Paper reveals lord buddhas approach to discovery of truth.ie our reason for learning

1. Lord Buddha on scientific research and learning
the truth
By
Jayadeva de Silva.M.Sc,FIPM,FITD
This article is aimed at researchers, teachers and trainers
Lord Buddha has illustrated how one learns the truth in Canki Sutta of Majjima Nikaya.We
believe that Buddha‟s answers to the person who posed a challenging question to him. Lord
Buddha reveals here the right approach to discovery of truth what all researchers and learners
are interested in.
Kāpaṭ ika Bharadvaja a young brahamin present at an assembly where Lord Gotama Buddha
was present decided with determination, “When Master Gotama turns toward me, I will
challenge him with a question.”
Lord Buddha knowing what Kāpaṭ ika was thinking, did turn toward him, and Kāpaṭ ika issued
this challenge: “Master Gotama, with regard to the ancient brahmanic hymns that have come
down to us, preserved in our oral tradition, organized in the various collections, we brahmins
have come to the definite conclusion: „Only this is true; all other doctrines are false.‟ What does
Master Gotama say to that?”
“Now then, Bhāradvāja, is there even one brahmin who says, „I know this; I‟ve seen this for
myself: “Only this is true; all other doctrines are false.”„?”
“Well, no.”
“Now then, is there even a single teacher, or a teacher‟s teacher, back to the seventh generation
of teachers, who says „I know this; I‟ve seen this for myself: “Only this is true; all other
doctrines are false.”„?”
“No, Master Gotama.”
“Then, Bhāradvāja, go further back, to the ancient brahmin seers, the composers and compilers
of the hymns, the hymns that were chanted and repeated then and that the brahmins are still
chanting and repeating today. Go back to Atthaka, Vamaka, Vamadeva, Vessamitta, Yamataggi,
Angirasa, Bharadvaja, Vasettha, Kassapa & Bhagu: was there even one of those who said, „I
know this; I‟ve seen this for myself: “Only this is true; all other doctrines are false.”„?”
“No, Master Gotama.”

2. “So, Bhāradvāja, it seems that none of them—not the most senior brahmins today, not their
teachers or their teachers‟ teachers, not even the most ancient creators of the hymns, who was
able to say, „I know this; I‟ve seen this for myself: “Only this is true; all other doctrines are
false.”„?
“Bhāradvāja, suppose there were a file of blind men, each holding the shoulders of the next; the
first one does not see, the middle one does not see; the last one does not see. So too, Bhāradvāja,
it seems, in regard to the statement, „Only this is true; all other doctrines are false,‟ that the
brahmins are like that file of blind men. The first one does not see; the middle ones do not see;
the one at the end does not see. What do you think, Bhāradvāja? Does not the faith of the
brahmins seem to be without foundation?”
“But the brahmins do no believe this just out of faith, Master Gotama; they also honour it as their
oral tradition.”
“Bhāradvāja, first you took your stand on faith, yet now you speak of oral tradition. Let me tell
you, Bhāradvāja, there are five things that may turn out in two different ways in the here and
now.
The five are faith, approval, oral tradition, a priori reasoning, and rationalization. A doctrine
held as an item of faith may turn out to be empty, hollow and false.
Another doctrine, not held as an item of faith, may yet turn out to be factual, true, and without
mistakes. So, too, with doctrines accepted because of someone or other‟s approval, a doctrine
received through oral tradition, a doctrine worked out through pure reason, and a doctrine arrived
at through rationalization. Any such doctrine may turn out to be empty, hollow and false.
Contrariwise, doctrines opposed to those and held for entirely different reasons may still turn out
to be factual, true, and without mistake. Given all that, it‟s not proper for a wise man who wishes
to preserve truth to state, as a definite conclusion, „Only this is true; all other doctrines are
false.‟”
“But Master Gotama, how then is it possible to preserve truth?”
“If a person has faith, Bhāradvāja, he preserves truth when he states, „My faith is thus….‟ But he
does not yet state, as a definite conclusion, „Only this is true; anything else is false.‟ That‟s how
a person of faith can preserve truth. But it not yet a way to the discovery of truth.
“Similarly, a person who holds a view because of the approval of others, because of oral
tradition, because of logical reasoning or rationalization, if he states, „I rationalize things in this
way…‟, then he preserves truth, and he does not go so far as to state, „Only this is true; all else is
false.‟ So he can preserve truth. But there is not yet a way to discovery of truth.”
“I see the sense in what Master Gotama says about the preservation of truth. But what is
the way, Master Gotama, to discovery of truth. How does one discover truth?”

3. “Well, Bhāradvāja, let us suppose that there is a teacher somewhere living with the support of his
village or town. And someone seeking the truth—a householder or householder‟s son—goes to
that teacher and investigates him in regard to three states: the state of greed, the state of ill will,
and the state of delusion. First, he investigates the teacher in regard to greed: is there in this
teacher any trace of greed so that, with his mind clouded by greed, he might, not seeing, still say
„I see‟; not knowing, he might still say „I know‟? Or might he, misled by greed, urge others to act
in a way that would lead to their harm and suffering for a long time? Conducting his
investigation, he comes to know, there is no greed in this wise teacher; his actions and his words
are not those of one affected by greed; the path that he teaches is profound, hard to discern and
difficult to grasp; peaceful and sublime; unattainable by mere reasoning; subtle; to be
experienced by those who have attained wisdom. That is not a path that would be easily traveled
by one affected by greed.
“He then proceeds to investigate the teacher with regard to the states of ill will and delusion. He
probes, is there any ill will in this teacher, or is he deluded in some way so that, not seeing, he
might still say, „I see‟; not knowing, he might still say „I know‟? Or, with mind clouded by ill
will or delusion, might he urge others to act in ways that are harmful to themselves or others?
And conducting that investigation, he concludes, there is no ill will here, no delusion; this
teacher‟s actions and words are not those of one driven by ill will or misled by delusion. The
path he proclaims is profound and difficult, peaceful and sublime, subtle, to be experienced by
the wise. It is not a path that would be easily traveled by one affected by ill will or delusion.
“When has satisfied himself that the teacher is free of greed, ill will and delusion, then he places
faith in him. with that faith to direct him, he visits the teacher and pays respect to him. Having
paid his respect, he listens to the teacher. Having listened, he hears the truth that the teacher
proclaims. Having heard the teacher‟s dhamma, he memorizes it and examines the teachings he‟s
memorized. Examining them, he comes to accept the teachings; accepting them, zeal arises
within him. Zealously, he applies his will, scrutinizing the deeper implications of the dhamma.
Scrutinizing them deeply, he strives to realize them. Resolutely striving, he experiences for
himself the full force of the dhamma and sees it in depth and detail, with penetrating wisdom.
Bhāradvāja, this is the way to the discovery of truth; in this way, one discovers truth. But there is
as yet no final arrival at truth.”
“I understand Master Gotama’s words regarding the discovery of truth and accept what he
says. But in what way, Master Gotama, is there the final arrival at truth? How does one
finally arrive at truth?”
“The final arrival at truth, Bhāradvāja, comes from the repetition, development and determined
cultivation of those same steps. That‟s how one finally arrives at truth.”
“But which of those many steps, Master Gotama, is the most important step for final
arrival at truth?”
“Striving is the most important step for the final arrival at truth, Bhāradvāja. If one doesn‟t
strive, one will never get there. Striving, one may hope to arrive, finally, at the truth.”

4. “What is most important in the cultivation of striving.”
“Scrutinizing, Bhāradvāja, is most important for the cultivation of striving. If one does not
scrutinize a teaching, one will not strive; striving follows scrutinizing.”
“But Master Gotama, what is most important for scrutinizing.”
“Application of will is most important motivation for analyzing a dhamma closely, Bhāradvāja.
Without the application of will, one will not scrutinize a teaching.”
“And what is most important for the application of will”
“Zeal drives the application of will, Bhāradvāja. If one does not arouse zeal, he will not apply his
will.
“And what is most important to stimulate zeal?”
“Acceptance of a teaching on reflection is what arouses zeal. Without accepting a teaching, one
will not apply oneself zealously to it.”
“And what is most important to acceptance?”
“Examination of the meaning is what leads to acceptance, Bhāradvāja. Until one examines the
meaning, one will not accept the teaching.”
“And what is most important for examining meaning?”
“Memorizing the teaching is most important for examining its meaning. If one has not
committed the teaching to memory, one cannot examine its meaning.”
“And what is most important for memorization of the teaching?”
“Hearing it. If one does not hear the teaching, one cannot memorize it.”
“And what is most important for hearing the teaching?”
“Listening, Bhāradvāja. If one does not listen, one will not hear.”
“And what is most important for listening?”
“Paying respect to the teacher is most important for listening. If one does not pay proper respect,
one will fail to listen.”
“And what is most important for paying respect to a teacher?”

5. “Visiting the teacher. If one does not visit the teacher, one will not accord him the proper
respect.”
“And what is most important for visiting?”
“Faith, Bhāradvāja. If one does not have faith in a teacher, one will not make the effort to
visit him.”
Bharadvaja later said that“We have asked Master Gotama about the preservation of truth, and he
gave an answer that makes sense to us. We asked him about the discovery of truth, and again he
gave an answer we could accept.
We asked him how one finally arrives at truth, and he told us, and when we questioned him in
detail about the path he laid out, he satisfied us at every step. Whatever we asked, he has
answered, and we accept his answers.