Who was the Buddha’s teacher?

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Have you heard this question before? It’s an interesting one: ‘Who was the Buddha’s teacher?‘ The answer is: ‘The Buddha’s teacher was the Buddha himself.‘ This is a great question, and honestly, it’s one that perhaps not many have thought of, or if they have, they may not have asked.

Audio of the lesson

Thanks to this question, I have an opportunity to explain more. As you may know, Prince Siddhartha gave up the luxurious life of the palace to become a monk and seek the truth. For six years, he studied under various spiritual teachers of his time and learned everything they had to offer. However, even after reaching a certain level, he still felt unsatisfied with what he was seeking because everything still revolved around the cycles of suffering and rebirth.

Finally, he sat under the Bodhi tree in meditation. Some people think the Buddha meditated for 49 days, but according to historical records, he meditated at different places for seven weeks. Each week, he contemplated a different issue. By the seventh week, as he sat under the Bodhi tree, he attained full enlightenment.

Who was the Buddha's teacher?

So we ask the question: ‘What did he realize that made him the Buddha?’ If we say he attained Buddhahood, we need to clarify what it was that he awakened to.

Dear community, the Buddha realized a very important truth known as dependent origination. Dependent origination means that all phenomena and things in this world come into being due to various causes and conditions, not from their own independent existence.

For instance, the temple or monastery where we are sitting didn’t just appear by itself. To build this temple, we needed wood, nails, paint, and many other materials. The abbot wanted to build this place, but it took the support of everyone here; it was only through collective effort that it could be constructed.

Similarly, large events like today’s gathering cannot be organized by just one person. It takes many people working together, from those cooking to those preparing, to ensure everything goes smoothly. Everything we have in life arises from conditions coming together.

Take a flower as an example: to have a flower arrangement, we need seeds, soil, water, sunlight, and other elements. When the flower blooms, it also requires care to make it more beautiful. Everything comes into existence through dependent origination.

However, because all things arise from conditions, they do not exist forever. Like the flower arrangement, after two weeks, it will wilt and fade. This shows that everything is temporary, and nothing is truly permanent. If everything is temporary, then perhaps there’s nothing worth clinging to that could cause us suffering.

The Buddha had no other teacher; he achieved enlightenment on his own.

Lesson by Venerable Thich Phap Hoa

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Buddha Student
Buddha Student
I am a student of Buddhist teachings, sharing valuable insights from my journey of self-learning and exploring Buddhism. Most of the articles are compiled from the lectures of various Vietnamese monks. I hope these writings are as helpful to you as they have been to me.

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