仏教的知識の功罪
Benefits and Drawbacks of Buddhist Knowledge
2026-07-08
A certain practitioner may seek to acquire and memorize a great deal of Buddhist knowledge, intending to make use of it in the practice of the Buddhist path.
Such an endeavor is in itself a noble one. However, it is not through knowledge alone that one attains enlightenment (= liberation).
This is because what is essential for a practitioner of the Buddhist path is not merely to possess an abundance of knowledge, but to possess genuine learning and understanding. More importantly still, one must cultivate faith in Buddhism and diligently accumulate merit.
Of course, a practitioner who possesses extensive Buddhist knowledge without becoming attached to it can use that knowledge to deepen his or her own faith, or to help other people (sentient beings) draw closer to Nirvana. In doing so, such a person will accumulate immeasurably great merit.
On the other hand, even if one possesses some degree of Buddhist knowledge, if that knowledge does not help cultivate faith in Buddhism but instead gives rise to doubt, then that very knowledge becomes a grave folly that undermines the roots of one's own merit.
Incidentally, to be learned and understanding means to possess the ability to make proper use of knowledge in the way it ought to be used. It is precisely because a practitioner of the Buddhist path possesses such learning that every practice undertaken through his or her own initiative becomes beneficial as Buddhist practice. By engaging in the correct wandering practice, such a practitioner gradually draws ever closer to the deathless Nirvana.
Concerning this point, the following teachings can be found in the early Buddhist scriptures taught by Shakyamuni Buddha:
371 A wise person, possessed of faith and learning, who sees the assured path leading to the ultimate state, who does not blindly follow companions even while living among them, and who restrains greed, aversion, and anger — such a one will rightly wander through the world. (The Words of the Buddha: Sutta Nipāta, Chapter 2: The Lesser Chapter, 13: Right Wandering, translated by Hajime Nakamura, Iwanami-Bunko)
23 It is a joy to meet those who uphold virtue. It is a joy to meet those who are erudite (wise are learned). It is always a joy to meet the truly awakened ones who are liberated and will not be born again into delusion. (Words of Inspiration, Udānavarga, Chapter 30: Joy, translated by Hajime Nakamura, Iwanami-Bunko)
311 Just as reed grass, when grasped wrongly, cuts the palm of the hand, so too the practice of a renunciant, when carried out incorrectly, drags one down into hell. (The Words of Truth: Dhammapada, Chapter 22: Hell, translated by Hajime Nakamura, Iwanami-Bunko)
In other words, the benefits and drawbacks of Buddhist knowledge do not lie in the knowledge itself, but solely in the manner in which each individual relates to and makes use of that knowledge.
For this reason, above all else, a practitioner of the Buddhist path is required to possess the proper attitude of mind.
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