Why the Grand Vipassana Pagoda
- by S. N. Goenka
(The following article has been translated from an article by S. N. Goenka from the Vipassana Patrika dated 17 September 1997.)
The Buddha did not teach Buddhism. During his lifetime, he did not convert a single person to Buddhism. One will be surprised to hear this and will not want to believe it, because we have been hearing, speaking, reading and writing contrary to this fact for such a long time. But the historical truth is that the Buddha neither taught Buddhism nor made any person a Buddhist.
The Buddha taught Dhamma and made people righteous. The Vipassana Research Institute (VRI) located in Dhamma Giri, has produced a CD-ROM containing the entire teaching of the Buddha and related literature in Pali. This literature is really vast. It contains 146 volumes with 52,602 pages and 74,48,248 words. This amazing new device has the facility of easily and quickly locating any word in this vast literature. One can instantly locate where a particular word occurs: the volume, page and line in which it occurs. Upon the use of this universal modern technology, the truth of the above statement was established. In the entire teaching of the Buddha as well as in the vast literature of the related commentaries, sub-commentaries, and sub-sub-commentaries, the word "Buddhist" has not been used with regard to his teachings or his followers.
In the entire teaching of the Buddha, the word that has been used everywhere for the teaching of the Buddha is "Dhamma", not "Buddhist Dhamma". Whenever any adjective precedes the word "Dhamma", it is qualitative, not sectarian. Like saddhamma (true Dhamma), ariyo dhammo (noble Dhamma), dhammo sanātano (eternal Dhamma), and so on. His followers have not been called Buddhists anywhere. For those who gained benefit by walking on the path shown by him, these six words were used: dhammim, dhammiko, dhammattho, dhammacarim, dhammavihari, dhammanusari.
Not only during the lifetime of the Buddha but even in the next few centuries, we do not come across words like "Buddhist" or "Buddhism" anywhere. About two and a half centuries after the Buddha, Emperor Ashoka, who was obssessed with royal power, caused a cruel human carnage and was proud to be called "fierce Ashoka", came in contact with Dhamma. He benefited from Dhamma and inspired others to walk on the path of Dhamma, and was therefore called "Dhamma Ashoka", not "Buddhist Ashoka". Out of a feeling of affection towards his subjects, he encouraged the spread of Dhamma, among them, not Buddhism. He sent not Buddhism, but the Dhamma ratana (the jewel of Dhamma), not only to neighhbouring countries but to distant western countries as well, in the form of a priceless gift from India. On this beneficial, historical and important mission to these countries, he sent Dhammadūtas (messengers of Dhamma), not "messengers of Buddhism". None of the edicts on rocks and columns of Emperor Ashoka that have come to light so far contain the word "Buddhist"; everywhere, the word "Dhamma" is used. Dhamma is universal, it is for everyone.
Therefore, Emperor Ashoka, who walked on this path, instructed his subjects that the people of one sect should never criticize the people of another sect and they should have love and affection for one another. This is the distinguishing feature of the universal Dhamma. When this universal Dhamma teaching of the Buddha became confined within narrow limits, is a subject for investigation. It is a research topic for linguistic and historical scholars to discover when and by whom these sectarian words like "Buddhist", "Buddhism" and "Buddhist philosophy" came into use. VRI will also conduct relevant research in this area.
One may rightly surmise that this word may have come into use after th…
《Why the Grand Vipassana Pagoda
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