Reference request for "the Buddha takes the Dhamma as his superior"
score:4
From the Garava Sutta (SN 6.2):
I have heard that on one occasion, when the Blessed One was newly Self-awakened, he was staying at Uruvela on the bank of the Nerañjara River, at the foot of the Goatherd's Banyan Tree. Then, while he was alone and in seclusion, this line of thinking arose in his awareness: "One suffers if dwelling without reverence or deference. Now on what brahman or contemplative can I dwell in dependence, honoring and respecting him?"
Then the thought occurred to him: "It would be for the sake of perfecting an unperfected aggregate of virtue that I would dwell in dependence on another brahman or contemplative, honoring and respecting him. However, in this world with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, in this generation with its brahmans and contemplatives, its royalty and common-folk, I do not see another brahman or contemplative more consummate in virtue than I, on whom I could dwell in dependence, honoring and respecting him.
"It would be for the sake of perfecting an unperfected aggregate of concentration that I would dwell in dependence on another brahman or contemplative, honoring and respecting him. However, in this world with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, in this generation with its brahmans and contemplatives, its royalty and common-folk, I do not see another brahman or contemplative more consummate in concentration than I, on whom I could dwell in dependence, honoring and respecting him.
"It would be for the sake of perfecting an unperfected aggregate of discernment that I would dwell in dependence on another brahman or contemplative, honoring and respecting him. However, in this world with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, in this generation with its brahmans and contemplatives, its royalty and common-folk, I do not see another brahman or contemplative more consummate in discernment than I, on whom I could dwell in dependence, honoring and respecting him.
"It would be for the sake of perfecting an unperfected aggregate of release that I would dwell in dependence on another brahman or contemplative, honoring and respecting him. However, in this world with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, in this generation with its brahmans and contemplatives, its royalty and common-folk, I do not see another brahman or contemplative more consummate in release than I, on whom I could dwell in dependence, honoring and respecting him.
"It would be for the sake of perfecting an unperfected aggregate of knowledge and vision of release that I would dwell in dependence on another brahman or contemplative, honoring and respecting him. However, in this world with its devas, Maras, & Brahmas, in this generation with its brahmans and contemplatives, its royalty and common-folk, I do not see another brahman or contemplative more consummate in knowledge and vision of release than I, on whom I could dwell in dependence, honoring and respecting him.
"What if I were to dwell in dependence on this very Dhamma to which I have fully awakened, honoring and respecting it?"
Then, having known with his own awareness the line of thinking in the Blessed One's awareness — just as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm — Brahma Sahampati disappeared from the Brahma-world and reappeared in front of the Blessed One. Arranging his upper robe over one shoulder, he saluted the Blessed One with his hands before his heart and said to him: "So it is, Blessed One! So it is, One-Well-Gone! Those who were Arahants, Rightly Self-awakened Ones in the past — they, too, dwelled in dependence on the very Dhamma itself, honoring and respecting it. Those who will be Arahants, Rightly Self-awakened Ones in the future — they, too, will dwell in dependence on the very Dhamma itself, honoring and respecting it. And let the Blessed One, who is at present the Arahant, the Rightly Self-awakened One, dwell in dependence on the very Dhamma itself, honoring and respecting it."
That is what Brahma Sahampati said. Having said that, he further said this:
Past Buddhas,
future Buddhas,
& he who is the Buddha now,
removing the sorrow of many —all have dwelt,
will dwell, he dwells,
revering the true Dhamma.
This, for Buddhas, is a natural law.Therefore one who desires his own good,
aspiring for greatness,
should respect the true Dhamma,
recollecting the Buddhas' Teaching.
Upvote:0
This is not a complete answer, but there is this Sutta where the Buddha instructs that people should associate with those superior to them (AN 3.26):
“Bhikkhus, there are these three kinds of persons found existing in the world. What three? (1) There is a person who is not to be associated with, followed, and served; (2) a person who is to be associated with, followed, and served; and (3) a person who is to be associated with, followed, and served with honor and respect.
...
“These, bhikkhus, are the three kinds of persons found existing in the world.”
One who associates with an inferior person declines; one who associates with an equal does not decline; attending on a superior person one develops quickly; therefore you should follow one superior to yourself.
Regarding the relationship between the Buddha and Dhamma there is also this:
"Enough, Vakkali! What is there to see in this vile body? He who sees Dhamma, Vakkali, sees me; he who sees me sees Dhamma. Truly seeing Dhamma, one sees me; seeing me one sees Dhamma."
I think the Buddha was exhorting such out of great compassion for he said this to a dying man who was expressing regret.
More post
- 📝 Metta and Loving-Kindness as a Team
- 📝 Did the Buddha discourage antropomorphic representations of himself?
- 📝 Why is there even a way to the end of suffering?
- 📝 Doubts and Meditation
- 📝 Beings with no Physical appearance?
- 📝 Buddhism, Symbolism, and Notions
- 📝 Mindfulness, Eightfold path,
- 📝 Being called Buddhist
- 📝 What does "has students" and "has teacher" mean in this sutta?
- 📝 Does the Lankavatara Sutra exist anywhere online in Tibetan script, Sanskrit (Devanagari), or Chinese?
- 📝 Step siblings and relationships
- 📝 Expaining The Holocaust & karma to a non-Buddhist
- 📝 SN 12.51 Why are meritorious formations rooted in ignorance?
- 📝 What are the Eighteen Buddha Attributes?
- 📝 SN 35.116 - Is "the world" ("loka") an objective reality perceived via the senses?
- 📝 Samma ditthi vs Miccha ditthi
- 📝 Can an Icchantika make any form of progress along the Buddhist path?
- 📝 Spontaneity in Zen
- 📝 Explaining non-attachment to the very attached
- 📝 Doing the opposite of not skillfull things
- 📝 Where in the Pali Canon are there Discussions on Reanimated Corpse?
- 📝 Experience of non self
- 📝 I had strange things showing up while meditating
- 📝 Despairing About Meditative Regularity
- 📝 Five tricks to avoid unwholesome kamma
- 📝 Do I get more merits if I give more?
- 📝 Is Buddhism in conflict with manliness?
- 📝 What happens to the five aggregates after death?
- 📝 Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
- 📝 What is the destination of unenlightened monk reviling Noble Layperson?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Reference request for "the Buddha takes the Dhamma as his superior"
- 📝 Where's the story in which the Buddha praised a non-returner for keeping the knowledge of his attainment private?
- 📝 Reference request for "our Buddha nature chooses not to be enlightened"?
- 📝 What was the name of the great compassion meditation the Buddha did for a significant part of his daily routine?
- 📝 Where did the Buddha say: "What a person considers and reflects upon for a long time, to that his mind will bend and incline."?
- 📝 Looking for a reference about the significance of The Buddha being a teacher
- 📝 Did the Buddha speak Pali? Are the suttas his word verbatim?
- 📝 If there is no soul or self, why did the Buddha speak of his past lives?
- 📝 Is it harmful to the Buddha when we request he or she to continue teaching instead of entering parinirvana?
- 📝 Why did the Buddha touch the earth at his enlightenment?
- 📝 Where did the Buddha speak of his difficulty in eating almsfood as a Bodhisatta?
- 📝 Did the Buddha ever talk about his family?
- 📝 Why did physical representations of the Buddha only start to appear a few centuries after his death?
- 📝 Was the Buddha known to chant during his meditation?
- 📝 Did Buddha go through the stages of sotapanna/sakadagami/anagami before his enlightenment?
- 📝 Did the Buddha make any reference to Krishna and Gita?
- 📝 When the Buddha changes his mind to teach
- 📝 What is the sutra where the Buddha emits fire and water from his body?
- 📝 Should Buddhists use statues with an imagined likeness of the Buddha for veneration?
- 📝 Did the Buddha have more advice for the lay follower than is typically supposed?
- 📝 Was Gautama Buddha a believer of the religious beliefs prevalent in his time and in his cultural context?
- 📝 What does the Buddha mean by this quote? "There is no punishment for anger. It is the anger which will punish you."
- 📝 Is there a canonical reference for the story about the war between the Buddha's relatives?
- 📝 Looking for negative reference to women in the Avatamsaka Sutra
- 📝 Where does the Buddha mention a craving for non-existence?
- 📝 Why did the Buddha contradict about His teachings in these two different suttas?
- 📝 Original reference for 'The essence of all religions is love, compassion and tolerance' by the HH the Dalai Lama
- 📝 Is praying to a statue of the Buddha for bad things to happen part of Buddhism?
- 📝 What's the role of the detailed descriptions of the other planes of existence? Why it was important for the Buddha to tell them?
- 📝 Did the Buddha leave room for the possibility of a self?