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52 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

WHAT WOULD THE BUDDHA

TEACH TODAY?

It’s been more than 2600 years that the Buddha • There is no other external factor that leads to
revealed the path to enlightenment so that all sentient so much harm as bad friendship, and no other
beings would be happy and free from suffering. Having external factor that leads to so much benefit as good
experienced the bliss of liberation and enlightenment friendship.
himself, he realized that all beings had the seed of
enlightenment within their minds and could attain that In Upaḍḍha Sutta (SN 45:2), the Buddha reproaches
ultimate goal by following the same path that he had. Āyasmā Ānanda for saying that good friendship
Therefore, starting with his first sermon on the four constitutes half of the holy life, and instead asserts
noble truths, he began to give teachings according to that it constitutes the whole of the holy life. For it is
the various levels of mind of those who came to him for through the influence of a good friend that a disciple is
instruction. led along the Noble Eightfold Path to be released from
all suffering. Then in Aṅga Sutta (SN 55.50), he declares
The world has since changed since the time of the four factors for stream-entry, among which is the
Buddha. How would his teaching be different today? association with superior persons. In Tatiya-samādhi
Would it be the same in content? Would he use the Sutta (AN 4.94) he advices one who has samatha but
same words or expressions as we find in the scriptures? not vipassanā to approach one who has the latter and
Would his methods and approaches be different? The ask him specific questions on how to practise it, and
following are some questions we have asked our expert vice versa for one who has vipassanā but not samatha.
panel from all three Buddhist traditions for their advice. Interestingly, although the questions posed by the
Buddha are very specific and practical, he does not give
The Buddha taught through the oral tradition. He the answers but expects them to be answered by the
would probably be surprised to see how voluminous experienced practitioner through practical guidance,
his teachings have now been textualized in all the not just theoretically.
three main Buddhist traditions. How would the
Buddha advice balancing the study of the Dharma So all these show that he would still regard an
with a personal teacher to studying the dharma experienced and competent teacher as essential for
through books? spiritual progress.

Aggacitta: He would probably maintain his original Min Wei: It is no doubt that there are a great number
advice as found in Vīmaṃsaka Sutta (MN 47) and Caṅkī of Buddhist teachings within the three main Buddhist
Sutta (MN 95), i.e. to investigate the moral conduct traditions, and Buddhist publications have increased
and competence of a teacher first and then follow the tremendously over the years. Probably nobody can
teaching of a competent one. He would also reiterate his finish reading all of them within one’s lifetime.
stand on the importance of good friendship in (AN 1)
which can be summarised thus: Nowadays, it is quite difficult to study Dharma with a
• There is no other thing that is so much responsible personal teacher. Buddhist teachers are getting fewer,
for the arising of unwholesome qualities in a person and thus the concept of a Reading Group or workshop
as bad friendship; nothing so helpful for the arising is something to be encouraged in our modern society.
of wholesome qualities as good friendship. It provides the benefits of learning from each other’s
experience, skills, and knowledge.