Once the Buddha, in his old age, was resting beneath a banyan tree. It was summer , and after the evening discourse, the Buddha was approached by a traveling disciple, who appeared to be very troubled. The disciple was Ayraputra. Ayraputra approached the Buddha and said:
"I salute The blessed one.
I bring news that saddens me.
I have traveled far, to spread the Dhamma.
I met many people in my journey.
I talked at lengths about the Tathagatha, his qualities.
I talked at lengths about the four noble truths.
I talked at lengths about the eight fold path.
I talked at lengths about the way of out of suffering, about he Dhamma.
But no one respects my message and the deliverance of the Dhamma.
I was humiliated by a king's court.
I was mocked at by a fisherman.
I was beaten by a woodcutter.
I was chased by disciples of another teacher.
I was laughed at by monks."
The Buddha was silent all the while ayraputra described his experience. The Tathagatha then replied....
"Well Ayraputra, what did you expect?"
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It a nice exercise to ask this question every time we find ourselves threading upon Life's banana skins. Some times we work toward a goal and expect things to go as planned. But life being a child with a mind of its own, things often never seem to work out. Instead of watering resistance to the way things are, its nice to ask "well, What did I expect?" and it always brings a smile to my face.
You may be very enthusiastically explaining our beliefs and philosophy to a loved one, and they would call it rubbish and you mad.
You may have invested heavily in a stock , and it tumbles down
You wanted to have a pleasant day, but the very start seems shaky
"Well, what did you expect?"
The Buddha himself couldn't convince the very fist person he met after his enlightenment that he indeed was the Tathagatha.
The Buddha himself couldn't convince the very fist person he met after his enlightenment that he indeed was the Tathagatha.
At Mount Gaya he met a monk named Upaka. At the sight of the Blessed One, Upaka uttered a cry of admiration. My Lord, may I ask who your master was?"
"I had no master," answered the Blessed One. "There is no one like me. I alone am wise, calm, incorruptible."
"What a great master you must be!" said Upaka. "Yes, I am the only master in this world; my equal can not be found on earth or in the sky." "Where are you going?" asked Upaka.
"I am going to Benares," said the Blessed One, "and there I shall light the lamp that will bring light into the world, a light that will dazzle even the eyes of the blind. I am going to Benares, and there I shall beat the drums that will awaken mankind, the drums that will sound even in the ears of the deaf. I am going to Benares, and there I shall teach the law."
Upaka left in disbelief , so Lord Buddha continued on his way.
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"I had no master," answered the Blessed One. "There is no one like me. I alone am wise, calm, incorruptible."
"What a great master you must be!" said Upaka. "Yes, I am the only master in this world; my equal can not be found on earth or in the sky." "Where are you going?" asked Upaka.
"I am going to Benares," said the Blessed One, "and there I shall light the lamp that will bring light into the world, a light that will dazzle even the eyes of the blind. I am going to Benares, and there I shall beat the drums that will awaken mankind, the drums that will sound even in the ears of the deaf. I am going to Benares, and there I shall teach the law."
Upaka left in disbelief , so Lord Buddha continued on his way.
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- Story of Ayraputra and the Buddha , was inspired by a lesson on Expectations and the Suffering caused by them as taught by Padmavajra in a talk, which i downloaded from freebuddhistaudio.com [i cant recall the title of the talk]
- Photo and Text of Upaka and Buddha: http://buddhaimages.webs.com/3144postures.htm
- An Introduction to Buddhism Through Jodo Shinshu : Seeking the Path http://www.dharmanet.org/coursesM/Shin/JodoShinshu3b.htm
- "Ariyapariyesana Sutta: The Noble Search" (MN 26), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight, May 6, 2010,
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.026.than.html.
