56. Seated Buddha, date unknown,

Shwesayan Pagoda, Thaton, Burma.

 

 

The Buddha wonders, “Whom should I revere as my teacher?”:

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, honouring and respecting him?”

Then the thought occurred to him: “It would be for the sake of perfecting an unperfected aggregate of virtue that I would dwell in dependence on another priest or contemplative, honouring and respecting him. However, in this world with its devas, Mara, and Brahma, in this generation with its priests and contemplatives, its royalty and common-folk, I do not see another priest or contemplative more consummate in virtue than I, on whom I could dwell in dependence, honouring and respecting him.

“It would be for the sake of perfecting an unperfected aggregate of concentration…

“It would be for the sake of perfecting an unperfected aggregate of discernment…

“It would be for the sake of perfecting an unperfected aggregate of release…

“It would be for the sake of perfecting an unperfected aggregate of knowledge and vision of release that I would dwell in dependence on another priest or contemplative, honouring and respecting him. However, in this world with its devas, Mara, and Brahma, 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, honouring and respecting him.

“What if I were to dwell in dependence on this very Dharma to which I have fully awakened, honouring and respecting it?”

Then, having known with his own awareness the line of thinking in the Blessed One’s awareness – just as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm – Brahma Sahampati disappeared from the Brahma-world and reappeared in front of the Blessed One. Arranging his upper robe over one shoulder, he saluted the Blessed One with his hands before his heart and said to him: “So it is, Blessed One! So it is, One-Well-Gone! Those who were arahants, Rightly Self-awakened Ones in the past – they, too, dwelled in dependence on the very Dharma itself, honouring and respecting it. Those who will be arahants, Rightly Self-awakened Ones in the future – they, too, will dwell in dependence on the very Dharma itself, honouring and respecting it. And let the Blessed One, who is at present the arahant, the Rightly Self-awakened One, dwell in dependence on the very Dharma itself, honouring and respecting it.”

[SN VI.2]