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Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c38.s8: Teaching imparted to lay-devotees

Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c38.s8

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Teaching imparted to lay-devotees

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In delivering discourses to the householders, Buddha and his disciples uniformly observed an order (*anupubbikatham*). They first expiated on the merits of giving gifts (*dānakatham*), and of observing moral precepts (*sīlakatham*), and of the reward obtained thereby, viz., a heavenly existence (saggakathaṃ). Then they dilated on the evils of enjoying worldly pleasures (kāmānaṃ ādīnavaṃ) and the merit of retirement from the world (nekkhamme ānisaṃsaṃ). When they found that the teaching had made a good impression on the mind of a householder, they passed on to the next higher teaching, the exposition of the four truths, dukkha, samudaya, nirodha and magga, and made them realise that whatever has origin must have decay (yaṃ kiñci samudayadhammaṃ sabbaṃ taṃ nirodhadhammaṃ ti).¹

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¹ The first discourse was delivered by Buddha to the Brāhmaṇa gahapatis of Magadha. See Vinaya, i, p. 37. Cf. Majjhima, i, p. 379; ii, p. 145.

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There is a rule in the Pātimokkha (Pācittiya no. 4) that to an uninitiated the dhamma is not to be preached syllable by syllable. The upāsakas were advised to avoid reading Suttantas.² It is however clear that the householders were as far as possible kept away from the deeper teachings, lest they should be frightened away from taking interest in the religion. But again, we find Nandamātā upāsikā reciting the Pārāyaṇa at dawn³ and Sāriputta explaining to Hāliddikāni gahapati the verses of the Aṭṭhakavagga.⁴

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² Saṃyutta, v, p. 407.

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³ Aṅguttara, iv, p. 63.

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⁴ Sutta Nipāta, p. 165.

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There were however lay-devotees, who took interest in the deepest problems of Buddhist philosophy. Cittagahapati was complimented for being able to understand the subtleties of Buddhist philosophy⁵ while Anāthapiṇḍika was told that topics not to be explained to a householder were being laid before him for his edification.¹

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⁵ Saṃyutta, iv, pp. 282 f.: Suladdham te gahapati yassa te gambhīre buddhavacane paññācakkhu kamati ti.

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¹ Majjhima, iii, p. 261: Na kho gahapati gihinam odātavasanānaṃ evarūpi dhammakathā paṭibhāti.

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When Anāthapiṇḍika was in his deathbed, Sāriputta delivered to him a discourse on Buddhist philosophy so that he might overcome the extreme pain.² In the discourse he pointed out that a person must not cling to the six organs of sense, or to the perceptions and feelings derived through the organs of sense, or to the dhātus like earth, water, fire, air, space (ākāsa) and consciousness (viññāṇa), or to the five constituents of a being, or to the four Arūpadhātus, or to this world or the next, or to things seen, heard, thought or known. Buddha explained to Nakulapitā how the unenlightened persons identified soul with one or all of the khandhas and thus suffered from the misconception of the existence of a self. Mahākaccāna explained to Hāliddikāni the following stanza of the Aṭṭhakavagga:—

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² Majjhima, iv, p. 258 f. Cf. Saṃyutta, iv, p. 115 f.

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"Okaṃ pahāya aniketasārī
gāme akubbaṃ muni santhavāni
kāmehi ritto apurekkharāno
kathaṃ na viggayha janena kayirā."

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[A monk should give up clinging to the five constituents, remain unattached to the characteristics of the perceived objects (aniketasārī). He must not associate himself with the weal and woe of householders, discard love, desire, attachment and despair, not speculate about his future existence (apurekkharāno) and never quarrel with other monks regarding correctness and incorrectness of a dhamma or a rule of discipline.]

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In all the discourses delivered to Citta, Nakulapitā and Hāliddikāni, the main topic dealt with was that a person must not take pleasure in the origin of *khandhas*, which were subject to decay; that an unwise person misconceived one or all of the *khandhas* as soul, and developed a notion of I-ness. A true disciple of Buddha should not care for his past *khandhas*, nor think of his future *khandhas* and must not have any attachment to his present *khandhas*.¹ Ugga gahapati and others were taught that those who were engrossed with the sense-objects would not attain Nibbāna.² Soṇa gahapati³ was taught that the *khandhas* were impermanent and impermanence was grief, and that none of the *khandhas* or all the *khandhas* taken together was soul. In the *Citta-saṃyutta*,⁴ we have practically all the abstruse discussions on Buddhist philosophy. These are as follows:—

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¹ *Saṃyutta*, iii, pp. 1 f.

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² *Ibid.*, iv, p. 109.

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³ *Ibid.*, iii, p. 48.

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⁴ *Ibid.*, iv, pp. 281 f.

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(i) Neither the organs of sense nor their objects are worldly ties—the tie is thirst that arises out of the contact of the two.

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(ii) The distinction that lies between the organ of sense, its object, and the perception caused by the contact of the two.

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(iii) The sixty-two non-Buddhistic doctrines are nothing but the outcome of the misapprehension of one or all of the *khandhas* as soul.

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(iv) The exact implications of *saṅkhārā* in *Kāya- Vacī* and *Citta-saṅkhārā*.

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(v) The method by which a meditator induces and discontinues the meditation in which perception and consciousness become inactive (*saññāvedayitanirodha*).

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and the distinction between death and *saññāvedayitanirodha*.

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(vi) The meaning of mental emancipation (*ceto-vimutti*) through realisation of the absence of desire (*akiñcañña*), of substancelessness (*suññatā*), and characteristicness (*animittatā*) of worldly objects.

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(vii) Exposition of the four *brahmavihāras* viz., love, compassion, joy at other’s success, and equanimity.

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(viii) Elucidation of the four meditations: *savitakka-savicāra, avitakka-avicāra*, etc.

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From the above, it will be observed that the advanced house holders tried to comprehend the deepest problems of Buddhist philosophy, and on occasions even entered into discussions with the teachers of other sects¹. Though still in white robes they were as spiritually advanced as a monk.

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¹ Citta gahapati crossed words with Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta. See *Samyutta*, iv. p. 298 f.

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