Simply Truth

"Whatever Dhamma-Vinaya I have pointed out and formulated for you, that will be your Teacher when I am gone."

In the Maha Parinibbána Sutta (DN16);

Then the Blessed One said to Ven. Ananda,

"Now, if it occurs to any of you -- 'The teaching has lost its authority; we are without a Teacher' -- do not view it in that way. Whatever Dhamma-Vinaya I have pointed out and formulated for you, that will be your Teacher when I am gone."

This is a very important statement the significance of which has been overlooked by many Buddhists. Because many have not heard this advice or grasped its significance, they search far and wide for a teacher; a teacher they can be proud of and brag about his attainments, etc.. Some even travel halfway round the world or more in such a search. These people create personality cults based on the perceived or real goodness of the teacher rather than on the Dhamma-Vinaya itself.

A later teacher, no matter how wise, brilliant, charismatic or "attained"... is NOT the Buddha. In the 3 Refuges, we take the Buddha our Teacher as the First Refuge, His Teachings as in the Dhamma - Vinaya is the Second Refuge and the Third Refuge is in the Ariya or Noble Sangha who lives and preserves these Teachings.

Our teachers, however much we respect them, are our good spiritual friends who introduce us to the Dhamma, they are the link which helps us to understand the Dhamma BUT our real Teacher is still the Dhamma-Vinaya. In there, there is NO confusion or controversy. In there, there is NO tradition or school. In there is just the TRUTHS.