There is a kind of servitude
or slavery that doesn’t need abolishing. The more there is of it the
better. If everyone where such a servant, the world would have much
peace free of crisis. What kind of servant is this? A servant of the
Buddha, which is called "Buddhadasa."
"Buddhadasa" means one who offers ones life in service of the
Lord Buddha. We do so feeling indebted to the Buddha’s Great
Compassion, out of gratitude, and because we see the benefits for
all humanity. Thus, we wholeheartedly dedicate our bodies and lives
to serve the Lord Buddha in every way we can, in order to carry out
what we believe to be the Buddha’s purpose.
Which Buddha? To answer in ordinary people language, we mean
the historical person who appeared in the world, awakened as a
Buddha, and taught sentient beings until the end of his life more
than 2500 years ago. However, if we answer in Dhamma language, we
mean the Buddha spoken of in the words "Whoever sees the Dhamma,
sees me; whoever sees me, sees the Dhamma."1 This is the Buddha that exists throughout endless time
and is found in everyone who sees the Dhamma. This thing is the
mindful wisdom (sati-pañña) that can quench suffering, as
spoken of in the words "Whoever sees dependent co-origination,
sees the Dhamma." If we follow this principle, serving the
Buddha simply means serving the mindful wisdom in oneself that sees
the Dhamma so thoroughly as to end suffering in oneself and then
help others to end suffering also, thus benefiting the people of the
world in line with the Buddha’s purpose. Servants of the Buddha take
this to be the duty of their lives and carry it out
wholeheartedly.
How do we serve? We serve by establishing correctness in
the study (pariyatti) and practice (patipatti) that
leads to true realization (pativedha) of Dhamma. We serve by
helping fellow humans to understand Dhamma, accept Dhamma, use
Dhamma, benefit from Dhamma, and live peacefully and coolly with
Nibbana here and now in proportion to the mindful wisdom and ability
of each person. We serve by propagating this wisdom throughout this
world and to all worlds. Here "all worlds" refers to all the kinds
of persons who are lost through indulging in sensuality, physical or
material forms, and formless or abstract things such as power, fate,
influence, and even goodness. We might also add, all celestial and
human beings. Humans are those who must live through their own
sweat, while celestials are those who have no experience of their
own perspiration. In people language, "world" means the externally
visible, physical planet outside ourselves. In Dhamma language, it
refers to the worlds within people, that is, the different levels
and realms of mind. Dhamma must rule genuinely and thoroughly
throughout both the world and all worlds.
How can Dhamma become popular throughout the world? By
incorporating Dhamma into the everyday lives of people from all
walks of life. Thus, everyone will be mindful, wise, clearly aware,
calmly collected, and tolerant in carrying out their duties in all
times and places, that is, every second and every square inch of
their lives. People will do their duties joyfully, all the while
they work, not only when they get paid and spend it on the various
roads to ruin (apayamukha, vices). They live righteously all
day long, so that when night comes, they can raise their hands and
bow to themselves. This is genuine heaven here and now. Nobody will
be unemployed because everyone sees all their work and duties as
Dhamma itself, as was once known in ancient times, even before the
Buddha appeared.
What is it to be correct in study, practice, and
realization? "Correct" or "right," here, isn’t according to the
standards of logic or speculative philosophy. Rather, it is correct
according to Buddhist principles; namely, it brings the result of
nobody being harmed or oppressed, and everyone benefiting. This can
be experienced directly without believing an external authority or
being told by somebody else (sanditthiko); is so correct that
we can call anybody to come and see it for themselves, because it is
actually expressed in flesh and blood (ehipassiko); and it
bears fruit unconnected with time — now or then or future lives —
because the fruits occur immediately whenever that duty is performed
(akaliko). Correctness means not bothering or harming anyone
and bringing good results to all involved, including oneself. The
meaning is clear enough; there is no need to argue about it or take
each other to court. Pariyatti is correct knowledge,
patipatti is correct action, and pativedha is the
right results simply because one understood and acted correctly.
How can suffering really be quenched? By everyone having a
peaceful heart and cool mind in ordinary life. If they have
sufficient understanding of suññata (voidness),
tathata (thusness), and atammayata (unconcoctability),
nothing can stir up or cause them trouble. Their minds won’t fall
under the power of positivity and negativity because they see
everything as being impermanent (aniccam), prone to decay and
suffering (dukkham), and not-self (anatta). They won’t
hunger for anything except the contentment of feeling they have done
their duties correctly. Their sweat will be "holy water" that
entices the gods and sacred things to help them. They know most
clearly and certainly that nothing sacred can help them, even a herd
of holy things, if they don’t live Dhamically, that is, do their
duties. When duties are performed correctly, that very sweat
transubstantiates into the God or "All the Sacred Powers in the
Universe" that alone can help us. They have firm faith that whatever
seems to be their selves will alone help them until such (illusory)
self is gone and no more help is needed. While selfishness is hot
and burns, unselfishness or the end of selfishness is cool and
soothes. Whatever they will do, they do it with mindful wisdom or
right understanding, rather than through the power of selfishness
that burns us as long as it is around.
How do we end selfishness? By studying the lack of a real
abiding self (anatta). Body and mind are natures able to
know, think, feel, speak, and act in all kinds of ways without
needing any spirit or ghost (self or soul) to possess them. Thus,
everything must be done correctly in line with natural law according
to whatever results are required. If one is still foolish enough to
think it’s a self, at least don’t be selfish; otherwise, it will
bite and chew with greed, hatred, and delusion, which are like
fires. Be mindful and fully aware when experiencing the objects of
the senses, so that experience isn’t concocted into selfishness;
simply deal with that object wisely as needed. With right
understanding (sammaditthi) continuously see clearly that
selfishness and clinging to body-mind or the five khandhas as
"self" always causes the painful experience of dukkha, such clinging
is suffering itself. Without such clinging, dukkha can’t happen and
life doesn’t get hot and bothered.
What is the highest right understanding like? The
knowledge or understanding that all things are concoctions created
by the causes and conditions that are themselves concocted and
subsequently lead to the creation of other things endlessly. All
this concocting is the stream of change or impermanence called
"aniccam." Due to this constant interaction with inconstant,
changing things, the symptom of dukkha being difficult to bear
occurs, which is called "dukkham." Because there is nothing
that can prevent against this change and unsatisfactoriness, we say
that there is no lasting self, that everything is not-self or
anatta. That everything occurs transitorily (impermanently),
unsatisfactorily, and without an abiding self is called
"dhammatthitatta," the ordinary, natural way things are. They
are this way because the law of nature makes them so, which is
called "dhammaniyamata." The fact they everything happens
according to causes and conditions is called "idappaccayata,"
which is the law of nature equal in power to what people call "God."
That nothing can prevent against the law of idappaccayata is
called "suññata," the voidness that is empty of self or any
meaning of selfhood. The highest truth is called "tathata,"
thusness, that things are just as they are and don’t jump to our
wishes; whoever tries to go against this truth with their desires
will be bitten, chewed up, and spit out, that is, will suffer.
Finally, the experience of atammayata (unconcoctability)
arises, the realization that none of these things can be relied on
or depended upon ever again, which we express in ordinary
market-speak as "I ain’t gonna mess with you no more!" When they are
abandoned, the path and its fruits are realized.2 Dhammathiti-ñana, knowing the truths of all
created things, is fulfilled in atammayata. From there
follows the group of nibbana-ñana, the insight knowledges
that transcend worldly experience and are the beginning of coolness,
the core meaning of Nibbana.
The world is transformed into a cool, peaceful world,
eventually, once it is full of sïladhamma, the natural,
normal unperturbed condition of people's minds, despite the ordinary
busyness and commotion of the external world. A cool peace of mind
is easy to find among these people, no matter how confused and
tumultuous the situations they are in, because their minds are free
of foolish clinging, refusing to fall for the ordinary ways of the
world. There will be fewer prisons, police stations, courts,
psychotherapy clinics, psychiatric hospitals, and suicide hotlines.
Loving kindness and honesty will be common everywhere in such a
society, like the world of Phra Sri Ariyametteya, the future
Buddha of Loving Kindness.3 Even if nuclear missiles were to strike, everyone
could still laugh, being free of clinging to self, and wouldn't see
it as anything strange. Due to the power of the sammaditthi
(right understanding) as explained above, they wouldn't let it stir
up any suffering or fear. All of this will be the fruits of the
labor of all the Buddhadasas who have done their duties to the
fullest of their capabilities and sati-pañña.
How many Buddhadasas can there be? If we don't overlook
them out of carelessness or narrow-mindedness, we will find Servants
of the Buddha all over and in great number. However, they don't call
themselves "Buddhadasa," fearing dishonor, and prefer to be called
"upasaka" and "upasika" (devotees, men and women who
are close to the Buddha). Each day during the evening service, they
all chant "Buddhassahasmi daso va, Buddho me samikissaro" (I
am the Lord Buddha's servant, the Lord Buddha is my master). Are
they declaring themselves to be servants of the Buddha without any
awareness? This should be carefully examined.
To be a Buddhadasa truly and fully according to the Buddha's
purpose means to carry out that duty perfectly and not just declare
things loudly without understanding the true meaning of the words.
This duty is to do whatever the Buddha purposed, to carry it out
wholeheartedly and successfully according to that purpose. Expressed
most succinctly, the Buddha's purpose is for everyone to fully
understand, be awakened, and blossom perfectly into life free of
suffering. The understanding of Nibbana — which is directly
experienced by oneself (sanditthikam), unconnected with time
(akalikam), for inviting others to come and see
(ehipassikam), and the heart of Buddhahood — is now treated
as something beyond our abilities and, anyway, out-of-date. In
effect, this means that Buddhism has disappeared in an unbelievably
pitiful way. All who volunteer to be Buddhadasas need to be
sufficiently aware of this situation.
Everyone can be a Buddhadasa and has everything needed to
be one, lacking only sammaditthi, right understanding or
correct view. If we look carefully, we will discover that there are
more than a few around, only they don't reveal themselves because
when thoroughly committed it isn't necessary to show off. This
invitation doesn't require anyone to make declarations or displays.
Just do it genuinely by being a good example of the cool, peaceful
life; by trying to point it out to others so they better understand
this system of life; and by striving to help fellow humans
understand Dhamma. Further, don’t consider any of these a favor to
anyone or expect anything in return. Everyone can participate more
or less; there doesn't seem to be anyone who can't do anything at
all.
Finally, when we Buddhists have tried to carry out the Buddha's
purpose to the fullest of our capabilities, the Buddha's wishes will
be accomplished. Benefits and happiness will fill the world,
including the worlds of celestials (devaloka), tempters
(maraloka), and gods (brahmaloka), and all beings,
including sages (samana) and priests (brahmins),
celestials (deva) and humans (manussa), fulfilling the
Buddha's purpose and his frequent mention of these various groups of
beings.4
So, please, let's all be Buddhadasas. There's no better time and
place than right here and now. Let's do it!