

                  *THE PERSON THE BUDDHA WOULD NOT ADMONISH*
                            by Sayagyi U Chit Tin


  	At one time, in a conversation with a horse-trainer named Kesi, the 
  Buddha asked him how he trained his horses.[1] Kesi[2] replied that he 
  used mildness, harshness, and a combination of the two.[3] Next, the 
  Buddha asked what Kesi did with a horse that would not submit to his 
  training. "I destroy him," Kesi answered, explaining that he did not wish 
  for such a horse to be a discredit to his teacher's clan.

  	Then Kesi remarked that the Buddha was the unsurpassed trainer of 
  men. How did he train men?

  	The Buddha replied that he too used mildness, harshness and a 
  combination of the two. By mildness, the Buddha explained that he meant 
  training through good conduct of body, speech and thought with the good 
  results of each, leading on to rebirth as a Deva or a human being. By 
  harshness the Buddha meant showing bad conduct of the body, speech and 
  thought and the results of each, leading on to rebirth as an animal or a 
  wandering ghost (peta). The combination of the two was also possible.

  	We can infer from this that some people only need to be shown the 
  positive way of acting and the good that results, some only need to see 
  the results of bad actions, while others need to see both sides before 
  they submit to training.

  	Kesi asked the Buddha what he would do if someone did not submit to 
  any of these methods. "In such a case, Kesi, I destroy him," the Buddha 
  replied. Kesi was understandably surprised by this answer. It was one 
  thing for him, a mere horse trainer, to destroy a recalcitrant horse, but 
  for the Buddha to destroy someone was unthinkable. "But surely the Blessed 
  One does not take life!" he exclaimed.

  	"Kesi," the Buddha replied, "it is true that taking life does not 
  become a Tathagata (Buddha). Yet, if the man to be trained does not submit 
  to the training by mildness, by harshness or both together, then the 
  Tathagata does not think it worthwhile to admonish that man, nor do his 
  wise companions in leading the holy life (brahmacariya) think it 
  worthwhile to admonish that man. This, Kesi, is destruction for a man in 
  the noble discipline: when both the Tathagata and his companions in 
  leading the holy life do not think it worthwhile to admonish him."

  	The method mentioned here can be taken as part of the first step 
  involving the motivation for a person ready for training. It is necessary 
  to have the right view that volitional actions will give future results, 
  that other planes of existence actually exist and that our good or bad 
  acts will lead to birth in a good or bad plane respectively. If this is 
  true, then a person will be motivated to work for a good existence at the 
  very least. This matter of right belief is so important it is the subject 
  of the first discourse in the Sutta Pitaka.

  	The Buddha does not mention to Kesi that working for a good 
  existence is not enough, that the goal should be the ending of all future 
  births. This is probably because Kesi was not ready at that time to aim at 
  the highest goal. An illustration of how the Buddha initially motivated 
  some people to work for a good existence is found in his discourse to the 
  Kalamas[4] and also in the way he taught his half-brother Nanda.[5] Nanda 
  became a bhikkhu just after being married and soon began to long to return 
  to lay life. The Buddha showed him the pleasures of the Deva worlds to 
  help him get rid of his longing for the pleasures of the human world, 
  knowing that as he worked to attain temporary pleasures Nanda would be 
  able to go beyond them and attain Nibbana. This can serve as an example of 
  training with mildness.

  	In a very different case the Buddha used the harsh training. An 
  actor name Talaputa had been told that through entertaining people he 
  would be reborn in the world of the laughing devas.[6] When he sought to 
  confirm this by asking the Buddha, the Buddha at first remained silent. 
  This shows that the Buddha was careful not to tell people something if it 
  would only serve to upset and depress them. Talaputa had to ask three 
  times before the Buddha explained that an actor who provoked immoral 
  thoughts in his audience would be reborn in a lower realm. And this 
  knowledge motivated Talaputa to become a bhikkhu and work for true 
  happiness.

	In many places it is made clear that the Buddha only taught those 
  who would follow his instructions, but that he also gave people every 
  chance to see the error of their ways. A good example is the case of the 
  quarreling bhikkhus of Kosambi[7]. Due to a misunderstanding concerning 
  the rules, two factions of bhikkhus refused to listen to the advice of the 
  Buddha. It was only when he saw that he could not resolve the conflict 
  that the Buddha left the bhikkhus. When they finally came to their senses, 
  the Buddha advised the bhikkhus with him and the lay followers who asked 
  how to act towards the two factions: they should continue to act correctly 
  towards both sides, but not get involved in the dispute. The conflict was 
  eventually resolved when the bhikkhu who had broken one of the minor rules 
  confessed his fault. But it is important to note that both sides in the 
  argument were guilty of wrong speech in their quarreling and they almost 
  lost contact with the Buddha because of that. They were almost destroyed. 
  As Ven. Sariputta said, a bhikkhu who lacks respect for the Teacher cannot 
  have respect for the Dhamma and Sangha.[8] 

  	The Buddha is described as having compassion and loving kindness for 
  all living beings. Even Devadatta, who had tried to kill the Buddha, 
  realized at the end of his life that the Buddha had not cherished so much 
  as the tip of a hair's hatred towards him.[9] If this is so, how could the 
  Buddha turn his back on someone? We have all probably seen cases of people 
  in difficulty who refuse to see the solution to their problem. We may have 
  tried to help them, only to find that all our efforts were in vain.  
  Instead of helping the other person, we might find ourselves being dragged 
  down by them. If we realize that we are unable to help someone, then we 
  would do better to avoid them entirely, just as the Buddha left the 
  bhikkhus of Kosambi. The best response to someone who only wants to 
  quarrel or stir up trouble is silence. We cannot help someone who is not 
  ready to help himself. This is what the Buddha meant when he said that he 
  only showed the way. He could not enlighten anyone else. But if they were 
  ready to follow his instructions, he could show them the way to reach 
  Nibbana by their own efforts.

  	It is not always easy for us to know whether we can be helpful or 
  not to another person. A Buddha can see better than anyone else the 
  potential a person has. Some indications of the qualities a person who can 
  be helped will possess can be obtained from the description of the 
  dedicated student of meditation in the Visuddhimagga:[10]if he dedicates 
  himself to the teacher, he will be responsive to correction, he will not 
  go about as he likes, he will be easy to speak to and will live only in 
  dependence on the teacher. If the bhikkhus at Kosambi had had this sort of 
  attitude, they would have stopped their quarreling the first time the 
  Buddha corrected them.

  	At times, of course, a person can only learn by his own mistakes. A 
  good example of such a person was Ven. Meghiya, who was one of the 
  Buddha's attendants before Ven. Ananda. He insisted on meditating in a 
  grove where he was unable to make progress.[11] But realizing his mistake, 
  he approached the Buddha and asked him about it. The result was that the 
  Buddha gave him very thorough instructions for his meditation, and Meghiya 
  was finally able to make progress. If we are aware that we have gone down 
  the wrong path, then we should come back before it is too late. If we 
  encounter others who have fallen into error, but who sincerely wish to 
  begin again, and work properly, then, like the Buddha, we should welcome 
  the opportunity to help them if we can.

  	The Buddha explains very plainly, "This, Kesi, is destruction for a 
  man in the discipline of the Ariyan--when both the Tathagata and his 
  fellows in the higher life think it not worth while to admonish him!"

  	When our teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin was living and teaching at the 
  International Meditation Centre, Yangon, Myanmar, there were many 
  occasions when he would train by mildness with sweet and gentle speech, 
  and good food, and also by harshness with firm, strong words -- sometimes 
  very stern words -- and also by both mildness and harshness. At such times 
  we were at a loss to understand but always knew that his loving-kindness 
  was so great that he could not help but follow in the foot-steps of the 
  Buddha.

  	"Destroyed indeed is a person by the Teacher when he would not 
  admonish the unfortunate person!"

  	So those who wish to lead a higher life should submit to the 
  admonition of our teachers who are wise and who with much loving-kindness 
  show us the Right Path, the Path to Liberation.

  	Hence, let all beware!

                                              Sayagyi U Chit Tin



                                  FOOTNOTES:

  [1]  GS II 116-118.

  [2]  F.L. Woodward translates the name by "with a mane."

  [3]  Woodward quotes the commentary as saying "proper regard, good food,  
  sweet water, gentle speech" are examples of mild training and "hobbling, 
  bridling, goading, whipping, harsh speech" are examples of harsh training.

  [4]  GS I 170-175.

  [5]  For the story of Ven. Nanda, see BL I 217-225.

  [6]  S IV 305f. (KS IV 214-216).

  [7]  See BD IV 483-513, for the complete account. The story is also given 
  by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, //The Life of the Buddha// (BPS), pp. 109-119.

  [8]  GS IV 81.

  [9]  BL I 239.

  [10] //Path//, Chapter III, 126.

  [11] GS IV 234-237.




                         Worldwide  Contact Addresses
                    in the Tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


  *AUSTRIA*:  International Meditation Centre, A-9064 St. Michael/Gurk 6,
              Austria;Tel: +43 4224 2820, Fax: +43 4224 28204
              Email: CIS, IMC-Austria, 100425,3423

  *EASTERN AUSTRALIA*: International Meditation Centre, Lot 2 Cessnock Road,
              Sunshine NSW 2264, Australia;
              Tel: +61 49 705 433, Fax: +61 49 705 749

  *UNITED KINGDOM*: International Meditation Centre, Splatts House,
              Heddington, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 OPE, England;
              Tel: +44 380 850 238, Fax: +44 380 850 833,
              Email: CIS, IMC-UK,100330,3304

  *USA (East Coast)*: International Meditation Centre, 438 Bankard Road,
              Westminster MD 21158, USA;
              Tel: +1 410 346 7889, Fax: +1 410 346 7133;
              Email:  CIS, IMC-USA, 74163,2452

 *WESTERN AUSTRALIA*: International Meditation Centre, Lot 78 Jacoby Street,
              Mahogany Creek WA 6072, Australia;
              Tel: +61 9 295 2644, Fax: +61 9 295 3435

  *CANADA*:   IMC-Canada, 336 Sandowne Drive, Waterloo, Ontario, N2K 1V8,
              Canada; Tel: +1 519 747 4762, Fax: +1 519 725 2781

  *GERMANY*:  Sayagyi U Ba Khin Gesellschaft, Christaweg 16, 79114 Freiburg,
              Germany, Tel: +49 761 465 42, Fax: +49 761 465 92

  *JAPAN*:    Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, Komatsuri-Cho 923,
              Kishiwada-Shi, Osaka-Fu, 596 Japan, Tel: +81 724 45 0057

  *THE NETHERLANDS*: Sayagyi U Ba Khin Stichting, Oudegracht 124, 3511 AW
              Utrecht, The Netherlands,
              Tel: +31 30 311 445, Fax: +31 30 340 612

  *SINGAPORE*: Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Association, 9 Penang Road #07-12,
              Park Mall, Singapore 0923
              Tel: +65 338 6911, Fax: +65 336 7211

  *SWITZERLAND*: Sayagyi U Ba Khin Gesellschaft, Greyerzstrasse 35, 3013
              Bern, Switzerland;Tel: +41 31 415 233, Fax: +41 61 271 4184;
              Email: CIS, 100256,3576

  *USA (West Coast)*: Contact Address: IMC-USA c/o Joe McCormack,
              77 Kensington Rd., San Anselmo, CA 94960,U.S.A.
              Tel: +1 415 459 3117, Fax: +1 415 459 4837

  *BELGIUM*:  Address as for the Netherlands, Tel: +32 2 414 1756

  *DENMARK*:  Contact Address: Mr. Peter Drost-Nissen, Strandboulevarden
              117, 3th, 2100 Kopenhagen, Denmark. Tel: 031 425 636

  *ITALY*:    Contact address: Mr. Renzo Fedele, Via Euganea 94, 35033
              Bresseo PD, Italy.  Tel: +39 49 9900 752

              --------------------------------------------------
      Published by the Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, United Kingdom
               Address as above, registered charity no. 280134
              --------------------------------------------------


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                            DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
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  TITLE OF WORK: The Person the Buddha Would Not Admonish
  FILENAME: ADMONISH.ZIP
  AUTHOR: Sayagyi U Chit Tin
  AUTHOR'S ADDRESS: n/a
  PUBLISHER'S ADDRESS: International Meditation Centre, Splatts House,
              Heddington, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 OPE, England
  COPYRIGHT HOLDER: The Sayagyi U Ba Khin Memorial Trust, U.K.
  DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1995
  RIGHTS & RESTRICTIONS: See paragraph below.
  DATE OF DHARMANET DISTRIBUTION: 17 February 1995
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