[Buddha-l] Was Buddha a Buddhist

[Erik Hoogcarspel]

Mike Austin schreef:

> In message <000201c67e0c$f7b74bd0$0200020a at BORABORA>, "Leigh Goldstein 
> (d)" <leigh at deneb.org> writes
>
>>
>> If a Buddhist is someone who takes refuge in the Three Jewels, it 
>> seems like
>> Buddha could not be a Buddhist. If a Buddhist is a sentient being who
>> follows the Buddhist path, then Buddha could not be a Buddhist. Does 
>> that
>> mean that someone ceases to be a Buddhist when they become a Buddha?
>
>
> Does someone who has walked a path remain a walker  after he arrives 
> at the destination? He would be the one who has walked, or the one who 
> has 'thus gone' - the Tathagata.  Then refuge is sometimes referred to 
> as a 'safe direction'. This would have no application for a Buddha - 
> just as facing north would have no application to someone at the north 
> pole.

Not having to follow a safe direction oneself doesn't mean that one has 
no idea of a safe direction for geings in general. The Buddha taught the 
dharma and was himself the living proof. He told that the dharma is the 
right direction and that he followed it. He didn't change his carreer 
and become a carsalesman or a politician. So, yes of course he was a 
Buddhist, like Mahaaviira was a Jain. Jezus is another story, because 
christianity was the invention of St. Paul.

>
>> On the other hand, if someone is a Buddhist who understands and 
>> practices
>> the Buddhist doctrines and methods, then Buddha would be the only 
>> complete
>> or fully Buddhist.
>
>
> A Buddha has reached parinirvana, but he is not a Buddha because he 
> has arrived there but because he remains there.  By this, I mean that 
> it is not a 'static' state, but there is no return to samsara.

There are sutra's where previous Buddha's are mentioned and the Buddha 
himself followed teachings which were part of a tradition too. The word 
'buddha' had some meaning, so I 'm not sure if it's not possible to see 
him as a member of an existing tradition of buddha's.

-- 


Erik


www.xs4all.nl/~jehms
weblog http://www.volkskrantblog.nl/pub/blogs/blog.php?uid=2950