to help us to
understand this important Teaching by sharing that he is a Buddha.
So, during his lifetime, he shared that he is The Perfectly Enlightened One - a Buddha.
This helped us to understand what a Buddha is and is not, so this important Teaching
was understood and available to be shared throughout humanity after his death.
What is a Buddha?
A “Buddha” is not a Stage of Enlightenment but instead, is a unique type of Enlightened
being. A Buddha is an Arahant who has attained Enlightenment without any assistance of
Teachers but only through their own efforts of using the world as their Teacher and
perhaps Teachings of a previously awakened Buddha.
There are three primary criteria of what makes a Buddha a Buddha.
1.) A Buddha awakens to Enlightenment through their own independent journey without
the assistance of any Teachers, independently discovering The Teachings that lead to
Enlightenment.
A Buddha has fully eliminated The Ten Fetters to attain Enlightenment as an Arahant but
they have done so through their own independent journey without the assistance of any
Teachers, developing deep wisdom of what is needed to attain Enlightenment.
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2.) A Buddha guides countless others to Enlightenment during their lifetime through
sharing their independently discovered Teachings that led to their own Enlightenment
during their independent journey.
A Buddha has the ability to guide countless beings to the attainment of Enlightenment
during their lifetime and after their death. A Buddha will dedicate the remaining time of
their life towards sharing their Teachings and guiding countless beings to Enlightenment.
3.) Upon a Buddha’s death, they will leave their Teachings in a condition that can be
continually shared assisting countless more beings to Enlightenment after their death.
A Buddha’s Teachings and Students will continue to guide countless people to
Enlightenment after a Buddha’s death. A Buddha has already done the hard work of
figuring out how to attain Enlightenment. You just need to learn and practice his
Teachings to improve the condition of the mind and your life.
A Buddha is referred to as a Fully Perfectly Enlightened Buddha, a Perfectly Enlightened
One, or a Tathāgata. They are a human being, a Teacher, one with deep compassion for
all beings and the world. A Buddha has deep wisdom to help the world and can
accomplish that goal through individuals choosing to learn and practice their Teachings to
attain Enlightenment.
They are considered Perfectly Enlightened because there are no outside influences that
have led to their awakening, so they have “Perfect Enlightenment” where their mind is
unaffected by any teachings outside of their own independently discovered Teachings
that led to their awakening.
A Buddha will have an excellent memory being able to recall countless past events and
situations with stunning accuracy. Unlike other humans, their memory does not fade and
is not overwritten.
Why Will Maitreya Buddha Not Share with The Public That He is a Buddha?
Gotama Buddha predicted that a new Buddha would arise 2,500 years after his death and
referred to him as “Maitreya Buddha”. Gotama Buddha died in 483 BCE which dates the
awakening of Maitreya Buddha to the year 2017.
“Maitreya” refers to “loving-kindness” as it is predicted that this new Buddha will have a
significant amount of loving-kindness for the world and choose to share The Path to
Enlightenment with all of humanity, restoring The Teachings of Gotama Buddha for all of
humanity to gradually become Enlightened.
Since Gotama Buddha shared The Teachings of what a Buddha is and is not, and in
current times declaring one’s self as a Buddha would be viewed as arrogance, prideful,
boasting, and based in ego, Maitreya Buddha will not share that he is a Buddha but
instead, humbly share his Teachings without a need for others to know he is a Buddha -
his Students may gradually discover this truth on their own as they progress towards
awakening to Enlightenment.
During the lifetime of Gotama Buddha, there was no such thing as “worldwide fame”.
Instead, Gotama Buddha was initially isolated to a small portion of the world. He taught
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in, what we refer to today as, Northeast India. Sharing and teaching that he was a
Buddha, did not produce the perception that he was attempting to elevate himself to
“worldwide fame” because worldwide fame did not exist during his lifetime.
Humanity spoke many different languages 2,500 years ago and there was only minimal
interaction between various populations and societies. So sharing and teaching that he
was a Buddha was to acknowledge what a Buddha is and is not, while helping humanity
understand this important Teaching along with all the other Teachings that lead to
Enlightenment.
Today, if someone declared they were a Buddha, this would be scrutinized and
considered as, someone attempting to attain “worldwide fame” and people would
consider this to be based in arrogance, pride, boastfulness, and ego. Therefore, an
individual who publicly declares themselves as a Buddha could not actually be a Buddha
because they could not be Enlightened if there was arrogance, pride, boastfulness, and
ego.
Maitreya Buddha would know that if he announced his awakening to Enlightenment, that
no one would believe this and therefore, it would hinder his ability to share The Teachings
that lead to Enlightenment.
A Buddha’s Teachings are not based in belief. They are not interested in anyone
believing anything at all, including, believing that they are a Buddha.
A Buddha does not need anyone to know they are a Buddha to be able to effectively
share their Teachings into the world. A Buddha would be wise enough to awaken to
Enlightenment on their own without any Teachers or guidance which is an enormous feat
that requires a significant amount of wisdom. The last Buddha currently known to the
world existed over 2,500 years ago.
Maitreya Buddha would not only have the wisdom to awaken to Enlightenment on his
own without any Teachers or guidance but, he would also have the wisdom of how to
share his Teachings with all those who have a sincere interest to learn his Teachings
without the need for others to know he is a Buddha. Not only would Maitreya Buddha
have the wisdom to awaken to Enlightenment on his own but, he would be able to create
a wholesome environment that is conducive for Students to learn, reflect, and practice
The Teachings that lead to Enlightenment with his guidance and without anyone needing
to know he is a Buddha.
In fact, others knowing he is a Buddha would actually hinder his ability to share his
Teachings and to guide countless Students to Enlightenment.
One of the most significant “powers” that a Buddha has is that no one knows he is a
Buddha.
A Buddha has the ability to observe the quality of mind of his Students based on
observation and interaction with them. He can observe the wholesome and unwholesome
qualities of mind and then offer Teachings to help them cultivate wholesome qualities of
mind and eliminate the unwholesome qualities of mind. A Buddha is more effective when
no one knows that he is a Buddha so that he can more readily observe the normal state
170


of an individual’s mind and then share Teachings to help his Students who are seeking
guidance.
In this way, if people knew Maitreya Buddha existed in the world, they would potentially
be on their best behavior anytime they are around him and thus, render useless his ability
to observe the normal state of his Student’s mind.
He would be unable to observe the wholesome and unwholesome qualities of his
Student’s mind, therefore, he would lack the insight to readily offer Teachings that would
help guide his Students to Enlightenment.
A Buddha’s only goal is to guide as many Students to Enlightenment as possible during
their lifetime and leave The Teachings in a condition that countless more people can get
to Enlightenment after their death.
If a population of people were convinced that Maitreya Buddha is a Buddha, not only
would people need to believe him, not only would people consider that he has arrogance,
pride, boastfulness, and ego, thus, not be a Buddha…but also, his power and ability to
diagnose the mind of his Student’s would be rendered useless and hinder his goal to
guide countless Students to Enlightenment because he would lack the insight of the
wholesome and unwholesome qualities of mind of his Students and be unable to share
Teachings with them based on those important observations.
There was not a worldwide announcement of Gotama Buddha’s awakening nor was there
a worldwide announcement of the arrival of other important Teachers, such as, Jesus
Christ. Therefore, Maitreya Buddha would not need a worldwide announcement to be an
effective Teacher but instead, would have the wisdom to accomplish his goals of restoring
The Teachings of Gotama Buddha that guide all of humanity to Enlightenment on The
Path to Enlightenment without anyone knowing he is a Buddha.
Having countless Enlightened beings in the world would create the ability for all of
humanity to create “heaven on earth”.
People not knowing that Maitreya Buddha has awakened to Enlightenment would
be beneficial to Maitreya Buddha, his Students, and all of humanity in multiple ways.
1.) People would not need to believe he is a Buddha, they could discover the truth on
their own as they learn, reflect, and practice his Teachings to awaken to Enlightenment.
2.) Humanity would not regard him as having arrogance, pride, boastfulness, or ego
because he would humbly go about his work guiding countless people to Enlightenment
while restoring The Teachings of Gotama Buddha back into the world.
3.) He would retain his ability to observe the wholesome and unwholesome qualities of
mind of his Students, thus, aiding him in more readily guiding countless people to
Enlightenment.
No one should expect that Maitreya Buddha will make a worldwide announcement of his
awakening. Instead, he will humbly, peacefully, and respectfully share his Teachings into
the world with all those who have a sincere interest in learning, reflecting, and practicing
The Path to Enlightenment to attain Enlightenment.
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If you learn, reflect, and practice The Teachings of Maitreya Buddha that are restoring The
Teachings of Gotama Buddha, then you will see the clarity, conciseness, and preciseness
that Maitreya Buddha can share Gotama Buddha’s Teachings with all those who choose
to progress towards Enlightenment. And, you will be able to make significant progress
towards Enlightenment through his in-depth Teachings based on his deep wisdom.
Maitreya Buddha’s only goal is to restore The Teachings of Gotama Buddha by guiding
countless people to Enlightenment during his lifetime and after his death. He would have
no interest in fame or fortune as he would know those are not what leads to lasting and
fulfilling peacefulness and joy that is permanent - the Enlightened mind.
If you live during the lifetime of Maitreya Buddha, this is the very best time to learn,
reflect, and practice The Teachings to attain Enlightenment. There is no other time in
history that is better than learning directly with a Buddha to attain Enlightenment.
May you all experience the peace and joy of the Enlightened mind.
Be well and have a wonderful life…..perhaps your last life.
172


Chapter 42
Misunderstanding Regarding
Pouring Water to Transfer Merit
... To pour water when making merit for the deceased came, from the Phra
Malai story that he went to hell to bestow happiness to beings in hell and
those beings implore him to tell their relatives to make merit for them as
written in the Phra Malai literature that:
All of the hell beings, relieved of their suffering, were peaceful and content.
They bowed down in respect, and asked, ‘Oh, Lord, where have you come
from, bringing us such happiness?’
The Thera answered, ‘I have come from the human realm.’
Hearing this, the group in hell was overjoyed, and they asked him to tell
[those in the human realm] about the conditions of the place where they
were. ‘Please, Lord, we beg you to tell our relatives, wherever they may be.’
They named cities, towns, and regions far away. They told him the names of
their fathers and where they lived, and the names of other relatives-sons,
daughters, husbands, mothers, sisters, and brothers. ‘Have all of them
hasten to make merit and transfer it to us. Have them worship The Buddha,
the exalted Teachings, and the praiseworthy Community, teacher of morality.
Have them practice generosity and send the merit to us by pouring the water
of donation. Then each of us will be delivered from suffering’.
From the above story, people have believed that by pouring water while
giving a donation, the merit will be transferred to the deceased. Thus, it has
become a common practice to pour water when making merit to transfer the
good deeds to the deceased and enemies from a previous life.
Notes:
The unreliable literature of Phra Malai teaches “wrong view” that Kamma is
created by others. The Buddha taught for a person with “wrong view”, there
is one of two destinations: either hell or the animal realm.
The Buddha taught that “…beings are the owners of their Kamma, the heirs
of their Kamma; they have Kamma as their origin, Kamma as their relative,
Kamma as their resort; whatever Kamma they do, wholesome or
unwholesome, they are its heirs”.
173


Additionally, The Buddha also taught the harm of explaining what has not
been stated, spoken, and prescribed by The Tathāgata as having been
stated, spoken, and prescribed by him. Those are acting for the unhappiness
of many people, for the ruin, they generate much unwholesome Kamma and
cause the good Teachings to disappear.
References:
Prince Thammatibes. (2007). Phra Malai. Nonthaburi:
Sukhothai Thanimathirat Open University.
Udomporn Khampiranon. (2008). A study of Buddhist Teachings as Áppeared in the
Phramalai
Kamluang Literature Thesis for M.A. Program in Buddhist Studies
Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University.
Bonnie Pacala Brereton. (1995). Thai Tellings of Phra Malai:
Texts and Rituals Concerning a Popular Buddhist Saint.
The teachings from Phra Malai Kham Luang Buddhist literature do not appear in The Pāli
Canon. The stories of Maitreya Buddha from this text are not considered to be accurate
and can be disregarded and ignored.
It is not possible to transfer the benefits of practicing generosity from one Practitioner to
another.
The benefit of practicing generosity is that it helps to train the mind of a Practitioner to
eliminate craving/desire/attachment. By practicing generosity, among other Teachings,
the Practitioner’s mind gradually eliminates craving/desire/attachment, the cause of
discontentedness. To accomplish this goal, a Practitioner needs to practice generosity as
described in The Words of The Buddha and available in the book “Generosity” (Volume
13) from this same book series.
Once a Practitioner has made an offering, which helps to eliminate craving/desire/
attachment, it is impossible to transfer that benefit to another being. Pouring water nor
any other rite, ritual, ceremony, or worship will result in transferring beneficial results of
training the mind from one Practitioner to another. Each Practitioner needs to earn their
own Enlightenment through training the mind and doing the work to learn, reflect, and
practice these Teachings.
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Chapter 43
Misunderstanding Regarding
Holy Water
The making of holy water can be found in the commentary of the Ratana
Discourse which stated that:
… it was questioned that who composed this discourse, when and where
was it composed and why. It was answered thoroughly by many ancient
Monks who interpreted the Vesali story.
Thus, on the same day The Buddha arrived in Vesali, Venerable Ānanda
learned, at the gate of the city, the Ratana Discourse for avoiding those
calamities. He recited it as protection by taking water in The Buddha’s bowl,
going about and sprinkling it over the entire city. The moment he spoke the
word “Whatever …” ('Yan kinci ..., verse 3), the evil spirits who did not flee
earlier and were living by means of such places as trash heaps, walls and the
like, fled through the four gates …”
References:
The Suttanipāta-atțhakathā - Ratana Discourse.
The Buddha's Discourse on The Three Superb Jewels And Their Intrinsic Power
Printed by: Mahendra Senanayake Sridevi Printers (Pv) Ltd
175

This commentary is a contradiction to The Buddha’s discourses and Teachings that the
making of holy water is a lowly art.
The Buddha prohibited Monks, including himself, from making holy water as mentioned in
thirteen (13) discourses from The Buddha. He stated that the “Ascetic Gotama refrains
from such lowly arts and that a Monk refrains from such” as described in other
discourses. The Buddha also instructed that a Noble Disciple abandons the act of lowly
arts. Additionally, The Buddha also explained the harm of explaining what has not been
stated, spoken, and prescribed by The Tathāgata as having been stated, spoken, and
prescribed by him. Those are acting for the unhappiness of many people, for the ruin,
they generate much unwholesome Kamma and cause the good Teachings to disappear.
There are no creditable sources of The Buddha describing making holy water as being
beneficial in any way, but instead, The Buddha spent forty-five (45) years of his life
dedicated to sharing The Teachings on The Path to Enlightenment that lead to liberation
of the mind through learning, reflecting, and practicing The Teachings to train the mind,
liberating it from discontent feelings. The mind is liberated through wisdom and making
holy water will not create wisdom in the mind improving one’s wisdom, moral conduct,
and mental discipline to attain Enlightenment.
176


Chapter 44
Misunderstanding Regarding
The Benefits of Reciting Teachings
The unreliable literature states that the Paritta (i.e. chants) have the power to
protect those who recite it like in the story of the Bodhisatta’s life as a golden
peacock. He often recited Mora Paritta (i.e. chants) which is about
worshipping the virtuous glories of past Buddhas causing him to be safe
from hunters.
In addition, the unreliable literature shares that during the lifetime of The
Buddha, five hundred Monks went to the forest to practice meditation. They
were harassed by the deities and were unable to meditate so they returned
to Sāvatthī. So The Buddha advised them to recite the text of Loving-
kindness and to radiate the spirit of love to all sentient beings. Upon
returning to the forest, the Monks practiced the radiation of love. The deities
were pleased and thus let the Monks meditate peacefully.
Another newly unreliable literature shares that the power of Paritta (i.e.
chants) can help protect those who listen to Paritta. During the lifetime of
The Buddha, Vesali was plagued by three dangers of famine, devils, and
pestilence. The Vesalians sought the help of The Buddha. The Buddha
instructed Venerable Ānanda to recite the discourse on Precious Jewels,
then all the dangers were terminated.
Furthermore, in another unreliable literature it was composed that during the
lifetime of The Buddha there was a child who was going to be eaten by a
yakkha within 7 days. The Buddha then advised Monks to recite the Paritta
(i.e. chants) for seven nights and The Buddha himself recited on the eighth
night. The child was released from the danger of the non-human.
References:
Jätaka-atthakathā - The Khuddakapāțha-ațthakatha
The Suttanipāta-atțhakatha, - The Dhammapada-atthakatha
177


The unreliable literature is a contradiction to The Buddha’s discourses and Teachings that
warns against adding or abolishing what has been taught. The origin of this discourse is
not traced to the lifetime of The Buddha but instead was included long after The
Buddha’s death.
The Buddha instructed Monks ignore others’ discourses. This was taught because The
Buddha’s discourses will disappear if newly composed discourses are being studied that
are not The Teachings of The Buddha.
Moreover, The Buddha also shared the harm of explaining what has not been stated,
spoken, and prescribed by The Tathāgata as having been stated, spoken, and prescribed
by him. Those are acting for the unhappiness of many people, for the ruin, they generate
much unwholesome Kamma and cause the good Teachings to disappear.
There are no creditable sources of The Buddha describing the use of reciting Teachings
as chants to dispel evil or to be used as protection. The Buddha did not teach this
practice as being beneficial in any way, but instead, The Buddha spent forty-five (45)
years of his life dedicated to sharing The Teachings on The Path to Enlightenment that
lead to liberation of the mind through learning, reflecting, and practicing The Teachings to
train the mind, liberating it from discontent feelings. The mind is liberated through wisdom
and reciting Teachings as chants will not create wisdom in the mind improving one’s
wisdom, moral conduct, and mental discipline to attain Enlightenment.
Chanting or Mantras: Throughout the world there are Practitioners who do “chanting” of
The Teachings. It is important that Practitioners understand, while chanting can help to
create mindfulness (i.e. awareness of mind), concentration, and memory, the words
themselves and the sounds coming from a person’s mouth do not have any mystical,
magical, or special power to attain or create Enlightenment.
There are no mystical, magical, or special powers that one could use in a chant or mantra
that would create benefit of doing such things as destroying unwholesome Kamma,
attaining Enlightenment, transferring Merit/Kamma, achieving a long life, helping beings
that have already died, improving one’s destination after death or any other beneficial
result.
Mantras are sometimes taught and “believed” to have mystical, magical, or special
powers. This is not true and will not result in beneficial outcomes beyond training for
concentration, memory, or awareness of mind.
All of Gotama Buddha’s Teachings are focused on the Practitioner learning and practicing
Teachings that train the mind, not invoking mystical, magical, or special powers for any
sort of benefit. Gotama Buddha himself did not teach these types of practices and
described them as a “lowly art”.
Chanting can be relaxing and a powerful practice to calm the mind while developing
awareness of mind and awareness of breath through training of the mind, but not through
mystical or magical powers.
To attain Enlightenment, a Practitioner needs to practice the entire Eight Fold Path. It is
through our practice of learning and applying The Teachings in everyday life, that we
liberate the mind to attain Enlightenment.
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Listening to chanting or performing chanting can help to create a peaceful mind, develop
mindfulness, and awareness of breath. One can use the practice of chanting to improve
concentration, memory, and awareness of mind among other beneficial results to train
one’s own mind.
Chanting can help calm the mind, however, the Practitioner will need to do the work to
sustain the mindfulness and calmness of mind long term.
Chanting is just one practice that helps to develop mindfulness and the mind will need a
“life practice” to cultivate a content mind with Enlightenment. A Practitioner will need to
learn and practice the entire Eight Fold Path as their “life practice” to attain
Enlightenment.
Merely chanting or reciting a mantra for some beneficial result is not what Gotama
Buddha taught as part of The Path to Enlightenment. These Teachings are 100% focused
on learning and practicing Teachings that lead to liberation of the mind to eliminate
discontentedness.
A chant or mantra alone will not accomplish that goal and is not required to attain
Enlightenment.
179


Chapter 45
Reside with The Teachings as Your Refuge
But have I not already declared, Ānanda, that we must be parted, separated,
and severed from all who are dear and agreeable to us?
How, Ānanda, is it to be obtained here: ‘May what is born, come to be,
conditioned, and subject to disintegration not disintegrate!’? That is
impossible.
Therefore, Ānanda, reside with yourselves as your own island, with
yourselves as your own refuge, with no other refuge; reside with The
Teachings as your island, with The Teachings as your refuge, with no other
refuge.
And how, Ānanda, does a Monk reside with himself as his own island, with
himself as his own refuge, with no other refuge; with The Teachings as his
island, with The Teachings as his refuge, with no other refuge?
Here, Ānanda, a Monk resides reflecting on the body as body,
He resides reflecting on feelings as feelings,
He resides reflecting on mind as mind,
He resides reflecting on mental objects as mental objects, dedicated, clearly
comprehending, mindful, having removed craving and displeasure in regard
to the world.
Those Monks, Ānanda, either now or after I am gone, who reside with
themselves as their own island, with themselves as their own refuge, with no
other refuge; who reside with The Teachings as their island, with The
Teachings as their refuge, with no other refuge - it is these Monks, Ānanda,
who will be for me greatest of those dedicated to the training.
(Reference: DN 16)


In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares that because he was born, he is subject
to death.
In death, The Buddha advises that Practitioners “reside with yourselves as your own
island, with yourselves as your own refuge, with no other refuge; reside with The
Teachings as your island, with The Teachings as your refuge, with no other refuge”.
This Teaching is widely misunderstood by many who feel this is The Buddha providing
guidance that one does not need a Teacher to attain Enlightenment that all they need is
The Teachings. This is a gross misunderstanding of what The Buddha is sharing.
Instead, The Buddha is sharing that one should not rely on any others but instead focus
on The Path to Enlightenment as an independent journey where one does the work to
investigate The Teachings to acquire wisdom.
There is plenty of evidence of The Buddha guiding Practitioners to seek guidance with a
Teacher. This Teaching is not guiding one to not have a Teacher but instead, do not rely
on anyone but instead, actively pursue your own learning and growth.
It is well understood that all Practitioners will need a Teacher. It is only a Buddha who
would be able to attain Enlightenment without the guidance of a Teacher. The last Buddha
currently known to the world existed over 2,500 years ago.
If it was possible to attain Enlightenment without the guidance of a Teacher, why did The
Buddha work for forty-five (45) years of his life dedicated to sharing these Teachings?
If it was possible to attain Enlightenment without the guidance of a Teacher, why didn’t
The Buddha attain Enlightenment and just say “Ok, I did it now you guys do it by
yourselves”?
If The Buddha was suggesting that a Teacher is not needed, why are there so many
references to having a Teacher and seeking guidance from a Teacher in his Teachings?
The truth is that a Practitioner would be unable to only consult The Teachings in the Pāli
Canon and attain Enlightenment. If that is the case, we’d have plenty of Enlightened
beings in the world as all one would need to do is read The Pāli Canon to attain
Enlightenment. But, we do not have countless Enlightened beings in the world because it
is not possible to attain Enlightenment through only reading the text. Each Practitioner will
need to seek guidance with a Teacher in order to progress on The Path to Enlightenment.
The Buddha then points to The Four Foundations of Mindfulness as the way for a
Practitioner to reside with themselves as “his own island, with no other refuge; with The
Teachings as his island, with The Teachings as his refuge, with no other refuge?”. He
guides Practitioners to reside reflecting on body as body (bodily sensations), feelings as
feelings, mind as mind (condition of the mind), and mental objects as mental objects
being “dedicated, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed craving and
displeasure in regard to the world”.
As The Buddha’s life is drawing to a close, he shares that those who cultivate and
practice The Four Foundations of Mindfulness as being “greatest of those dedicated to
the training”.
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Chapter 46
Four Criteria that Assure
The Words of The Buddha
Suppose a Monk were to say: ‘Friends, I heard and received this from The
Perfectly Enlightened One’s own lips: these are The Teachings, this is the
discipline, this is the Master’s Teaching’, then, Monks, you should neither
approve nor disapprove his words. Then, without approving or disapproving,
his words and expressions should be carefully noted and compared with the
Suttas (discourses) and reviewed in the light of the discipline.
If they, on such comparison and review, are found not to conform to the
Suttas (discourses) or the discipline, the conclusion must be: ‘Assuredly this
is not the word of The Buddha, it has been wrongly understood by this
Monk’, and the matter is to be ignored.
But where on such comparison and review they are found to conform to the
Suttas (discourses) or the discipline, the conclusion must be: ‘Assuredly this
is the word of The Buddha, it has been rightly understood by this Monk.’
Suppose a Monk were to say: In such and such place there is a community
with elders and distinguished Teachers. I have heard and received this from
that community, then, Monks, you should neither approve nor disapprove his
words …
Suppose a Monk were to say: In such and such a place there are many
elders who are learned, bearers of the tradition, who know The Teachings,
the discipline, the training guidance …
Suppose a Monk were to say: In such and such a place there is one elder
who is learned ... I have heard and received this from that elder… But where
on such comparison and review they are found to conform to the Suttas
(discourses) and the discipline, then the conclusion must be: ‘Assuredly this
is the word of The Buddha, it has been rightly understood by this Monk.’
(Reference: DN 16)
182


In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how to confirm whether The Teachings
one learns are The Words of The Buddha or not.
He advises that a Practitioner should consult his discourses and if it is discovered that
The Teachings do not match to his discourses, one can conclude that “assuredly this is
not the word of The Buddha, it has been wrongly understood, and the matter is to be
ignored”.
But if having consulted The Buddha’s discourses and it is discovered that The Teachings
do match to his discourses, one can conclude that “Assuredly this is the word of The
Buddha, it has been rightly understood”.
The way to confirm The Words of The Buddha is to ensure one is learning and practicing
The Teachings from a reliable source of The Pāli Canon with references so that you can
independently confirm that what you are learning are the discourses as spoken by The
Buddha. If the source of The Teachings is not located in discourses of The Pāli Canon,
there is no confidence that what is being shared are The Words of The Buddha and one
can ignore those teachings as not being spoken by The Buddha.
183


Chapter 47
The Supreme Honor and Respect
Ānanda, prepare me a bed between these twin sāl-trees with my head to the
north. I am sleepy and would like to lie down.
Ānanda, these sāl-trees have burst forth into an abundance of untimely
blossoms, which fell upon The Tathāgata’s body, sprinkling it and covering it
in homage (respect). Divine coral-tree flowers fell from the sky, divine sandal-
wood powder fell from the sky, sprinkling and covering The Tathāgata’s body
in homage (respect).
Divine music and song sound from the sky in homage (respect) to The
Tathāgata. Never before has The Tathāgata been so honored, respected,
appreciated, admired and adored.
And yet, Ānanda, whatever male or female Ordained Practitioner, male or
female Household Practitioner resides practicing The Teachings properly,
and perfectly fulfills the way of The Teachings, he or she honors The
Tathāgata, has deep respect and appreciates him and pays him the supreme
homage (respect).
Therefore, Ānanda, we will reside practicing The Teachings properly and
perfectly fulfill the way of The Teachings - this must be your goal and
objective.
(Reference: DN 16)
In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares the best way to show respect to him as
a Teacher is to “practice The Teachings”.
This is a documented miracle that takes place in the presence of Ānanda and Gotama
Buddha uses it as an opportunity to share that the best way for a Student to show
respect to him as their Teacher is to practice The Teachings as their “goal and objective”.
184


Chapter 48
Teachings and Discipline Will Be Your Teacher
Ānanda, it may be that you will think: ‘The Teacher’s instruction has ceased,
now we have no Teacher!’ It should not be seen like this, Ānanda, for what I
have taught and explained to you as Teachings and discipline will, at my
passing, be your Teacher.
Now, Monks, I declare to you: all conditioned things are of a nature to decay
strive on untiringly.
(These were The Tathāgata’s last words.)
(Reference: DN 16)


In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares his last words prior to death.
The Buddha was so Enlightened that he was able to provide his Students three (3)
months advance notice of his death and he knew the exact moment of his death
providing these last words as a final Teaching. People do not normally know of their
pending death three (3) months in advance and they do not know the exact moment of
their death but The Perfectly Enlightened Buddha did know, due to his deep awareness of
mind and wisdom having attained Enlightenment.
After teaching for forty-five (45) years, he had shared The Teachings needed for
Practitioners to attain Enlightenment. As all conditioned things are impermanent, it was
time for the death of The Buddha. The Universal Truth of Impermanence applies to all
conditioned things even a Buddha.
In his last spoken sentence, The Buddha shares the very first Teaching on The Path to
Enlightenment that a Practitioner will need to deeply understand to attain Enlightenment.
“I declare to you: all conditioned things are of a nature to decay strive on untiringly” is
explaining The Universal Truth of Impermanence while also encouraging one to be
determined, dedicated, and diligent in their pursuit towards the attainment of
Enlightenment. To attain Enlightenment a Practitioner will need to deeply understand The
Universal Truth of Impermanence. The Buddha being a true Buddha teaches until his last
breath.
He encourages his Students to not mourn his death that his guidance has not ceased.
Instead, that he had shared all that was needed for the attainment of Enlightenment over
his forty-five (45) years of teaching and these Teachings should be considered “your
Teacher”.
He encourages his Students to “strive on untiringly” applying consistent energy and effort
towards the ultimate goal of Enlightenment.
185


Final Nibbāna
Final Nibbāna, or Final Enlightenment, is when someone attains Enlightenment and dies.
This is referred to as Final Enlightenment.
During one’s life, the mind can be trained to attain Enlightenment. The mind will reside
peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy - permanently. The mind will no longer
experience any mental pain associated with unwelcomed emotions, thoughts, ideas, or
any sort of discontentedness of mind. All discontentedness such as sadness, anger,
frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fears, boredom, loneliness, shyness,
jealousy, resentment, stress, anxiety, etc., will be completely eliminated from the mind.
However, a being is unable to completely transcend physical pain while in the human
form. This is impossible. While the mind can be developed to not react with anger,
sadness, hostility, aggression, or other discontent feelings upon experiencing physical
pain, nonetheless, physical pain will still be experienced by the mind.
The mind can eliminate all cravings/desires/attachments while in the human form and
during this life to experience Enlightenment. But while still alive, a being cannot eliminate
the connection between the body and the mind. The mind is still connected to the
physical body during life. Therefore, the mind will still experience physical pain but the
mind will experience it differently in the Enlightened mental state versus in the
unEnlightened mental state.
In the unEnlightened mental state, when the mind experiences physical pain, one can
become angered, frustrated, irritated, annoyed, hostile, aggressive, resentful, fearful, and
experience other discontent feelings. This is due to the mind craving permanent health,
permanent comfort, and permanent pleasant feelings from the body. It is impossible for
the body to experience permanent comfort due to The Universal Truth of Impermanence.
The pain associated with the physical body is an important aspect of the mind that needs
to exist in order for a being to function in the world. If a being did not experience physical
pain, they would be unable to remove the physical body from harm when too close to a
heat source or if another problematic situation arose. The sensation of physical pain
experienced by the mind helps a being understand, potential damage will occur or has
occurred and therefore, seek a remedy to the physical pain. This is why we choose to
step away from a heat source. The mind is alerted that the physical body is experiencing
pain and the being takes action to resolve the situation. This is beneficial and needed
during life.
In these situations, an unEnlightened mind will oftentimes experience discontentedness
associated with the craving for permanent comfort of the physical body. When there is
physical pain, the unEnlightened mind becomes discontent.
An Enlightened mind has been deeply trained to the point that it understands physical
pain is impermanent, and that allowing the mind to become discontent due to physical
pain, does not help to eliminate the physical pain.
Discontentedness at times of physical pain could actually make the situation worse.
For example, if one was bitten by a poisonous snake and became agitated, overactive,
and uncalm, this would increase respirations of the lungs and heart functions creating
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conditions for the poison to more rapidly move through the body causing more significant
injury and damage with an increased risk of potential death. Through training the mind to
reside unagitated and calm, an individual can decrease the harm to the body and improve
their ability to survive an injury such as a snake bite because the poison will not permeate
in the body as rapidly when the mind is calm. Through the mind remaining calm during
physical injuries, a being increases their ability to resolve the situation with a positive
outcome.
When an Enlightened mind experiences physical pain, the mind can continue to reside
peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy despite the physical injury, damage, or pain.
This is an added benefit experienced by an Enlightened mind producing improved
outcomes in situations where physical pain is experienced.
Nonetheless, there is still physical pain for an Enlightened being but it is just that the mind
will not react to the pain and instead, respond to resolve the situation finding a solution.
The physical pain associated with existence will continue for the remaining time of
existence even for an Enlightened being. But, they will not experience mental anguish or
any type of discontentedness associated with the physical pain. The Enlightened mind
does not relate to the pain in the same way as the unEnlightened mind which will
oftentimes become discontent due to physical pain.
It is not until the physical body dies, described by Gotama Buddha as “the breakup of the
body”, that the body and mind completely separate. From that point, not only has one
transcended discontentedness their entire life due to the attainment of Enlightenment, but
the being will then experience the complete elimination of all pain including physical pain.
This is referred to as Final Enlightenment or Final Nibbāna.
Enlightenment is experienced during life and the mind has transcended all emotional pain
and suffering. But, the physical pain will remain, because it is needed to make wise
decisions concerning the physical body during times of injury. The Enlightened mind will
have physical pain but will have acquired an improved way of responding to the physical
pain rather than reacting to it so there is no mental pain.
Once a being has attained Enlightenment and dies, there is no longer any physical pain
because the separation of the body and mind has occurred, therefore one has attained
Final Enlightenment. All pain both mental and physical has been completely eliminated -
permanently.
It is possible for an unEnlightened being to experience Enlightenment and Final
Enlightenment at the time of death. The being would have experienced discontentedness
their entire life but at the time of death, they would immediately experience Enlightenment
and Final Enlightenment no longer experiencing rebirth through The Cycle of Rebirth.
What happens once one attains Enlightenment and dies experiencing Final Enlightenment
is an undeclared Teaching of Gotama Buddha. He did not teach what is next other than
an Enlightened being will not experience any further existence in The Cycle of Rebirth.
There are other Teachings from Gotama Buddha in this book series related to how to
ensure The Teachings of a Buddha are sustained in the world. Chapters 33 and 34 in the
book “Foundation in The Teachings” (Volume 3) provides these Teachings and an
explanation of these Teachings.
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What Happens at Death?
After we die does the body become soil to the earth or after death what remains?
Isn’t there spirit or energy which exist inside our body? Isn’t there some sort of
energy?
No, at the time of death the body and mind separate and then there is "break up of the
body".
The body was described by Gotama Buddha through The Four Elements of Earth, Wind,
Fire, and Water.
Essentially, the physical body is described and classified into these Four Elements.
Earth: The solids of the body. (hair, teeth, nails, bones, etc.)
Wind: The movement of bodily functions. (Circulation, movement of bile, etc.)
Fire: The temperature of the body.
Water: The liquids of the body. (urine, saliva, blood, pus, tears, etc.)
The physical body is nothing more than these four elements coming together with a mind
or consciousness. The joining of the body and the mind creates a person.
Once the body and mind separate, the body will deteriorate remaining as these four
elements but without a mind or consciousness.
What you are looking at when you see the body is a unique collection of these four
elements that is always in a state of change and upon death, the body will continue that
change and configuration but it will still be just these four elements.
The body will progressively deteriorate and depending whether there is burial or
cremation, will determine how quickly the process of change occurs.
Through burial, the process is much slower. Cremation accelerates the process of change
of these four elements.
What happens to the mind upon death?
If the mind is not yet Enlightened, (i.e. the mind has not yet attained Enlightenment), then
there is rebirth into one of The Five Realms.
Heavenly Realm
Human Realm
Afflicted Spirits Realm
Animal Realm
Hell Realm
Heavenly, Afflicted Spirits, and Hell realms are formless realms. (i.e. there is no physical
form).
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Human and Animal realms are form realms, (i.e. there is physical form).
Rebirth is not instantaneous and upon rebirth there is a completely new existence with a
new form or formless existence and a new consciousness, (i.e. a new mind).
The new mind will have residual memories of past lives and unextinguished craving/
desire/attachment from past lives. The residual memories of past lives may potentially be
recalled as the mind awakens towards Enlightenment more and more.
If someone attains Enlightenment what happens to the mind? Does it disappear?
If the mind has experienced Enlightenment during the human or heavenly existence or at
death, (i.e. Enlightenment can be attained during an existence in the human or heavenly
realm or at death in those realms but not in the lower realms), the body and mind
separate and what happens next is an "undeclared" Teaching.
To attain Enlightenment, the mind needs to get to the point where there is no craving/
desire/attachment (i.e. mental longing with a strong eagerness) to know what is next.
An Enlightened mind is experiencing so much peace, calm, serenity, and contentedness
with joy that is permanent, the mind is not going to care what is next.
An Enlightened mind has already extinguished all fears including the fear of death,
therefore, the mind is so peaceful and does not fear death so what happens next, the
Enlightened mind does not care.
Having attained Enlightenment, you will know that you are already experiencing complete
and utter peacefulness so if there is something next after death for an Enlightened being,
it is either as good as you are currently experiencing or better.
And, if there is nothing next, then, ok, you are "done".
Either way, the mind needs to "let go" of wanting to know what is next and just focus on
learning and practicing The Teachings with guidance on The Path to Enlightenment to
experience Enlightenment in this life now that you are human.
Is the mind or soul/spirit the same thing?
No they are not.
There is no Teaching from The Buddha that there is or is not a soul/spirit. This is not a
Teaching he shared. He left The Teaching on a soul/spirit as “undeclared".
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How Did The Buddha Die?
Author: Venerable Dr Mettanando Bhikkhu
Published: 15 May 2001 - Bangkok Post
(This article was partially edited by the author of this book series to improve the formatting
and readability, however, the primary content of the article was not edited. Dr Mettanando
Bhikkhu was a physician before becoming an Ordained Practitioner. He was based at Wat
Ratchaorasaram Ratchaworawihan, Thailand at the time that this article was published.)
During Vesak Day, we are informed that it is also the day The Buddha attained Final
Enlightenment. But not many know how The Buddha died. Ancient texts weave two
stories about The Buddha's death. Was it planned and willed by The Buddha, or was it
food poisoning, or something else altogether?
Here’s an account [to help you better understand how The Buddha died].
The Mahaparinibbana Sutta, (Reference: DN 16) from the Long Discourse of The Pāli
Canon, is without doubt the most reliable source for details on the death of Siddhattha
Gotama (BCE 563-483), The Buddha. It is composed in a narrative style that allows
readers to follow the story of the last days of The Buddha, beginning a few months before
he died.
To understand what really happened to The Buddha is not a simple matter, though. The
sutta, or discourse, paints two conflicting personalities of The Buddha, one overriding the
other.
The first personality was that of a miracle worker who beamed himself and his entourage
of Monks across the Ganges River (D II, 89), who had a divine vision of the settlement of
gods on earth (D II, 87), who could live until the end of the world on condition that
someone invite him to do so (D II, 103), who determined the time of his own death (D II,
105), and whose death was glorified by the shower of heavenly flowers and sandal
powder and divine music (D II, 138).
The other personality was that of an aged being who was failing in health (D II, 120), who
almost lost his life because of a severe pain during his last retreat at Vesali (D II, 100), and
who was forced to come to terms with his unexpected illness and death after consuming
a special cuisine offered by his generous host.
These two personalities take turns emerging in different parts of the narrative. Moreover,
there also appear to be two explanations of The Buddha's cause of death: One is that the
Buddha died because his attendant, Ānanda, failed to invite him to live on to the age of
the world or even longer (D II, 117). The other is that he died by a sudden illness which
began after he ate what is known as “Sukaramaddava” (D II, 127-157).
The former story was probably a legend, or the result of a political struggle within the
Buddhist community during a stage of transition, whereas the latter sounds more realistic
and accurate in describing a real life situation that happened in The Buddha’s last days.
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A number of studies have focused on the nature of the special cuisine that The Buddha
ate during his last meal as being the agent of his death. However, there is also another
approach based on the description of the symptoms and signs given in the sutta, which
modern medical knowledge can shed light on.
In another mural painting at Wat Ratchasittharam, The Buddha is approaching death, but
he still takes time to answer questions put forth by the Ascetic Subhadda, his last convert
who, after being admitted to the Buddhist Order, became an Arahant (An Enlightened
Being).
What We Know
In the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, we are told that The Buddha became ill suddenly after he
ate a special delicacy, Sukaramaddava, literally translated as "soft pork", which had been
prepared by his generous host, Cunda Kammaraputta. The name of the cuisine has
attracted the attention of many scholars, and it has been the focus of academic research
on the nature of the meal or ingredients used in the cooking of this special dish.
The sutta itself provides details concerning the signs and symptoms of his illness in
addition to some reliable information about his circumstances over the previous four
months, and these details are also medically significant.
The sutta begins with King Ajatasattus’ plot to conquer a rival state, Vajji. The Buddha
had journeyed to Vajji to enter his last rainy-season retreat. It was during this retreat that
he fell ill. The symptoms of the illness were sudden, severe pain.
However, the sutta provides no description of the location and character of his pain. It
mentions his illness briefly, and says that the pain was intense, and almost killed him.
Subsequently, The Buddha was visited by Māra, the Evil One, who invited him to pass
away. The Buddha did not accept the invitation right away. It was only after Ānanda, his
attendant, failed to recognize his hint for an invitation to remain that he died. This piece of
the message, though tied up with myth and supernaturalism, gives us some medically
significant information. When the sutta was composed, its author was under the
impression that The Buddha died, not because of the food he ate, but because he already
had an underlying illness that was serious and acute-and had the same symptoms of the
disease that finally killed him.
The Timing
[The] Theravada Buddhist tradition has adhered to the assumption that the historical
Buddha passed away during the night of the full moon in the lunar month of Vesak (which
falls sometime in May to June). But the timing contradicts information given in the sutta,
which states clearly that the Buddha died soon after the rainy-season retreat, most likely
during the autumn or mid-winter, that is, November to January.
A description of the miracle of the unseasonal blooming of leaves and flowers on the sala
trees, when The Buddha was laid down between them, indicates the timeframe given in
the sutta.
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Autumn and winter, however, are seasons that are not favorable for the growth of
mushrooms, which some scholars believe to be the source of the poison that The Buddha
ate during his last meal.
Diagnosis
The sutta tells us that The Buddha felt ill immediately after eating the Sukaramaddava.
Since we do not know anything about the nature of this food, it is difficult to name it as
the direct cause of The Buddha's illness. But from the descriptions given, the onset of the
illness was quick.
While eating, he felt there was something wrong with the food and he suggested his host
have the food buried. Soon afterward, he suffered severe stomach pain and passed blood
from his rectum.
We can reasonably assume that the illness started while he was having his meal, making
him think there was something wrong with the unfamiliar delicacy. Out of his compassion
for others, he had it buried.
Was food poisoning the cause of the illness? It seems unlikely. The symptoms described
do not indicate food poisoning, which can be very acute, but would hardly cause diarrhea
with blood. Usually, food poisoning caused by bacteria does not manifest itself
immediately, but takes an incubation period of two to 12 hours to manifest itself, normally
with acute diarrhea and vomiting, but not the passage of blood.
Another possibility is chemical poisoning, which also has an immediate effect, but it is
unusual for chemical poisoning to cause severe intestinal bleeding. Food poisoning with
immediate intestinal bleeding could only have been caused by corrosive chemicals such
as strong acids, which can easily lead to immediate illness. But corrosive chemicals
should have caused bleeding in the upper intestinal tract, leading to vomiting blood. None
of these severe signs are mentioned in the text.
(NOTE from author of this book series: Chemicals were not yet invented during the
lifetime of The Buddha.)
Peptic ulcer diseases can be excluded from the list of possible illnesses as well. In spite
of the fact that their onset is immediate, they are seldom accompanied by bloody stool. A
gastric ulcer with intestinal bleeding produces black stool when the ulcer penetrates a
blood vessel. An ulcer higher up in the digestive tract would be more likely to manifest
itself as bloody vomiting, not a passage of blood through the rectum.
Other evidence against this possibility is that a patient with a large gastric ulcer usually
does not have an appetite. By accepting the invitation for lunch with the host, we can
assume that The Buddha felt as healthy as any man in his early 80s would feel. Given his
age we cannot rule out that The Buddha did not have a chronic disease, such as cancer
or tuberculosis or a tropical infection such as dysentery or typhoid, which could have
been quite common in The Buddha’s time.
These diseases could produce bleeding of the lower intestine, depending on their
location. They also agree with the history of his earlier illness during the retreat. But they
can be ruled out, since they are usually accompanied by other symptoms, such as
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lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, growth or mass in the abdomen. None of these
symptoms were mentioned in the sutta.
A large hemorrhoid can cause severe rectal bleeding, but it is unlikely that a hemorrhoid
could cause severe abdominal pain unless it is strangulated. But then it would have
greatly disturbed the walking of The Buddha to the house of his host, and rarely is
hemorrhoid bleeding triggered by a meal.
Mesenteric Infarction
A disease that matches the described symptoms-accompanied by acute abdominal pain
and the passage of blood, commonly found among elderly people, and triggered by a
meal-is mesenteric infarction, caused by an obstruction of the blood vessels of the
mesentery. It is lethal. Acute mesenteric ischemia (a reduction in the blood supply to the
mesentery) is a grave condition with a high rate of mortality.
The mesentery is a part of the intestinal wall that binds the whole intestinal tract to the
abdominal cavity. An infarction of the vessels of the mesentery normally causes the death
of the tissue in a large section of the intestinal tract, which results in a laceration of the
intestinal wall.
This normally produces severe pain in the abdomen and the passage of blood. The
patient usually dies of acute blood loss. This condition matches the information given in
the sutta. It is also confirmed later when The Buddha asked Ānanda to fetch some water
for him to drink, indicating intense thirst.
As the story goes, Ānanda refused, as he saw no source for clean water. He argued with
The Buddha that the nearby stream had been muddied by a large caravan of carts. But
The Buddha insisted he fetch water anyway.
A question arises at this point: Why did The Buddha not go to the water himself, instead
of pressing his unwilling attendant to do so? The answer is simple. The Buddha was
suffering from shock caused by severe blood loss. He could no longer walk, and from
then to his death bed he was most likely carried on a stretcher.
If this was indeed the situation, the sutta remains silent about The Buddha’s traveling to
his deathbed, possibly because the author felt that it would be an embarrassment for The
Buddha. Geographically, we know that the distance between the place believed to be the
house of Cunda and the place where The Buddha died was about 15 to 20 kilometers. It
is not possible for a patient with such a grave illness to walk such a distance.
More likely, what happened was that The Buddha was carried on a stretcher by a group of
Monks to Kusinara (Kushinagara).
It remains a point of debate whether The Buddha really determined to pass away at this
city, presumably not much larger than a town. From the direction of The Buddha's
journey, given in the sutta, he was moving north from Rajagaha. It is possible that he did
not intend to die there, but in the town where he was born, which would have taken a
period of three months to reach.
From the sutta, it is clear that The Buddha was not anticipating his sudden illness, or else
he would not have accepted the invitation of his host.
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Kusinara was probably the nearest town where he could find a doctor to take care of him.
It is not difficult to see a group of Monks hurriedly carrying The Buddha on a stretcher to
the nearest town to save his life.
Before passing away, The Buddha told Ānanda that Cunda was not to be blamed and that
his death was not caused by eating Sukaramaddava. The statement is significant. The
meal was not the direct cause of his death. The Buddha knew that the symptom was a
repeat of an experience he’d had a few months earlier, the one which had almost killed
him.
Sukaramaddava, no matter the ingredients or how it was cooked, was not the direct
cause of his sudden illness.
Progression of the Disease
Mesenteric infarction is a disease commonly found among elderly people, caused by the
obstruction of the main artery that supplies the middle section of the bowel-the small
intestine-with blood. The most common cause of the obstruction is the degeneration of
the wall of the blood vessel, the superior mesenteric artery, causing severe abdominal
pain, also known as abdominal angina.
Normally, the pain is triggered by a large meal, which requires a higher flow of blood to
the digestive tract. As the obstruction persists, the bowel is deprived of its blood supply,
which subsequently leads to an infarction, or gangrene, of a section of the intestinal tract.
This in turn results in a laceration of the intestinal wall, profuse bleeding into the intestinal
tract, and then bloody diarrhea.
The disease gets worse as the liquid and content of the intestine oozes out into the
peritoneal cavity, causing peritonitis or inflammation of the abdominal walls. This is
already a lethal condition for the patient, who often dies due to the loss of blood and
other fluid. If it is not corrected by surgery, the disease often progresses to septic shock
due to bacterial toxins infiltrating the blood stream.
Retrospective Analysis
From the diagnosis given above, we can be rather certain that The Buddha suffered from
mesenteric infarction caused by an occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery. This was
the cause of the pain that almost killed him a few months earlier during his last rainy-
season retreat.
With the progress of the illness, some of the mucosal lining of his intestine sloughed off,
and this site became the origin of the bleeding.
Arteriosclerosis, the hardening of the vessel wall caused by aging, was the cause of the
arterial occlusion, a small blockage that did not result in bloody diarrhea, but is a
symptom, also known to us as abdominal angina.
He had his second attack while he was eating the Sukaramaddava. The pain was
probably not intense in the beginning, but made him feel that there was something wrong.
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Suspicious about the nature of the food, he asked his host to have it all buried, so that
others might not suffer from it.
Soon, The Buddha realized that the illness was serious, with the passage of blood and
more severe pain in his abdomen. Due to the loss of blood, he went into shock. The
degree of dehydration was so severe that he could not maintain himself any longer and he
had to take shelter at a tree along the way.
Feeling very thirsty and exhausted, he got Ānanda to collect water for him to drink, even
though he knew that the water was muddied. It was there that he collapsed until his
entourage carried him to the nearest town, Kusinara, where there would have been a
chance of finding a doctor or lodging for him to recover in.
It was probably true that The Buddha got better after drinking to replace his fluid loss,
and resting on the stretcher. The experience with the symptoms told him that his sudden
illness was the second attack of an existing disease. He told Ānanda that the meal was
not the cause of his illness, and that Cunda was not to blame.
A patient with shock, dehydration and profuse blood loss usually feels very cold. This was
the reason why he told his attendant to prepare a bed using four sheets of ifsanghati nf.
According to Buddhist monastic discipline, a ifsanghati nfis a cloak, or extra piece of
robe, very large, the size of a bed sheet, which The Buddha allowed Ordained
Practitioners to wear in winter.
This information reflects how cold the Buddha felt because of his loss of blood. Clinically,
it is not possible for a patient who is in a state of shock with severe abdominal pain, most
likely peritonitis, pale and shivering, to be ambulatory.
The Buddha was most likely put into a lodging, where he was nursed and warmed,
located in the city of Kusinara. This view is also confirmed with the description of Ānanda
who, weeping, swoons and holds onto the door of his lodge after learning that The
Buddha was about to pass away.
Normally, a patient with mesenteric infarction could live 10 to 20 hours. From the sutta we
learn that The Buddha died about 15 to 18 hours after the attack. During that time, his
attendants would have tried their best to comfort him, for example, by warming the room
where he was resting, or by dripping some water into his mouth to quench his lingering
thirst, or by giving him some herbal drinks. But it would be highly unlikely that a shivering
patient would need someone to fan him as is described in the sutta.
Off and on, he may have recovered from a state of exhaustion, allowing him to continue
his dialogues with a few people. Most of his last words could have been true, and they
were memorized by generations of Monks until they were transcribed. But finally, late into
the night, The Buddha died during a second wave of septic shock. His illness stemmed
from natural causes coupled with his age, just as it would for anyone else.
Conclusion
The hypothesis outlined above explains several scenes in the narrative of the sutta,
namely, the pressuring of Ānanda to fetch water, The Buddha’s request for a fourfold
cloak for his bed, the ordering of the meal to be buried, and so on.
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It also reveals another possibility of the actual means of transportation of The Buddha to
Kusinara and the site of his death bed. Sukaramaddava, whatever its nature, was unlikely
to have been the direct cause of his illness. The Buddha did not die by food poisoning.
Rather, it was the size of the meal, relatively too large for his already troubled digestive
tract, that triggered the second attack of mesenteric infarction that brought an end to his
life.
Author’s Thoughts
Due to their importance, The Words of The Buddha book series have the last words of
The Buddha in multiple places throughout the book series.
You can investigate these chapters, which some of them are the same. There are basically
two different chapters being repeated throughout the book series in all of these books
and chapters.
Volume 2 - Chapter 45
Volume 3 - Chapter 97
Volume 9 - Chapter 47
Volume 10 - Chapter 46
Volume 12 - Chapter 48
In all of these locations within the books series, I have inserted the last words of The
Buddha and shared what one encounters upon death. This will help you to understand
and gain the wisdom of, what transpires for a being as part of the process of dying and
death itself.
A Student who reads this article titled “How Did The Buddha Die?” and is unEnlightened
may perceive the depiction of how The Buddha died as being an extremely painful death.
That it was painful for The Buddha during his last moments of life. But, that is without the
wisdom of what an Enlightened being experiences as a result of having attained
Enlightenment and then having issues in the physical body to include death.
I suspect that the author of the article may not be aware of how an unEnlightened and
Enlightened being experience pain differently. Therefore, when describing what The
Buddha experienced, he described it in graphic terms of, his own frame of reference and
lifetime experiences with physical and mental pain - as being severely painful.
An Enlightened being does not experience severe physical pain but instead, it is
significantly diminished or muted. An Enlightened being does not experience any mental
anguish whatsoever.
When I read this article, I know that The Buddha, while experiencing a medical condition
that led to his ultimate death, had a peaceful mind during the entire time leading all the
way up to and including death. He would not have been in agonizing pain as one might
think who has not experienced physical pain while at the same time experiencing the
Enlightened mental state.
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An Enlightened being will experience physical pain but, it would be very minimal
compared to what an unEnlightened being would experience in the same circumstances.
An Enlightened being would experience some physical pain but, they will not experience
the mental anguish associated with the physical pain. An Enlightened being’s mind will
continue to reside peaceful, calm, serene, and content with joy, despite any and all
physical pain. In this way, the physical pain experienced by an Enlightened being is
insignificant and a mere fraction of that which would be experienced by an unEnlightened
being given the same exact situation.
For further understanding of physical and mental pain in the unEnlightened and
Enlightened mental state, you might choose to investigate The Teachings in Volume 8 -
Chapter 40 titled “Transcending Physical Pain by Avoiding Mental Pain”. This will help you
to understand how an unEnlightened being experiences physical pain versus, an
Enlightened being.
Detailed explanation of Transcending Physical Pain by Avoiding Mental Pain is available in
this same book series found in Chapter 40 of the book “The Foremost Householder”
(Volume 9).
You can also gain an appreciation and the wisdom of this topic through understanding
The Teachings of The Buddha when he shares “The Simile of The Saw” in the
Kakacūpamasutta Sutta (Reference: MN 21) available in Volume 3 - Chapter 84 of this
same book series.
The Buddha shares, “Monks, even if criminals were to sever you savagely limb by limb
with a two-handled saw, he who gave rise to a mind of hate towards them would not be
practicing my Teachings”.
The Buddha shares this Teaching because his own mind, experiencing Enlightenment,
would not experience mental anguish in this exact scenario or any others. It would be
impossible for an Enlightened being to experience hatred towards anyone for any reason,
even if being sawed “limb by limb”. Therefore, The Buddha was well aware that if a
Student’s mind experienced hatred in this situation or any other, the mind would be
unEnlightened. He emphasizes this in this Teaching.
This Teaching directly from The Buddha, and others, can provide you further insight to
understand how an Enlightened being would not experience any “agonizing pain” during
the process of dying or at death.
Detailed explanation of Training a Mind Filled with Loving-Kindness,
without Hostility or Ill Will is available in this same book series found in Chapter 84 of the
book “Foundations in The Teachings” (Volume 3).
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How to Make Apologies
for Those Who Have
Wrong View?
198


Chapter 49
Ordained Practitioners
(The Perfectly Enlightened One and the male Ordained Community were
honored, respected, admired, venerated, and appreciated, and they obtained
robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicinal supplies. But the wanderers of
other communities were not. There was a wanderer named Susima who was
advised by his company to lead the holy life under the Ascetic Gotama
to master The Teachings and share The Teachings with Household
Practitioners in hope that they too will be honored, respected, and admired.
Upon receiving ordination, the wanderer Susima asked the Venerable Ones if
they wield various kinds of spiritual power but was told that it is not
necessary to obtain spiritual power to attain Nibbāna (Enlightenment). The
wanderer Susima then went to The Perfectly Enlightened One and reported
to him the conversation he had had with the Monks. Then The Perfectly
Enlightened One shared The Teachings and the wanderer Susima attained
Nibbāna (Enlightenment))
Then the Venerable Susima prostrated himself with his head at The Perfectly
Enlightened One’s feet and said:
‘Venerable Sir, I have committed a wrongdoing in that I was so unwise, so
confused, so unskillful that I went forth as a thief of The Teachings in such a
well-expounded Teachings and Discipline as this.
Venerable Sir, may The Perfectly Enlightened One pardon me for my
wrongdoing seen as a wrongdoing for the sake of future restraint.’
Surely, Susima, you have done a wrongdoing in that you were so unwise, so
confused, so unskillful that you went forth as a thief of The Teachings in such
a well-expounded Teachings and Discipline as this.
Suppose, Susima, they were to arrest a bandit, a criminal, and bring him
before the King, saying: ‘Sir, this man is a bandit, a criminal. Impose on him
whatever punishment you wish. The King would say to them:
‘Come, men, bind this man’s arms tightly behind his back with a strong rope,
shave his head, and lead him around from street to street and from square to
square, beating a drum. Then take him out through the southern gate and to
the south of the city cut off his head.’
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What do you think, Susima, would that man experience pain and displeasure
on that account?
‘Yes, Venerable Sir.’
Although that man would experience pain and displeasure on that account,
going forth as a thief of The Teachings in such a well-expounded Teachings
and Discipline as this has results that are far more painful, far more bitter,
and further, it leads to the nether world.
But since you see your wrongdoing as a wrongdoing and make apologies for
it in accordance with The Teachings, we understand you. For it is growth in
the Noble One’s Discipline when one sees one’s wrongdoing as a
wrongdoing, makes apologies for it in accordance with The Teachings, and
undertakes future restraint.
(Reference: SN 12.70)


A Monks’ Conduct When Entering Houses
(There are several ways of conduct for Monks when entering houses as
appears in many discourses. In summary, they are how to eat, how to give
thanks, and how to talk on The Teachings, as examples shown in the
following discourses.)
Then, it being morning, The Perfectly Enlightened Kassapa, accomplished
and Fully Enlightened, dressed, and taking his bowl and outer robe, he went
with The Community of Monks to the residence of King Kikī of Kāsi and sat
down on the seat made ready for him. Then, with his own hands, King Kikī of
Kāsi served and satisfied The Community of Monks headed by The Buddha
Kassapa with various kinds of good food. When The Buddha Kassapa,
accomplished and Fully Enlightened, had eaten and had put his bowl aside,
King Kikī of Kāsi took a low seat, sat down at one side and said: Venerable
Sir, let The Perfectly Enlightened One accept from me a residence for the
Rains in Retreat; there will be such service to The Community.
Enough, King, my residence for the Rains has already been provided for.
Then The Perfectly Enlightened One, rising up early and taking his bowl and
robe, came up to the residence of the Brāhmin of Verañjā. Having come up
together with the company of Monks, he sat down on the appointed seat.
Then the Brāhmin of Verañjā, having served with his own hand abundant
food, both hard and soft, to the company of Monks with The Perfectly
Enlightened One as their head, and having satisfied them, when The
Perfectly Enlightened One had eaten and had finished his meal, he clothed
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