The Buddha taught a wide variety of things
(courtesy of The Island)
In his article ‘Have we let Dhamma Down?’ (The Island, 11/5/2020), Dr. Kemachandra wrote, “The Buddha categorically expounded that he only teaches dukkha and dukkha only.” This is not just the writer’s own opinion, he is paraphrasing something the Buddha actually said, and the writer is quite right to make this point. Nonetheless, a reading of the Tipitaka will show that the Buddha taught a wide variety of things, for example Right Speech,
Right Livelihood, Right Action, etc. In Bhikkhu Bodhi’s recent and excellent book, ‘The Buddha’s Teaching on Social and Communal Harmony,’ he presents all the suttas the Buddha taught, pertaining to these important subjects, and there are many of them. Several years ago, I published my book, ‘Like Milk and Water Mixed, Buddhist Reflections on Love’, using all the teachings the Buddha gave on conjugal relationship, friendship, romantic sentiment, kindness to animals, parental love, etc. Scanning the Tipitaka to see what the Buddha had to say about medical ethics, healing, patient care, medicine and maintaining general good health, will yield a surprising amount of important and practical material. This is not to say that Dr. Kemachandra is wrong, but only that he may have been a bit too emphatic or focused on one aspect of the Dhamma only, albeit a fundamental and important one. My understanding is that the Buddha taught two goals – (1) a primary goal and (2) secondary goals. The primary goal of Buddhism is the attainment of Nirvana and, of course, this is intimately connected with understanding the concept of dukkha. He taught a range of secondary goals, too – to be a loving parent, a responsible citizen, an honest businessman, a dedicated teacher or doctor, etc. To get to the top floor, you have to start at the ground floor, and work your way up – as long as you don’t lose sight of the penthouse and the wonderful view it offers from up there. Thus we can say that the Buddha’s vision of the spiritual life is a holistic one, taking into account diverse needs, abilities and aspirations. I think that was his genius.
Bhante Dhammika – Australia
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