Proper Veneration of the Buddha

by S.N. Goenka

For over seventeen years, the Patrika (Hindi language Vipassana newsletter) has been sent monthly to thousands of people in India. Each newsletter has featured an article - short or long - by Goenkaji. The following article has been extracted from different issues of the Patrika, and slightly adapted.

Incidents from the life of the Buddha

An announcement had been made that the Buddha would breathe his last when the full moon night of Vesakha¹ came to an end. He was eighty years old. He lay underneath the twin sila trees. Devotees were flocking in large numbers to pay their respects, carrying handfuls of flowers. Even the gods, out of their devotion, began to shower celestial flowers and celestial sandalwood powder. Divine musical instruments began to be played, and divine songs could also be heard. The Buddha said to Ananda (who was attending him):

"Ananda! A Buddha is not honoured by such showering of flowers, or the sounds of musical instruments and celestial singing! The Buddha is honoured when some monk, or nun or lay meditator establishes himself or herself on the path of the bounteous Dhamma, and begins to live a life of truth and purity. Ananda, let the people take note of this!"

On another occasion the Buddha had been asked whether a cetiya (stupa) could be built as a memorial during his lifetime. The Buddha answered that a cetiya could be built during the Buddha's lifetime, but that planting a bodhi tree was a more appropriate memorial for him; for, under its shade, seekers would feel inspired to meditate and work for nibbana (freedom from suffering).

Ananda once asked the Buddha, "What will be done with your dead body?" The Buddha explained: "Many devotees of the Buddha will prepare a mound (stupa) on the remnants of the body after it is consumed by fire. They will honour it with flowers, incense, garlands, and so on. By these acts they will purify their minds to an extent and, as a consequence, will be blessed with enjoyment for a long time. They will be reborn in a happy world."

Even so, the Buddha's serious teaching was not merely to afford his followers a happy birth in the next life. His teaching was to take them beyond all lives, beyond the wheel of suffering and rebirth. He used to tell serious meditators, therefore, to keep themselves apart from honouring his body in the conventional way. They should, instead, engage themselves in the realization of the ultimate truth.

Other instances illustrating the proper way to revere the Buddha involved his mother, Mahapajapati Gotami. Siddhattha Gotama's birth mother, Mahamaya, died on the seventh day after giving birth. Mahamaya's younger sister, Mahapajapati, brou­ght him up. On the death of her older sister, Mahapajapati entrusted her own son to the care of a wet nurse, and fed Siddhattha at her own breast.

In her old age, Mother Gotami was ordained by the Buddha and joined the order of bhikkhunis (nuns). Ardently practising Vipassana, she became an arahant (fully enlightened person).

All those who received Dhamma from the Buddha were called his own "sons" and "daughters." Age and worldly relationships did not matter at all. This is why, at a very old age, Mother Gotami proclaimed: "O, Sugata! I am your mother. And you, O brave one, are my father!"

Shortly before her demise, Mother Gotami became very joyful, knowing that this was to be her last demise. Filled with gratitude, she remembered the Buddha: "O father! You gave me birth in the true Dhamma. O son! I quenched your thirst for short periods by feeding you at my breast. But, father! You have quenched my thirst for life-after-life by making me taste the nectar of Dhamma. Son! I fed you at my breast for your physical growth. In return, O father, you gave me the nectar of Dhamma for the growth of my Dhamma-body. It may be easy for a woman to be called Queen or Mother Queen, but it is a rare thing to be called Buddha's mother."

Thus Mother Gotami, overflowing with gratitude, properly venerated the Buddha. She also taught others how to pay proper respect. When some of the monks and nuns who had not yet experienced the stage of liberation came to know of her impending demise, they became highly perturbed and started wailing. Mother Gotami, Dhamma person that she was, then explained to them, "This is an auspicious time, a time for rejoicing! An opportunity to come out of the rounds of birth and death is an auspicious occasion. This cannot be an occasion for moistening of the eyes." Then she told them that if they had true reverence for her, the only way to express it would be to strive to get established in the noble Dhamma.

Preserving the Tradition of Proper Veneration

The tradition of honouring the Buddha in the proper manner was preserved in Burma by a limited number of people. Students of Sayagyi U Ba Khin used to pay respect to the Dhamma by bowing down before him three times, in accordance with the local tradition. But he taught serious meditators how to pay respect to the Teacher correctly. He taught them to observe the sensations of anicca (arising and passing away) at the top of the head when they bowed for the first time. The second time they were to experience dukkha (the truth of suffering), and the third time anatta (the truth of egolessness). Reverence expressed in this manner is the proper reverence; otherwise it is merely an empty ritual.

The real benefit accrues to a meditator only if he or she honours the Buddha in the proper way.

Emulating the Wise

If one wishes to honour one's favourite saint or deity, one should recollect his or her good qualities and, getting inspiration from these, try to emulate them in one's life. This alone constitutes true veneration.

Similarly, anyone desiring to pay respects to the Buddha should recall his qualities. Inspired by these qualities, one should try to emulate them. Then one avoids becoming entangled in a sectarian net.

When venerating the Buddha, one should express: "Salutation to the one who is bhagava (an exalted being), arahant (liberated being), samma sambuddha (self-enlightened being of surpassing magnitude)!" This recognition means that one honours the qualities of enlightenment, whether possessed by Gotama Buddha, Kassapa Buddha, or anyone else. One does not revere any particular person, but all people who attain enlightenment.

This is why in the field of true Dhamma, proper respect is demonstrated by acknowledging, "The Buddhas of the past, the Buddhas of the future, the present Buddhas - I honour at all times."

A being who becomes perfectly enlightened radiates infinite compassion for all suffering beings. An Enlightened One realizes that many people who are deeply entangled in sectarianism, rites, ritual and philosophical speculations may not grasp the true Dhamma (law of nature). But at least some - who are less engrossed in these - may get benefited by Dhamma. Such a person therefore distributes Dhamma with open hands, without any distinction of caste or creed. This is why he is called sattha (the teacher). He is the teacher of the rich and poor, the well-read and the illiterate, male and female, rulers and subjects, gods and men!

Whenever one wishes to honour the Buddha, one should understand that true veneration occurs when one remembers the Enlightened One's qualities, and works to develop these qualities oneself.

1.The full moon of May, the day the Buddha was born, enlightened and passed into parinibbana (death of a fully enlightened being.)