Once upon a time, the Buddha was traveling and teaching the Dharma at Nalanda Village, the State of Magadha and staying at garment merchant Pavarika’s mango grove.

In this particular day, Venerable Sariputta came to see the Buddha, saluted him and said: “It is clear to me that there never has been, will be or is now another ascetic or Brahmin who is better or more enlightened than the Buddha.”

The Buddha then asked the Venerable Sariputta in retort, asked Sariputta whether he could use Telepathy to discern the minds of the Buddhas of the past, present and the future, also each Buddha’s precept practicing, Dharma teaching, particulars of their wisdom and liberation achievements. The final result was that the Venerable Sariputta replied categorically that he had no idea.

Then, what were the bases, that enable the Venerable Sariputta, being regarded as Foremost in Wisdom, spoke boldly and roared the lion’s roar with certainty that he has deep faith in that all practitioners of the past, present and the future, including all the Buddhas, could not exceed Sakyamuni Buddha? In response to the Buddha’s query, the Venerable Sariputta replied:

“Although I do not have the knowledge of the minds of all the Buddhas, nor the knowledge of each Buddha’s wisdom, however, I truly understand the Dharma verified and taught by all Buddhas, their common general principle and the sequence of studying. Because since I studied the Dharma from Sakyamuni Buddha, I settled one Dharma as soon as learning one; Verified one Dharma as soon as learning one, studied one Dharma as soon as learning one; as such Penetrated layer by layer, Surpassing layer by layer, Elevated layer by layer, Profound layer by layer to Realize Satisfactorily. Because I have such experience of learning through practice for test and verification, therefore believe with profound reason that the Buddha was indeed liberated with Perfect Enlightenment. I have no doubt in my mind concerning the Buddha’s achievements.

Just as if there was a royal frontier city, with mighty bastions and a mighty encircling wall in which was a single gate for security and defense. Although the gatekeeper guards did not know exactly the number of people entered and left the gate, but he was certain that everybody enters or leaves the city, must all go through this very gate. There would not be any other gates. And it seems to me that all those Buddhas of the past, present and the future attained to supreme enlightenment by abandoning the five hindrances defilements of mind: Craving, Aversion, Drowsiness, Regret and Doubt that weaken the understanding; having firmly established the Four Foundations of Mindfulness in their minds: Contemplating one’s body as defiled, Contemplating one’s feeling as defiled, Contemplating one’s mind as constantly changing, and Contemplating things in general as devoid of inherent existence. And through practice the Seven Factors of Enlightenment: The Mindfulness of Enlightenment Factor, the Investigation-of-States Enlightenment Factor, the Energy Enlightenment Factor, the Tranquility Enlightenment Factor, the Rapture Enlightenment Factor, the Concentration Enlightenment Factor, and the Equanimity Enlightenment Factor to realize Liberation and Buddhahood. This is the sequence of the common general principle and studying of all the Buddha. This is the sequence of common general principle and teaching the Complete Dharma of all the Buddha.

If someone should ask whether all the practitioner of the past, present, and the future would have the same achievements of Sakyamuni Buddha? The answer is yes, but not in the present world. This was what the Buddha personally taught me face to face: The Buddha said: “the past and the future world would have someone realized Right Enlightenment and became a Buddha, however, it was impossible to have two Buddhas existed in the same world at the same time.”

Finally, the Buddha expressed his complete concurrence with Venerable Suriputta’s statement.

一、本則故事取材自《雜阿含第四九八經》、《長阿含第一八自歡喜經》、《相應部四七相應第一二經》、《長部第一六大般涅槃經》、《長部第二八自歡喜經》。

1. This story was derived from Samyuktagama 498th Sutra, Dirghagama 18th Janavasabha Sutra, Anguttaka-nikaya 47th , Anguttaka 12th Sutra, Dirghagama 16th Mahaparinibbana Sutra, and Dirghagama 28 Janavasabha Sutra.

2. According to Ekottarikagama 3rd Sutra, Chapter 42, among the disciples of the Buddha, Suriputta’s wisdom was second to none. It was rather special for Suriputta to articulate “Serena Faith”. General speaking, religion is always associated with faith. Why is so? Because the goal which the religion wants to achieve has yet attainable by the parishioners. The authenticity of such goal, on the base of lacking personal experience, strictly speaking, should be regarded as unconfirmed. At that moment, faith would become an indispensable support. The characteristics of Buddhism is based upon reason and verification, its faith should be corresponding with reason and verification in order to grasp the spirit of the Dharma. The Venerable Suriputta’s “Serene Faith” was derived from the truthfulness resulted from his steadfastly practiced one by one the Buddha’s teaching, in the meantime, personally verified one by one the Buddha’s instruction. Such “Faith” also called “Pure Faith” through “Excellent Understanding”. It is absolutely different from the “Conformed Faith” which was mere echoing the views of others faith. Religious faith, if only emphasizes “Conformed Faith”, encourage “Conformed Faith”, would eventually cause endless corrupted practice and continual problems.

3. We have noticed that the general principle of Dharma study is Departing from Five Hindrance; Using the Awareness of Four Foundations of Mindfulness; Employing “Seven Factors of Enlightenment” as Practical Operation to practice and attain liberation. Samyuktagama 281st Sutra also recorded the same sequence. The Sutra pointed out that using “The Discipline of the Six Contacts” to achieve “Three Marvelous Deeds”; from the “Satisfaction of Three Marvelous Deeds” to achieve “Four Foundations of Mindfulness”; then from “Satisfaction of Four Foundations of Mindfulness” to achieve “Seven Factors of Enlightenment”. In studying “Seven Factors of Enlightenment”, using “Rely on Avoidance, rely on Abolition of Desire, rely on Annihilation, toward Renunciation.” to achieve “Seven Factors of Enlightenment”; and achieve the True Knowledge and Liberation.

4. There is no two Buddhas in the same world, this could be comprehended from the Buddha’s Exceptional Virtue”: According to text in Samyuktagama 75th Sutra, Samyuktagame 684th Sutra, Anguttake-nikaya 22nd Anguttaka 58th Sutra, The Buddha’s attainment of Liberation was through self-taught without a teacher. This is to say that during the Buddha’s time, the world had no Dharma in circulation, thus there was no way of hearing the Dharma. The Buddha was the Superior Acumen at that time. When the Buddha appeared in the world, based upon the Buddha’s Power and Virtue, the world began to have the Dharma in circulation. Comparatively speaking, under such circumstance, there would not have such Power and Virtue comparable to that of the Buddha, except those Arahants who achieved liberation through learning from the Buddha. (Translator’s note: In early Indian texts, the stage of Arahant is the final goal of Buddhist practice--the attainment of nirvana, which means the complete elimination of affliction, and the end of rebirth into the world of suffering. However, it has yet to reach the stage of Buddhahood.)