Blog: Satisfaction in Buddhist practice

仏道修行中の満足

Satisfaction in Buddhist practice

2024-08-22 18:00:00

Buddhist practice is undertaken to reach the ultimate satisfaction that transcends worldly contentment, namely Nirvana.

However, some practitioners may experience a certain level of satisfaction at an intermediate stage of their practice.

An example that symbolizes this is found in a scripture related to Ānanda, a disciple of the Buddha, known as the "Halfway Sūtra."

“Thus have I heard. At one time, the Blessed One was residing in the village of Sākara of the Śākya clan. At that time, Ānanda approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, and said, ‘Venerable Sir, I think that having good friends and good companions is equivalent to having already fulfilled half of the holy life. What do you think?’ In response, the Blessed One replied. ‘Ānanda, it is not so. Do not think in such a way. Ānanda, having good friends and good companions is not merely half of the holy life; it is the entirety of it. Ānanda, in a bhikkhu who has good friends and dwells among good companions, it is to be expected that he will study and fulfill the Noble Eightfold Path. Ānanda, is it not clear from this? Ānanda, through having me as a good friend, people, though destined to grow old, are liberated from aging; though destined to suffer illness, are liberated from sickness; though destined to die, are liberated from death. Therefore, Ānanda, you should understand that having good friends and being among good companions is the entirety of the holy life.’” (From "The Fundamental Scriptures of Buddhism According to the Āgamas" by Fumio Masutani, Southern Transmission, Saṃyutta Nikāya, 45.2)

Incidentally, the key point of this sutra lies in teaching what a good spiritual friend truly is for a practitioner. 

In other words, if a practitioner has already encountered a good spiritual friend and heard the words of the Dharma, it can be said that they can attain enlightenment immediately by recalling those teachings.

Since Ananda is aware that he has "good friends and is among good companions," it follows that his practice is not merely halfway, but that he has already reached the state just before enlightenment (= liberation).

It is assumed that the Buddha's response clearly expressed this meaning.

Now, in the present day, the Sangha (community of monks) does not exist as it once did, and it is rare for a Buddhist practitioner to have the awareness that they are "among good friends and companions." However, even so, it is still possible for a good spiritual friend (manifestation) to suddenly appear before a practitioner, and how the practitioner responds to this is of great importance.

To state the conclusion first, upon hearing the words of the Dharma spoken by a good spiritual friend (manifestation), the practitioner must feel completely satisfied with it.

This is because only then will they generate wisdom and finally attain enlightenment (= liberation).

In fact, upon hearing (or rather, recalling) the words of the Dharma, I resolved as follows:

 "I thought to myself that just being able to hear these wondrous words is enough to give my life in this world more than enough value and meaning. From now on, I will live the rest of my life with these words as my sole guiding principle."

In that moment, I attained enlightenment.

From this experience, I can say that 'Buddhist practitioners should not be content with a certain level of satisfaction during their practice but should sincerely seek ultimate satisfaction and remain vigilant.'

Those who have accumulated enough merit will naturally generate the conditions and swiftly attain Buddhahood.

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『仏道修行中の満足』