Who Taught Buddha?

AllbuddhaBound

Knowing that Buddha taught others to question even his wisdom, who taught Buddha? Most of us have mentor's throughout our lives, and we are constantly encouraged to seek out teachers by adherents to the Buddhist traditions. Did Buddha have teachers in his life that helped him? I googled this and you get back Buddha's teachings but not who taught him.

federica

If you look at Siddharta Gauthama, however, you may find that his travels and searches during his 6-year quest, he found may people whose wisdom he shared, and whose words he listened to.
he even studied with fellow seekers, and they became his first monks....
The Buddha never had one specific detailed and named teacher... but his quest led him to draw his own conclusions (remember he almost starved himself to death, before realising - for himself - that it was not a good idea) ad he sought enlightenment under the Bodhi tree... and after a while, found it.

sukhita

Further to what Federicia says, I think that in some ways he can be regarded as a monk who was self taught in the "Middle Way".... the "Self Awakened One".

fivebells

As if an external condition could ever result in awakening.

Stream

I think he was taught by Brahmins when he was a child.

DhammaDhatu

In essense, nobody taught the Buddha. That is why he is called the Samma Sambuddha, meaning, Perfectly Self-Enlightened (without a teacher).

I have heard that on one occasion, when the Blessed One was newly Self-Awakened, he was staying at Uruvela on the bank of the Nerañjara River, at the foot of the Goatherd's Banyan Tree. Then, while he was alone and in seclusion, this line of thinking arose in his awareness: "One suffers if dwelling without reverence or deference. Now on what priest or contemplative can I dwell in dependence, honoring and respecting him?"

However, in this world with its devas, Maras & Brahmas, in this generation with its priests and contemplatives, its royalty and common-folk, I do not see another priest or contemplative more consummate in knowledge and vision of release than I, on whom I could dwell in dependence, honoring and respecting him.

"What if I were to dwell in dependence on this very Dhamma to which I have fully awakened, honoring and respecting it?"

Past Buddhas,
future Buddhas,
& he who is the Buddha now,
removing the sorrow of many —

all have dwelt,
will dwell, he dwells,
revering the true Dhamma.
This, for Buddhas, is a natural law.

Therefore one who desires his own good,
aspiring for greatness,
should respect the true Dhamma,
recollecting the Buddhas' Teaching.

Garava Sutta: Reverence

DhammaDhatu

Stream wrote: »

I think he was taught by Brahmins when he was a child.

As a child, the Buddha (The Prince) entered the first meditative absorption spontaneously.

When he left the palace, he visited two teachers, who merely taught him subtle concentrations, which were unrelated to his enlightenment.

The Buddha's enlightenment was unrelated to concentration. His enlightenment was about penetrating the true nature of reality and suffering.

Having thus gone forth in search of what might be skillful, seeking the unexcelled state of sublime peace, I went to Alara Kalama and, on arrival, said to him: 'Friend Kalama, I want to practice in this doctrine & discipline.'

So it was not long before I quickly entered & dwelled in that Dhamma, having realized it for myself through direct knowledge. "In this way did Alara Kalama, my teacher, place me, his pupil, on the same level with himself and pay me great honor. But the thought occurred to me, 'This Dhamma leads not to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to stilling, to direct knowledge, to Awakening, nor to Nibbana, but only to reappearance in the dimension of nothingness.' So, dissatisfied with that Dhamma, I left.

In search of what might be skillful, seeking the unexcelled state of sublime peace, I went to Uddaka Ramaputta and, on arrival, said to him: 'Friend Uddaka, I want to practice in this doctrine & discipline.'

So it was not long before I quickly entered & dwelled in that Dhamma, having realized it for myself through direct knowledge. But the thought occurred to me, 'This Dhamma leads not to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to stilling, to direct knowledge, to Awakening, nor to Unbinding, but only to reappearance in the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception.' So, dissatisfied with that Dhamma, I left.

Ariyapariyesana Sutta: The Noble Search

But with this racking practice of austerities I haven't attained any superior human state, any distinction in knowledge or vision worthy of the noble ones. Could there be another path to Awakening?'

"I thought: 'I recall once, when my father the Sakyan was working, and I was sitting in the cool shade of a rose-apple tree, then — quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful mental qualities — I entered & remained in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born from seclusion, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. Could that be the path to Awakening?' Then following on that memory came the realization: 'That is the path to Awakening.'

Maha-Saccaka Sutta: The Longer Discourse to Saccaka

DhammaDhatu

fivebells wrote: »

As if an external condition could ever result in awakening.

Whilst true, this is not the meaning of a "teacher" in Buddhism.

The Buddha has taught the Dhamma, namely, the path, fruit & deathless Nibbana.

Whilst realisation can only occur via direct personal insight, without a teacher expounding the Dhamma, there are many dangers and delusions, such as believing we have attained jhana when we have not or believing we are enlightened when we are not.

All of the Buddha's arahant disciples regarded the Buddha as their teacher.

jinzang

Buddha's first teachers after renouncing his kingdom were Arada Kalama and Udraka Ramaputra. They taught him how to achieve samadhi, up to the level of "neither perception nor non-perception." However, he was not satisfied with this and eventually achieved enlightenment through his own efforts. Buddha's meditation practice differs from those of his teachers in that it combined insight (vipashyana) with calming (shamatha), where his teachers had only taught calming.

Palzang

Actually, to clear up an old misunderstanding, Jesus taught Buddha.

Palzang

Jeffrey

Yoda

sukhita

Yoda quote: “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

PietroPumokin

yoda needs to study his dhammapada or something fear leads to urination not anger

sukhita

Pietro Pumokin wrote: »

..... fear leads to urination not anger

Brigid

LOL!!

shenpennangwa

fivebells wrote: »

As if an external condition could ever result in awakening.

hi Five,
Rather than speaking of an external condition causing awakening the idea of a teacher and or transmission of the teachings is often spoken of as a secondary cause. The metaphor of the mirror is relevant, the mirror is always there but in order to reflect an image the image must be placed before it.

blueface

here's an ever so wise response from wise me- suffering was the Buddha's teacher:om:

AllbuddhaBound

blueface wrote: »

here's an ever so wise response from wise me- suffering was the Buddha's teacher:om:

Ah but was it suffering or pain?

Palzang

Yes.

Palzang

distortedchild

I just read Buddha by Deepak Chopra. In it he says that buddha had many teachers. Asita and others, but in the end he realised enlightenment by himself.
Buddha isn't a documetery as much as it is a dramatization, but it was stilll a good.