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Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c13.s5: Individual Training

Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c13.s5

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Individual Training

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We have already mentioned that Buddha studied the mental leanings of a person before he delivered a discourse. This was particularly evident in the training of his disciples. He constantly watched their conduct and their mode of performance of spiritual practices, studied their character and predilections, and corrected their weaknesses by suitable advice, admonitions and courses of disciplinary practices.

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In the *Rāhulovādasutta*, Buddha is seen instructing Rāhula how in deed, word, and thought one can make himself pure by *paccavekkhana* (examination and introspection), because he observed that Rāhula was lacking in self-control. When, however, he made some progress in self-control, he was led gradually to realise the *anicca-bhāva* (impermanence).

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and *dukkha-bhāva* (miseries inherent in the nature) of all worldly things and the fact that the four *dhātus* or five *khandhas* collectively or separately do not constitute the *attā* (ego).¹

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¹ *Aṅguttara*, II, pp. 164-5; *Saṃyutta*, III, p. 136; IV, pp. 105-7; *Majjhima*, I, pp. 414ff.; III, pp. 277-80 ² *Saṃyutta*, II, p. 281; *Aṅguttara*, I, p. 26; IV, p. 166 ³ *Aṅguttara*, I, p. 282; IV, pp. 228 ff. ⁴ *Saṃyutta*, V, pp. 322-325.

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Nanda, another of his disciples, could not check his anxieties for food and raiment, for which he was taken to task by the Teacher. In due course the check put upon him helped him to control his senses so much that he became the chief of those who had control over their senses (*indriyesu guttadvārīnam aggo*).²

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Anuruddha could not, owing to slackness of exertion, attain *cittavimutti* though he had advanced much through his diligence in the path of meditation. This slackness which was clogging his way was removed by Buddha’s guidance supplemented by the personal care taken of him by Sāriputta.³

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The weakness of Kimbila lay similarly in his inability to muster up sufficient mental concentration through in-breathing and out-breathing. This was detected by Buddha and removed by his advice with special reference to the processes which he could not follow in a perfect way.⁴

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Sāriputta and Moggallāna were already advanced spiritually before they joined the Saṅgha, hence the training imparted to them was of a higher order. Sāriputta was asked to meditate on *suññatā*, i.e., to look upon all things as devoid of substance and to practice self-introspection in order to remove from his mind the usual hindrances to *vimutti* and acquire the qualities leading to perfection.¹ Sāriputta, it is said, took only a fortnight to attain *arhathood*, which stage he reached while listening to a discourse on the origin and decay of *vedanā* delivered by Buddha to Dīghanakha paribbājaka.² Moggallāna was given the *dhātus* (elements composing a being) as his subject (*kammaṭṭhāna*) for meditation. While meditating, he became slack in his zeal and so he was taken to task by Buddha. He soon removed his sloth and torpor, became diligent and attained perfection.³

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¹ *Majjhima*, III, pp. 294ff

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² *Ibid*., I, p. 500-1.

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³ *Manorathapūraṇī*, I, p. 161; *Aṅguttara*, IV, p. 85.

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The case of Ānanda is interesting. In spite of his insatiable love of knowledge by which he rose to be the chief of the *bahussutas* (the learned), and in spite of the great care that was bestowed upon him by Buddha for his spiritual culture, he could not attain *arhathood* during the life-time of Buddha, the reason being that he could not divest himself of his great attachment to Buddha, not as the founder of a religion but as a master to whom he was related as a servitor. This attachment proved a clog to his practice of the doctrine of detachment from the world, the corner-stone of Buddha’s teachings. Buddha used to admonish Ānanda for his inability to get rid of this attachment because therein lay the cause of his failure to attain the state of mind required for *arhathood*. In the *Mahāparinibbāna Sutta* we find Buddha expostulating with Ānanda for shedding tears when Buddha expressed his desire to leave this world.⁴ So long as Buddha lived, Ānanda could not rise above the stage of *sotāpanna*. He was a *bahussuta* on account of his inordinate desire for knowledge as evidenced by the frequent questions that are said to have been put by him to Buddha, e.g., about the correctness of Pūraṇa Kassapa's divisions of mankind, Sāriputta's exposition of the origin of *dukkha* (suffering) from *phassa* (contact), the theory of causation (*paṭiccasamuppāda*), the sense of the terms *nirodha*, *loka*, *saññā*, *vedanā*, *iddhi*, *ānāpānasati* and so forth.¹

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⁴ *Dīgha*, II, pp. 142-144.

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¹ *Aṅguttara*, III, pp. 383 ff.; *Saṃyutta*, II, pp. 34-37; VI, p. 167.

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The training imparted to D e v a d a t t a by Buddha was on lines that were calculated as suitable to his peculiar mental tendencies. This disciple made some progress in *yoga* attaining ability to perform some miracles. Buddha detected his predilection for gain and fame through the exercise of his power to perform miracles by which he had won over Ajātasattu to his side. With a view to remove this love for gain and fame, he delivered to him discourses calculated to remove this weakness; but so deep-rooted had been this tendency that he continued on his way to ruin, turning deaf ear to his master's warnings.²

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² *Majjhima*, I, pp. 192 ff.; *Mahāvagga*, vii, 2 ff.

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The instances can be multiplied but those that have been cited are enough to show how the great teacher used to see through the mental composition of the disciples whom he had occasion to train personally studying their tendencies and mental weaknesses as clearly as if they were reflected on a mirror. This accounts for his great success as a spiritual trainer.

Cites (20)