Six Incredible Truths About Why You Suffer (Part 3/3)

 

Like the Raft, Even the Dharma Must Be Let Go Of (Part 3/3)

Differences Between Ordinary People from the Learned Noble Disciples 

The Buddha then clarified a misunderstanding and criticized some heterodox teachers, such as the ascetic Gotama, a nihilist who teaches that existing sentient beings will be annihilated and destroyed into nonexistence. The Buddha said, “This is not true. I never teach ‘annihilation’; rather, I teach people to clearly see the truth of suffering and eliminate suffering.”

The Buddha further said, “Whether people curse, slander, or honor me, my mind remains unmoved. Curses do not arouse anger in me; praise does not arouse joy in me. This is because I know that such people’s actions arise from a lack of understanding or from misunderstanding the Dharma.”

The Buddha admonished the bhikkhus: “You should be the same. Don’t become proud from praise or angry from slander.”

Finally, the Buddha taught: “Form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness—none of these belong to you. You should abandon them. Once you have done this, you will attain lasting peace and happiness.”

The Buddha gave an example: “If someone took away or burned the grass, trees, and branches in the Jeta Grove, would you think ‘they’ve stolen my things’?”

The bhikkhus answered, “No, World-Honored One, because we know that they are not us or ours.”

The Buddha said, “The five aggregates do not belong to you either. Only by abandoning them can you truly be free and self-existent.”

The Buddha summarized His teaching as follows: “The Dharma I expound on is clear, plain, and fully disclosed—its purpose is to cut off all the fetters of affliction that bind sentient beings.”

When the Buddha finished speaking, His words opened the bhikkhus’ minds to understanding. They joyfully embraced the teaching with faith and vowed to practice it accordingly.

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Reflections:

    Imagine yourself driving to an unfamiliar city for the first time. The GPS is like the raft that the man in the story told by the Buddha relies on to cross the river. While navigating unfamiliar roads, you must listen intently to the voice prompts and strictly follow the suggested route to avoid getting lost or stuck in traffic and to arrive safely at your destination. This is like the early stages of cultivation—practicing according to the teaching. Only through honest, diligent effort and by following the Dharma step-by-step can you avoid straying onto the wrong paths.

    However, once your car has pulled into the garage, the GPS’s mission is complete. If, at this point, you are still staring at the screen, unwilling to get out of your car until the system tells you what to do next, or even refuse to put down the GPS device when entering the house, then what was originally a helpful tool has instead become a mental burden.

    Cultivation is the same. While skillfully using the raft to cross the river is certainly important, once you reach the shore, you should smile and let go of it, continuing your journey unencumbered. 

#Buddha #Dharma #suffeing #transmigration #samsara #karma #Buddhistwisdom