i

ANUMONDANā

(To all Dhamma Comrades, those helping to spread Dhamma:)

Break out the funds to spread Dhamma to let Faithful Trust flow, Broadcast majestic Dhamma to radiate long living joy.

Release unexcelled Dhamma to tap the spring of Virtue, Let safely peaceful delight flow like a cool mountain stream.

Dhamma leaves of many years sprouting anew, reaching out, To unfold and bloom in the Dhamma Centers of all towns.

To spread lustrous Dhamma and in hearts glorified plant it, Before long, weeds of sorrow, pain, and affliction will flee.

As Virtue revives and resounds throughout Thai society, All hearts feel certain love toward those born, ageing, and dying.

Congratulations and Blessings to all Dhamma Comrades, You who share Dhamma to widen the people’s prosperous joy.

Heartiest appreciation from Buddhadāsa Indapa..o, Buddhist Science ever shines beams of Bodhi longlasting.

In grateful service, fruits of merit and wholesome successes, Are all devoted in honor to Lord Father Buddha.

Thus may the Thai people be renowned for their Virtue, May perfect success through Buddhist Science awaken their hearts.

May the King and His Family live long in triumphant strength, May joy long endure throughout this our world upon earth.

from

Mokkhabalārāma

Chaiya, 2 November 2530

(translated by Santikaro Bhikkhu, 3 February 2531 (1988))

ii

Editor’s Foreword

BUDDHA-DHAMMA FOR STUDENTS is the result of two talks given by Ajahn Buddhadāsa in January 1966 to students at Thammasat University, Bangkok. Then and in the years since, many young Thais have been returning to Buddhism in search of answers and possibilities not provided by their modern (Western-style) education. In the face of rapid social change, at times bordering on chaos, they seek a non-violent approach to the issues and injustices of the times. Their interest is praised and yet recognized as needing guidance. Applying a confused or incorrect version of Buddhism to social confusion and conflict will not do any good. Thus Ajahn Buddhadāsa always has tried to set both young and old straight as to what Buddhism really teaches. He does so by going back to the original principles pointed out by the Lord Buddha, explaining these simply and directly, and showing that their relevance is timeless. Truth is relevant and applicable in ancient India, contemporary Siam, and even the overly developed West.

These talks originally were titled “Lak Dhamma Samrab Nak Seuksa (Dhamma Principles For Students.)” A look at the words in this title will clarify the purpose of this book. First, we must understand what is meant by “seuksa” (borrowed from Sanskrit) and “sikkhā” (its Pali counterpart). Thais have used seuksa to translate the English terms “study” and “education,” but modern usage is impovershed in comparison to the original meaning. Seuksa goes further than merely accumulating knowledge and professional skills, as we get nowadays. It means to learn things which are truly relevant to life and then thoroughly train oneself in and according to that

knowledge. It is a “study” which leads ever more deeply into the heart, as we find when sikkhā is analyzed into the elements sa (by, for, and in oneself) and ikkha(to see)— “to see oneself by oneself,”

Nak means “one who does, one who is skilled at or expert in” a particular activity. A nak-seuksa is a “student”, but not by virtue of enrolling in a school, putting on a uniform, or carrying books. A true student must seuksa in all meanings, aspects, and levels of the word until being expert at seuksa. There are no institutions, schedules, or curricula which can contain the genuine student. Being a student is a fundamental duty of all human beings for as long as they breathe.

Lak means “principle, standard, post, bulwark, stake.” A lak is something we can grab onto-wisely-for stability and safety. Wise students begin their investigations with fundamentals and make sure to be firmly grounded in them before going further. In fact, the real basics are often enough. Identifying the principles which can stake us to the core of our subject is a start. Careful reflection on them leads to understanding. But only by incorporating them into our lives through practice do they become a trustworthy bulwark.

Dhamma * defies translation. It is the core of all spiritual endeavor and all life, even the most mundane. It can mean “thing,” “teachings,” and “the supreme, absolute Truth.” Here, for a practical start, we can emphasize four vital meanings of the word “Dhamma.”

“Nature” — all things, including humanity and all we do, and the natures of those things

“Law” — the natural law underlying and governing all those things

* Buddha-Dhamma means “the Buddha’s Dhamma” or the “Dhamma taught by the Buddha, the Awakened One.”

“Duty” — the way of living required of each human being, and all other beings, with every breath and at every opportunity, by the law of nature

“Fruit” — the result of duty done correctly according to natural law

These are the ground in which students of the truth of life must stake their principles. And it is the reality to which all study should lead.

Samrab means “for.” Dhamma Principles are not floating around in some metaphysical or philosophical twilight zone. They have a clear purpose and practical value. They are for the inspiration and enrichment of students. They are for those people who are curious about life, who want to understand what we are doing here and where we should be going, who are sick of selfishness and misery. They are not, however, to be taken as articles of faith to be believed, memorized, and recited for emotional satisfaction within an illusion of security. They are for study, investigation, experiment, as a means to one’s own realization of the truth which is the meaning of human life.

This book covers a variety of topics which are generally obscured or ignored, although they make up the essence of what Buddhism has to offer. When issues such as suffering and emptiness are pushed back into a dim, intangible ambiguity by the scholarly discussions which are all too common in modern Buddhism, Ajahn Buddhadāsa strives to help us see them in our own breathing and living. Where the academics, both Eastern and Western, see theories and philosophies, he sees the tools to live life in truth and peace. His vision and teaching are clear and succinct: we hope that our

attempts to translate them into English do him and his teachers — the Lord Buddha, Dhamma, life, and suffering — justice.

Here are questions which all Dhamma cultivators have asked ourselves at one time or another. Others in turn will ask these questions of us. So it is convenient to have lucid, concise responses handy when we need them. Even better when they are backed up by quotations from the Buddha himself. Best of all when the approach is down-to-earth, leaving aside the mysticism and mythology with which we so often pleasantly distract ourselves. Keeping the investigation — in both this book and our own lives — practical, factual, and straight-forward eliminates the misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and misinformation which generally plague religion. Confronting these truths simply and in daily life will reveal their profundity and liberate us from suffering and the ignorance that causes it.

This little book has been reprinted a few times since Ariyananda Bhikkhu (Rod Bucknell) first translated it. This edition, however, has been revised, first by myself and later with help from Rod. We have corrected minor errors and printing irregularities, and have tried to improve readability, but have not made any major changes. Many of our visitors at Suan Mokkh have helped with suggestions and proof-reading during the preparation of this edition. Unfortunately, their names are too numerous to mention. Lastly, Phra Dusadee Meta.kuro, Chao Assava, and their friends in The Dhamma Study & Practice Group have overseen business and publication duties. Their kindness and dedication in publishing many valuable Dhamma books, with more on the way, deserves acknowledgement, appreciation, and support.

May the efforts of the many Dhamma comrades which have gone into this book benefit not only their own wisdom and coolness, but that of friends the world over. May this book be read carefully and repeatedly so that the profound truths presented within it will take root in our hearts. May we all study and live in harmony with these truths, thereby quenching all traces of misunderstanding, selfishness, and dukkha.

Santikaro Bhikkhu Suan Mokkhabalārāma Rains Retreat, 1988

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　　志同道合的学佛朋友们：
　　今天演讲的主题是给学习者的法义原则。
　　在此我想先向大家说明，今天的演讲只谈佛法重要的基本原则，所以主要是针对学生，也可以说是针对知识份子而说的。我将采用问答方式来讨论这些法义原则，也就是先提出一个问题问你们，再提供答案，如果你先听过问题，就会发现比较容易了解并记住答案。我认为对学生或知识分子说法，这是最恰当的方式。在佛世时，知识分子除了问及佛法的基本观点和重要原则，不会再问其他事情，因为他们不想要冗长迂回的解释，以便能节省时间。
　　因此，今天我会这么做：先提出问题当成主题，然后从基本法义原则的观点回答这个问题。用这种方式会帮助你掌握论题的要点，并且能建立良好的基础。拥有这些基础知识，将来会蕴育出美好的果实，方便各位日后自行阅读或听其他人演讲。再者，我演讲的另一个目的是，以后如果有其他国家或宗教人士问你问题时，这些问答内容能帮助你回答，而且不会引发对教义的误解。
　　好好记住这些主题或主要内容，如果你能把它背下来，那是最好不过了！而且，我相信这样对你们会有很大的益处。现在我们依次来讨论这些主题。

Fellow Dhamma-followers:

Today’s talk is entitled, “Dhamma Principles for Students”.

I WISH TO MAKE it clear to you that today’s talk will deal only with fundamentals and basic principles, and so is especially intended for students, that is to say, for intelligent people. I shall discuss these broad principles of Dhamma (Natural Truth) using the question- and-answer format, first putting a question to you, and then supplying the answer. Having heard the question first, you will find the answer easier to understand and remember. This, I feel, is the most appropriate method of presentation for you who are students or intelligent people. It is said that at the time of the Buddha, intelligent people never asked about anything but basic points and fundamental principles. They never wanted long-winded explanations. This has the virtue of saving time, among other things.

So that is how I shall do it today: pose a question as our topic, and then answer it in terms of basic principles. In this way you will get the essentials of a large number of topics, facts that will serve you as a good general foundation. Having this foundation knowledge will bear good fruit in the future; it will be of assistance to you in studying and in understanding other speakers.

One more point. The form of my talk is designed to prepare you students for those occasions when you will be asked questions by people from other countries and other religions. It will enable you to answer their questions, and answer them correctly, without giving rise to any misunderstanding concerning the Teaching.