II: The Rare Appearance of a Buddha – 40
on hearing from Ven. Assaji the following verse (
Mahā-khandhaka
, Vin Mv 1,
PTS 1.40):
Ye dhammā hetuppabhavā, tesaṁ hetuṁ Tathāgato āha,
tesañ-ca yo nirodho: evaṁ-vādī Mahā-samaṇo.
Whatever things have a cause and source, their cause the Realised One has
told, and also that which is their cessation: such is the Great Ascetic’s
doctrine.
From this account, one would think noble disciples could be both those who
have been saved (
tarita
) by others and those who have saved others (
tārayitu
).
But the teaching of a Buddha’s disciple has its origin in the Buddha; it does not
originate from the disciple himself. He does not preach a discourse of his own
without taking help and guidance from the teaching of the Buddha. Therefore,
such disciples are to called those who have crossed over (
tarita
) and not those
who help others to cross over (
tārayitu
), as they can, by no means, realise the
four noble truths without a master; and their realisation of the paths and
fruitions can take place only with the master’s help and guidance.
As has been said, Independent Buddhas are those who have crossed over (
tārita
)
and noble disciples are those who were helped across (
tarita
) respectively.
Hence, after their realisation of the path and fruition of an Arahat, they entered
into the stage of attainment of fruition (
phala-samāpatti
) and attainment of
cessation (
nirodha-samāpatti
) for their own enjoyment of bliss of peace, and not
working for the benefit of others.
On the other hand, an omniscient Buddha (
Sammā-sambuddha
) would not
remain working for his own interest only. In fact, even at the time of fulfilling
the perfections, he resolves: “Having understood the four noble truths, I will
make others understand the same (
Buddho bodheyyaṁ
),” and so on. Accordingly,
he performs the five duties of a Buddha continuously, day and night.
29
Because he has to perform the five duties of a Buddha, the Buddha takes a short
rest after his meal each day. At night, he rests only for one third of the last
watch of the night. The remaining hours are spent attending to his five duties.
29
Here the author asks to see details of the five duties of a Buddha in the exposition on
the attributes of
Bhagavā
in the Chronicle of Buddha Gotama in chapter 42a.