The Purpose of Religion and the Purpose of Dhamma : Buddha and his Dhamma

The Purpose of Religion and the Purpose of Dhamma

• What is the purpose of Religion ? What is the purpose of Dhamma ? Are they one and the same ? Or are they different ? 
• The answer to these questions are to be found in two dialogues—one between the Buddha and Sunakkhatta and the other between the Buddha and the Brahmin Potthapada. 
• The Exalted One was once staying among the Mallas at Anupiya, one of their towns. 
• Now the Exalted One having robed himself in the early morning, put on his cloak and took his bowl and entered the town for alms. 
• On the way he thought it was too early to go for alms. Therefore he went to the pleasance where Bhaggava the wanderer dwelt and called on him. 
• On seeing the Blessed One Bhaggava got up, saluted him and said, "May it please you, sire, to be seated ; here is a seat made ready for you."
• The Exalted One sat down thereon, and Bhaggava taking a certain lowstool sat down beside him. So seated, Bhaggava, the wanderer, spake thus to the Exalted One : 
• " Some days ago, Lord, a good many days ago, Sunakkhatta of the Licchavis called on me and spake thus: 'I have now given up the Exalted One, Bhaggava. I am remaining no longer under him (as my teacher).' Is the fact really so, just as he said ? " 
• "It is just so Bhaggava, as Sunakkhatta of the Licchavis said," replied the Riessed One.
• " Some days ago, Bhaggava, a good many days ago, Sunakkhatta, the Licchavi, came to call on me, and spake thus : ' Sir, I now give up the Exalted One. I will henceforth remain no longer under him (as my teacher).' When he told me this, I said to him : ' But now, Sunakkhatta, have I ever said to you, Come, Sunakkhatta, live under me (as my pupil) ? ' 
• " ' No, sir, you have not.' 
• " Or have you ever said to me: ' Sir, I would fain dwell under the Exalted One (as my teacher) ?' 
• " 'No, sir, I have not.' 
• " Then I asked him 'If I said not the one, and you said not the other, what are you and what am I that you talk of giving up ? See, foolish one, in how far the fault here is your own.' 
• "'Well, but, sir, the Exalted One works me no mystic wonders surpassing the power of ordinary men' 
• " Why, now Sunakkhatta, have I ever said to you: ' Come, take me as your teacher, Sunakkhatta, and I will work for you mystic wonders surpassing the power of ordinary men ? ' 
• " 'You have not, sir.' 
• " Or have you ever said to me: ' Sir, I would fain take the Exalted One as my teacher, for he will work for me mystic wonders beyond the powers of ordinary men ? ' 
• "' I have not, sir.'
• " ' But if I said not the one, and you said not the other, what are you and what am I, foolish man, that you talk of giving up ? What think you, Sunakkhatta? Whether mystic wonders beyond the power of ordinary man are wrought, or whether they are not is the object for which I teach the Dhamma: that it leads to the thorough, destruction of ill for the doer thereof ? ' 
• '"Whether, sir, they are so wrought or not, that is indeed the object for which the Dhamma is taught by the Exalted One.' 
• " ' If then, Sunakkhatta, it matters not to that object whether mystic wonders are wrought or not, of what use to you would be the working of them? See, foolish one, in how far the fault here is your own.' 
• " 'But, sir, the Exalted One does not reveal to me the beginning of things.' 
• " Why now, Sunakkhatta, have I ever said to you: ' Come, Sunakkhatta, be my. disciple and I will reveal to you the beginning of things ? ' 
• " ' Sir, you have not ' 
• " Or have you ever said to me: ' I will become the Exalted One's pupil, for he will reveal to me the beginning of things ? ' 
• " ' Sir, I have not.' 
• " ' But if I have not said the one and you have not said the other, what are you and what am I, foolish man, that you talk of giving up on that account ? What think you, Sunakkhatta? Whether the beginning of things be revealed, or whether it be not, is the object for which I teach the Dhamma that it leads to the thorough destruction of ill for the doer thereof ? ' 
• " ' Whether, sir, they are revealed or not, that is indeed the object for which the Dhamma is taught by the Exalted One.'
• " ' If then, Sunakkhatta, it matters not to that object whether the beginning of things be revealed, or whether it be not, of what use to you would it be to have the beginning of things revealed ? ' "
• This illustrates that Religion is concerned with revealing the beginning of things and Dhamma is not. 

(2) 

• The other differences between Religion and Dhamma are brought out in the discussion between the Blessed One and Potthapada. 
• The Blessed One was once staying at Shravasti in Anathapindika's pleasance of the Jeta's wood. Now at that time Potthapada, the wandering mendicant was dwelling in the hall put up in Queen Mallika's park for a debate on general systems of philosophical opinion. 
• There was with him a great following of mendicants; to wit, three hundred. A dialogue took place between the Blessed Lord and Potthapada. Potthapada asked: 
• " Then, sir, if that be so, tell me at least: Is the world eternal ? Is this alone the truth, and any other view mere folly ? ' " 
• "That, Potthapada, is a matter on which I have expressed no opinion," replied the Blessed Lord. 
• Then, in the same terms, Potthapada asked each of the following questions: 

(i) ' Is the world not eternal ? '
(ii) ' Is the world finite ? '
(iii) ' Is the world infinite ?
(iv) ' Is the soul the same as the body ?'
(v) ' Is the soul one thing, and the body another ? '
(vi) ' Does one who has gained the truth live again after death ? '
(vii) ' Does he not live again after death ? '
(viii) ' Does he both live again and not live again, after death ? '
(ix) ' Does he neither live again, nor not live again, after death?'

• And to each questions the Exalted One made the same reply :— 
• " That too, Potthapada, is a matter on which I have expressed no opinion." 
• " But why has the Exalted One expressed no opinion on that ? " 
• " Because this question is not calculated to profit, it is not concerned with the Dhamma, it does not redound even to the elements of right conduct, nor to detachment, nor to purification from lusts, nor to quietude, nor to tranquillisation of heart, nor to real knowledge, nor to the insight (of the higher stages of the Path), nor to Nirvana. Therefore is it that I express no opinion upon it. " 
• " Then what is it that the Exalted One has determined ? ' ' 
• "I have expounded, Potthapada, what Dukkha is ; I have expounded what is the origin of Dukkha; I have expounded what is the cessation of Dukkha : I have expounded what is the method by which one may reach the cessation of Dukkha." 
• " And why has the Exalted One put forth a statement as to that ? " 
• " Because that question, Potthapada, is calculated to profit, is concerned with the Dhamma, redounds to the beginnings of right conduct, to detachment, to purification from lusts, .to quietude, to tranquillisation of heart, to real knowledge, to the insight of the higher stages of the Path and to Nirvana. There-fore is it, Potthapada, that I have put forward a statement as to that." 
• In this dialogue it is clearly put forth what is the subject matter of Religion and what is not the subject matter of Dhamma. The two are poles apart 
• The purpose of Religion is to explain the origin of the world. The purpose of Dhamma is to reconstruct the world.