The Vessel of the Dhamma

　　- by S. N. Goenka

　　(The following article has been adapted from an address given by Goenkaji to the annual Meeting on the Spread of the Dhamma held in March 1989 at the Vipassana International Academy, Igatpuri, India.)

　　Messengers and servants of the Dhamma:

　　You have assembled here from around the world to deepen your understanding of how to spread the Dhamma so that more and more people may come into contact with it and benefit from it. Whatever you discuss or plan here in the coming days, keep firmly in your minds the basic message imparted by the greatest messenger of Dhamma twenty-five centuries ago. That message explains not only what Dhamma is but also how it should be distributed. Every word of it is valuable to remember. It is a message of eternal relevance to all Dhamma messengers in all ages.

　　What ultimately is the volition with which to spread the Dhamma

　　 What is the underlying purpose

　　 Is it the wish to convert people to Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity or any other organized religion

　　 On the contrary, that great messenger made clear the volition required. The Dhamma is to be spread bahujana-hitāya, bahujana-sukhāya—for the good and benefit of many! As many people as one is capable of serving.

　　And how is this service to be given

　　 Again, the same message gives us the answer; lokānukampāya—with compassion for people, with selfless love and good will in one”s heart.

　　All servants and messengers of Dhamma must keep examining themselves to check that their service accords with this message, for egotism may make its onslaught in any person at any time. When it does, the recognition one receives and the prominence one is granted seem more important than the service rendered. This attitude is nothing but madness, all the more dangerous because it can be so subtle. For this reason one must constantly be on guard against its approach.

　　Of course, personal material gain is out of the question, but certain forms of Dhamma service may sometimes lead to name and fame. Be careful not to let this become the attraction. Remember that you must work without expecting anything in return, with compassion for those whom you serve. They are most important, not those who give the service. The weaker your egotism and the greater your good will, the better you are fit to serve.

　　And what precisely is the service that you must seek to give

　　 Again the Master Teacher has explained: desetha Dhammam—give the people Dhamma, nothing but Dhamma. Not the Dhamma of any organized religion, be it Buddhist, Hindu, Christian or Jain, but the universal Law applicable to one and all.

　　One characteristic of the genuine Dhamma is that it confers benefits at every stage to those who practice it. As the Teacher said, it is ādikalyāṇaṃ, majjhekalyāṇaṃ, pariyosānakalyāṇaṃ—beneficial in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end. The first steps on the Path yield positive results at once, and these increase as one goes further. When the final goal is reached, the benefits are limitless. Thus, every step of the practice produces good. This is one important feature by which to recognize the true Dhamma.

　　Another is that the Dhamma is complete. Nothing need be added to it or removed from it to render it effective; it is kevalparipuṇṇaṃ parisuddhaṃ. The Dhamma is like a brimming vessel; nothing more is required to fill it, and any addition will be at the sacrifice of what the vessel already contains.

　　Often the urge to add may be well-intentioned, in the hope of making the Dhamma more attractive to people of various backgrounds. “What harm is there in adding something which is itself good

　　” someone may ask. Understand: the harm is that the Dhamma will eventually be relegated to …

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