The Buddha is against idolization of any person or god. He didn’t instruct monks nor lay followers to take him as the model for Buddhist life. However, due to obvious reason, Buddhists tend to take him as the model out of respect, adoration, admiration, appreciation and faith. The Buddha teaches us to dwell as a lamp unto ourselves, refuge unto ourselves, seeking no other refuge; with Dhamma as our lamp, Dhamma as our refuge, seeking no other refuge.
‘Those who teach a doctrine other than this are lacking in purity, imperfect.’ That’s what the many sectarians say, for they’re smitten with passion for their own views. ‘Only here is there purity, in no other doctrine is purity,’ that’s what they say. That’s how the many sectarians are entrenched, speaking firmly there concerning their own path. Speaking firmly concerning your own path, what opponent here would you take as a fool? You’d simply bring quarrels on yourself if you said your opponent’s a fool. Taking a stance on your decisions, and yourself as your measure (执于我), you dispute further down into the world. But one who’s abandoned all decisions (is nonpartisan and has no attachment to either views) quarrels no more. — Sutta Nipata KN 4.12
The Buddha doesn’t encourage blind faith. Faith in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha is merely the first step. The Buddha encourages us to investigate the teacher to ascertain that he has no greed, hatred and delusion before accepting any of his doctrines. After that, we are told to investigate the Dhamma, even if it is the words of the Buddha or claimed to be Buddha’s words, and believe the words only after consideration of reasons, reflection on and approval of an opinion of the teaching. It must be followed by energy to further investigate the Dharma in more details and undergo the training, recollection and reflection on the Dharma, attain equanimity (Samadhi), and wisdom (Panna). Monks and lay followers are not allowed to pretend that they are awakened to the Truth, much less claiming attainment of the Truth. Monks must not pretend they know which karma leads to what fruition; or who was the person in one’s past life; as if they can see the karmic process themselves with their own eyes. Monks must also not pretend that they know the destination of one’s rebirth, unless the monks really have attained the psychic power and are not bluffing.
“Māgaṇḍiya, it is like a man blind from birth who could not see dark or bright shapes, nor green, yellow, red or crimson shapes, who could not see what is even or uneven, who could not see the stars, who could not see the moons and suns. If he should hear a man with vision saying: ‘Indeed it is pleasing to have a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth,’ he would walk about searching for a white cloth. But some man might deceive him with a greasy grimy coarse robe, saying: “My good man, this is a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth,’ and he might take it; having taken it, he might put it on; having put it on, he might, in his pride, utter a cry of pride: ‘Indeed it is pleasing to have a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth.’ What do you think about this, Māgaṇḍiya? If that man, blind from birth, had known and seen, would he have taken that greasy grimy coarse robe; having taken it, would he have put it on; having put it on, would he, in his pride, have uttered the cry of pride: ‘Indeed it is pleasing to have a lovely, unstained, pure white cloth’?”
“Or was it from faith in the man with vision?”
“The blind man might take a greasy grimy coarse robe; It was from faith in the man with vision.”
“Even so, Māgaṇḍiya, wanderers belonging to other sects are blind, they are without vision; not knowing health, not seeing Nibbāna, they yet speak this verse: ‘Health is the highest gain, Nibbāna the highest bliss.’ But, Māgaṇḍiya, this verse was uttered in days gone by by perfected ones, fully Self-awakened Ones.” — Majjhima Nikāya 75.
“These five things, Bhāradvāja, have a twofold maturing here-now. What five? Faith, inclination, report, consideration of reasons, reflection on and approval of an opinion. These, Bhāradvāja, are five things having a twofold maturing here-now. Moreover, Bhāradvāja, even although something may be thoroughly believed in, it may be empty, void, false; on the other hand, something not thoroughly believed in may be fact, truth, not otherwise.”
“Moreover, Bhāradvāja, even though something may be thoroughly inclined towards … well reported … well considered … well reflected upon, it may be empty, void, false; on the other hand, even although something is not well reflected upon, it may be fact, truth, not otherwise.”
“Preserving a truth, Bhāradvāja, is not enough for an intelligent man inevitably to come to the conclusion: ‘This alone the truth, all else is falsehood.'”
“Bhāradvāja, if a man has faith and says: ‘Such is my faith,’ speaking thus he preserves a truth, but not yet does he inevitably come to the conclusion: ‘This alone is the truth, all else is falsehood.’”
“And if, Bhāradvāja, a man has an inclination … a report … a consideration of reasons … a reflection on and approval of an opinion and says: ‘Such is my reflection on and approval of the opinion,’ speaking thus he preserves a truth, but not yet does he inevitably come to the conclusion: ‘This alone is the truth, all else is falsehood.’”
“Bhāradvāja, suppose a monk is living depending on a village or market town; a householder or a householder’s son, having approached him, examines him concerning three states: states of greed, states of aversion and states of confusion. While examining him, he knows thus:
‘This venerable one does not have such states of greed that, his mind obsessed by such states of greed, while not knowing he would say, “I know,” or while not seeing he would say, “I see,” nor would he incite another to such a course as would be for a long time for his woe and ill.’
As is that venerable one’s conduct of body, as is his conduct of speech, so is it not that of a greedy person.
And when this venerable one teaches Dharma, that Dharma is deep, difficult to see, difficult to understand, peaceful, excellent, beyond dialectic, subtle, intelligible to the wise; it is not a Dharma that could be well taught by a greedy person.
After examining him and beholding that he is purified of states of greed, then he examines him further on states of aversion, and states of confusion.
After examining him and beholding that he is purified of states of greed, states of aversion, and states of confusion, then he reposes faith in him; with faith born, he draws close; drawing close, he sits down near by; sitting down near by, he lends ear; lending ear, he hears Dharma; having heard Dharma, he remembers it; he tests the meaning of the things he remembers; while testing the meaning, the things are approved of; if there is approval of the things, desire is born; with desire born, he makes an effort; having made an effort, he weighs it up; having weighed it up, he strives; being self-resolute, he realizes with his person the highest truth itself; and penetrating it by means of intuitive wisdom, he sees.
It is to this extent, Bhāradvāja, that there is an awakening to truth; it is to this extent that one awakens to truth; it is to this extent that we lay down an awakening to truth.” — Majjhima Nikāya 95.
The Buddha didn’t instruct us to take him as the model for Buddhist life. He didn’t tell everybody to become a monk like him. The Buddha have more lay disciples or followers than monks. Lay followers are encouraged to live happily with their family lives by following the teaching of the Buddha. However, monks are of course encouraged to follow the Buddha’s way of life, giving the highest respect to the training and meditation (to attain Samadhi). The training involves destruction of the Five Hindrances: 1) Sensual desire, 2) ill will and anger, 3) restlessness and remorse, 4) Sloth and torpor, 5) Doubt. Monks must put forth energy diligently and ardently in their training; instead of giving excuses such as vowing to postpone their awakening in order to help others. The disciples of the Buddha helped countless others without neglecting their training. They practiced Dana, Sila and Bhavana all at the same time. Monks must not have doubt in the way of the Buddha.
RESILIENT KID 