The Great Refuge of Humankind: Understanding the Teachings of the Lord Buddha : หน้า 123/207

1. The mentor should have an unambiguous biography. There must be proof of his life history; it can not be vague and unreliable. 2. He must be extremely intelligent, exceptionally virtuous, exceedingly knowledgeable of the truths about life, which is known as enlightenment; and all his knowledge must be acquired through his own endeavors. He will not plagiarize these insights from someone else. 3. All of his teachings, when adhered to, will be beneficial and produce happiness. If not, then those instructions are useless since nobody can benefit from them. Based on these criteria, one can see why Buddhists highly regard the Lord Buddha to be the greatest refuge of humankind. 1. The Lord Buddha's life is documented. History has clearly recorded His life story including the lives of His parents. He was a prince in a city which still appeared on the map up to modern times. 2. The Lord Buddha toiled to find the truths of life by Himself until He was enlightened. All of His teachings derived from His enlightenment. He did not claim others' teachings as His own, or that He received them from a heavenly being. The Lord Buddha made it clear that He attained enlightenment by Himself. Most of all, He never forced anyone to believe in His teachings. 3. All of the Lord Buddha's Dhamma are universal truths and are therefore timeless. If a person practices Dhamma that the Lord Buddha prescribed, that person will certainly benefit from them. And conversely, if that person commits acts proscribed by Him, s/he will certainly receive dire consequences. His Dhamma are timeless. They were true when He first spoke them; they are still true today. They are not subject to change over time. In the attempt to enable humankind to benefit from His Dhamma, the Lord Buddha endured numerous hardships such as extreme physical exertion, and attempts upon His life. However, they had no effect on his determination. Furthermore, the Lord Buddha was not doing this for personal gain; when offered with valuables, He would emphasize that the merits derived from the offering of valuables were less than putting His Dhamma into practice. This only shows His limitless compassion. And those who practice His Dhamma conscientiously, whether they are monks or laypeople, can also rid themselves of defilements and attain Nibbana, the immortal happiness, like the Lord Buddha Himself. This is a testament to the Lord Buddha's purity and undefiled quality. His teachings are rightful, exact and beneficial, and accessible by followers of all religions. Those who adhere to them will obtain the exact same benefits He obtained, and there have been millions of His followers who have experienced these benefits. The Warm Hearted Family 244 Young People and the Lord Buddha The Warm Hearted Family 245 Young People and the Lord Buddha