Buddha VS Devadatta: who is right?

This recap is part 3 of Going for refuge to The Three Jewels.

By Goh Siqi   •   8 minute read

For those who have been following the Ventalk series, you are probably aware that Venerable Bensi and Joshua had left us ‘stranded’ with a cliffhanger in Part 2 of Going for refuge to the three jewels. Thankfully, we are fed with an intriguing story to answer those who wonder why Buddha, who had cleared all negative karma and perfected all quintessential qualities, continued to languish in Devadatta's ruthless treatments.

In essence, the answer lies in the Great Compassionate Lotus Sutra (大悲莲华经).

It goes back to many eons ago when Shakyamuni Buddha was still a bodhisattva practising the bodhisattva deeds. The story is as follow:

After reading the story, we are now cognisant that the ill-treatment towards Shakyamuni Buddha is not due to the fruition of his negative karma but rather, the vows made by Devadatta in his past life. 

However, today’s Ventalk article shall not stop here. Allow me to share some additional takeaways. 

The Buddhas’ kindness towards us are immense

Before I start, I want to touch on the topic of Karma. In global lamrim text, there is this sentence: “Not experiencing the effects of actions that you did not do. If you have not accumulated the karma that is the cause for an experience of happiness or suffering, you will in no way experience the happiness or suffering that is its effect.”

For all circumstances, there is a cause and effect. In other words, to be able to learn the Dharma (effect), there must be a cause. And who might have created the cause for us? Certainly, it is the Buddha. In an effort to build karmic connections, Shakyamuni Buddha willingly donated his body parts to sentient beings, even to the extent of being reborn in the miserable realms. From the moment of interaction, a karmic connection is formed, hence a cause for learning the Dharma is created. Take for example a stranger. Once a stranger starts interacting with you, it paves the way for future conversations and affinities to take place. Likewise, the Buddha had planted a connection between him and us, such that we will have the opportunity to learn the Dharma.

After listening to the story above, I pondered about the great sacrifices made by the Buddha.

These Buddhas are willing to donate their body parts to sentient beings. How about us? I'm sure many of us may not have the courage to do so. Let alone to not whine and panic at the sight of blood oozing out from our wounds. Having gone through countless rebirths, with each and every lifetime dedicated to benefiting sentient beings, I thought, "Isn't it tiring?". They gave up on leisure and affluence to benefit beings in every stratum of realms. Not for one lifetime but for immeasurable eons and eons to come. How can someone be so compassionate; so fearless? Only the Buddha is capable. It's their undying compassion that empowered them and manifested how formidable they are in terms of perfect wisdom, compassion, and strength. I then had this epiphany: Wow the Buddha is indeed worthy of our refuge.

Humanity is not lost

As the world continues to be laden with this deadly pandemic where there seems to be no semblance of recovery (retrenchment, quarantine, never-ending deaths), I found my vision for the world to be gloomy. This thought of mine was convoluted by another whammy. As I witness cases of unrest and strife, my heart goes out to the victims. But at the same time, I feel a sense of disgust and outrage at those perpetrators. Why must they resort to killing? What do they gain by harming others? I have to confess that at some point in time I lost faith in Humanity. As I listened to what Host Joshua and Venerable Bensi had to say in this Ventalk session, I’ve found the most meaningful support within the community I do have,  and have had all along: The team of Buddha, Bodhisattva, and our Sangha community. These kindred spirits telegraphed the same concerns as I do. These people are in the same fight to make the world a better place. I am comforted that I do have a virtuous group of friends in the weekly Youth Dharma class that I attend. They, too, wish for happiness for sentient beings, even going the extra mile to do virtuous deeds. Even at this point, while penning down my thoughts, sudden gratitude and a rush of dopamine surged through me. I find myself having even more reverence towards the Buddha and our gurus. While we searched frantically for self-satisfaction, these mighty ones devote their time to benefit sentient beings. They spread the Dharma, give us their blessings, and are always there to help us in this impure world. This makes me aspire to attain high-status rebirths so that I can meet and practice such precious Buddha’s teachings life after life. I concluded that Humanity is not lost because there are complete teachings, excellent teachers, and a harmonious community acting as talismans to unite good-natured people in the face of modern diversity to progress together and ultimately benefiting all sentient beings. 

Sufferings are catalysts for perfections

As I listened to the story, I saw an irony. Devadatta's intention was to help the Buddha, but it turned out that life after life, he comes back to harm the Buddha. Harm and Help are paradoxes- one has a negative while the other has a positive connotation. But surprisingly and ironically, Harm can produce the same effect as Help. And to call Devadatta a ruthless person is a misnomer because he is actually helping the Buddha! The obstacles planted by Devadattva on Shakyamuni Buddha were opportunities for the Buddha to hone the six perfections: Generosity, Ethical Discipline, Patience,Joyous Perseverance, Concentration, Wisdom. As much as we loathe sufferings, we all have to agree that unpleasant situations proffer impetus for self-development. Suffering has a negative connotation but on the bright side, it is an invaluable asset that paves our way for excellence. Never be afraid of sufferings! 

So, are you convinced of the qualities of the Buddha? If yes, in whatever activities you engage in, whatever you want to achieve, you should make offerings and supplicate to the Buddha earnestly while recalling his good qualities. And I assure you that the Buddha will listen to your prayers!