No One Is Perfect, Nor Can They Be
In a conversation with an aged Brahmin, the Buddha once explained concisely what a Buddha, an enlightened one, means: What has to be known, that I have known (the five aggregates); What has to be abandoned, that I have abandoned; (the defilements) What has to be developed, that I have developed (concentrations & wisdom); Therefore, O Brahmin, I am a Buddha. These are not only three characteristics of a Buddha; they are also the three objectives we aim at in following the Buddha’s teaching. We follow the Dharma to fully know what should be known; to abandon what should be abandoned; and to develop what should be developed. These are the goals of the Buddhist path and the three accomplishments that mark the attainment of enlightenment. For most of us we can change the Buddha’s statement slightly and we will be adequately described. What has to be known, that I have learning; What has to be abandoned, that I am abandoning; What has to be developed, that I am ...