Buddhist Audio Books

From chapter 5: From Hero-Worship to the Worshipping Buddha

To get anywhere ourselves, we really do have to acknowledge that there are men and women who are more developed than we at present are. Hero-worship, or the hero-worshipping attitude, is by no means a bad thing, provided it is directed at the right objects - provided, that is to say, it is directed towards those who are really more highly developed than the rest of us, rather than towards the media-generated icons of contemporary popular culture. The tendency to cynicism, a determination to uncover the feet of clay, must be seen for what it is - a vice. That unwillingness to believe in anything like high ideals, to respect those who devote their lives to the serious pursuit of those ideals, or to recognize greatness in an individual - this whole attitude is soul-corroding and spiritually corrupt.

By contrast, Buddhists try to cultivate a spirit of admiration, of respect, of reverence and devotion. This reverence is not only for certain individuals as they are, on account of the level of spiritual development they have already attained, but also for everybody else, on account of what they are capable of becoming. A comparison is drawn in the scriptures with the convention in a monarchical system of respecting the heir to the throne even as a baby. Though this child may be playing with his rattle now, you know that one day he is going to be king, and thus you treat him with the reverence due to a king. Buddhism encourages such an attitude, such a feeling, towards all sentient beings. They may be anything now - they may be thieves or prostitutes or financiers - they may even be politicians, but one day they are going to be Buddhas. However degraded their present condition, however limited their outlook, however enmeshed they are in their own evil deeds, you need to respect them on account of what they are in potentiality, which one day will surely be realized.

No case is so desperate that you can ever say, 'Oh well, they will never get out of the hell they have created for themselves.' The classical villain of the Buddhist scriptures, for example, is Devadatta, the Buddha's cousin. In some ways he was one of the brightest of the Buddha's disciples - he had all sorts of psychic powers - but he was ambitious and jealous. One day he went to the Buddha and said, 'Lord, you are getting old. Lord, don't exert yourself any more. Take it easy, retire. I shall look after everything for you. I shall lead the Sangha.' When the Buddha made it plain what he thought of this idea, Devadatta tried to initiate a split in the Sangha, which is regarded in Buddhism as a truly heinous crime. When this failed he even made attempts upon the Buddha's life. He had a mad elephant let loose upon his teacher on one occasion, and another time he sent a boulder rolling down a hill towards him. All these attempts failed, of course, and some time later Devadatta died of disappointment - and we're told that after his death he went to an unpleasant place. But the Mahayana scriptures tell us what Devadatta's name will be when he becomes a Buddha, and exactly when this will be. So whether or not you accept the precision of these forecasts, the principle is clear. Even someone like him has the seed of Buddhahood in him, and when he has purified himself he too will become Enlightened and liberate other sentient beings. No one, therefore, is ever completely and hopelessly lost. If Devadatta can bounce back, anyone can.