The Buddhist Calendar

Why Compare?

Walpola Rahula – who is an international authority on Buddha and His teachings and who has authored the Encyclopaedia Britannica entry on the Buddha had dialogued with J. Krishnamurti (K) on the question: ”Are you not saying what the Buddha said ?” (Brockwood park-England-June 1978). This study is an inquiry to go into the same question. K had asked Walpola Rahula ”May I ask, Sir, with due respect, why you compare?” and Walpola Rahula had replied ”There is no necessity (to compare)”. Indeed comparison is not necessary and not needed as The Teaching are The Teachings – The Dhamma is The Dhamma and we need to go directly into the teachings. Light is Light and it is just not possible to compare Light with Light.

The Buddha said:

Yo Kho Dhammam passati, So mam passati
Yo mam passati, So Dhammam passati.
-Samyutta Nikaya, Vakkali Sutta

One who SEES the Dhamma – the universal law of nature SEES me and one who SEES me SEES the Dhamma

The Buddha again said:

Apassmano Saddhammam, mam passapi na passati.

If one does not SEE the Sublime Dhamma then he is not SEEING me although he is seeing me (with his eyes).
The Buddha had said this to the monk Vakkali. Monk Vakkali was overwhelmed and mesmerized by the personality and external appearance of Lord Buddha and he had forgotten the Dhamma – the Teachings. Vakkali was not ‘going into’ the Teachings.

So, The Teachings are important. We may have respect and gratitude for the Teacher but the Teachings are more important than the Teacher and the Teachings are Teachings only when we go into them and see that our lives flower. This is the way to show proper respect to the Teacher. Needless to say, the Teachings are Teachings, they cannot be said to be the Teachings of K or that of Gotama the Buddha. These are Teachings of Truth and have been taught by all the Buddhas since time immemorial. Truth has no copyright !.

The Buddha has taught the theoretical teachings (pariyatti) so that we go into the teachings (patipatti-the experiential aspect of the teachings) and SEE the sacred with penetrating insight (pativedhan).

This study is an inquiry and the Buddha has said ”pakaren janeti ti panya” – which means that knowing something-seeing something-enquiring into something in different ways – from different angles is insight – is wisdom.

This study is merely a collection-a compilation of the major themes of K’s teachings and the crux of what the Buddha said. No attempt has been made to find a word by word equivalency between K’s teachings and the Dhamma as taught by the Buddha. The teachings of J. Krishnamurti and Lord Buddha have been placed together to go into the teachings and inquire. This volume should simply be called ” THE TEACHINGS ”.