Simile of A Young Infant

Suppose a young infant boy, unwise, lying on his back, were to put a stick or pebble in his mouth because of his nurse’s lack of attention. His nurse would quickly attend to him and try to take it out. If she could not quickly take it out, she would brace the boy's head with her left hand and, hooking a finger of her right hand, she would take it out even if she had to draw blood.

For what reason?

There would be some distress for the boy - this I don't deny - but the nurse has to do so for his good and welfare, out of compassion for him. However, when the boy has grown up and has enough sense, the nurse would be unconcerned about him, thinking: The boy can now look after himself. He won't be careless.

So too, so long as a Monk is still not accomplished in confidence in cultivating wholesome qualities, in a sense of moral wrongdoing in cultivating wholesome qualities, in moral concern in cultivating wholesome qualities, in energy in cultivating wholesome qualities, and in wisdom in cultivating wholesome qualities, I must still look after him.

But when that Monk is accomplished in confidence in cultivating wholesome qualities, in a sense of moral wrongdoing in cultivating wholesome qualities, in moral concern in cultivating wholesome qualities, in energy in cultivating wholesome qualities, and in wisdom in cultivating wholesome qualities, then I am unconcerned about him, thinking:

The Monk can now look after himself. He won't be careless.

(Reference: AN 5.7)

A dedicated Teacher will apply much time, effort, energy, and resources into supporting their Students on The Path to Enlightenment. It is not easy to share The Teachings of this path with Students. But, with dedication and diligence, a wise Teacher who is Enlightened can guide countless people to the attainment of Enlightenment.

Choosing a Teacher to guide you on this path, could almost be described like choosing your own parent. To progress through any particular Teacher’s Teachings, one would need to develop a long term relationship based in politeness, kindness, friendliness, respectfulness and trust between both the Teacher and the Student.

The Teacher and the Student will need to apply much dedication and diligence to sharing/ learning The Teachings for the Student to be successful in their pursuit to Enlightenment. It is the responsibility of the Student to seek guidance, not for the Teacher to ensure the Student is seeking guidance and learning these Teachings. This is an independent practice in which the Student needs to apply enthusiasm and motivation towards developing their life practice by choosing to seek guidance with a Teacher. Only a true Buddha would be able to attain Enlightenment on their own without the guidance of a Teacher. Therefore, you are not a Buddha and will need to develop a long term relationship with a Teacher based on non-attachment. This choice alone can be helpful in reducing and eliminating the ego as to seek guidance with a Teacher one needs to admit to themselves that they “do not know it all” which will help to eliminate arrogance or conceit.

A Teacher may choose to look after and care for their Students in much the same way a parent might care for a child. A Student may choose to look to their Teacher in much the same way as a child might appreciate a parent. No matter how either party chooses to develop their relationship, it is highly important that a Teacher never become attached to their Students and for Students to never become attached to their Teacher. If either of these happen, whoever has attachment has not liberated the mind and will not liberate the mind until the craving/desire/attachment is eliminated. The individuals with attachment will experience discontentedness associated with the relationship.

It is said that one of Gotama Buddha’s closest Students, Ānanda, did not attain Enlightenment until after Gotama Buddha’s death. He was with Gotama Buddha, “The Buddha”, learning, reflecting, and practicing The Teachings with the originator, discoverer and declarer of The Path to Enlightenment during his entire forty-five (45) years of teaching, yet he did not attain Enlightenment until his Teacher's death. I suspect this was due to Ānanda’s attachment to Gotama Buddha.

Depending how close of a relationship one has established, oftentimes it is not until a person dies in our life that the mind is finally able to “let go” unless one is determined and diligent in their efforts to identify and eliminate attachments.

If you attach to your Teacher, you will not be able to attain Enlightenment and at some point the mind will become discontent associated with your relationship. You need to learn and practice non-attachment in all relationships, especially your relationship with your Teacher. And, Teachers need to practice non-attachment with their Students.

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares a simile comparing the care of an infant to the care and attention that he gives to his own Students.

Initially as a baby is first born, caregivers may watch over the child very closely ensuring that the young child does not harm itself causing death because the infant lacks wisdom. But, then as the child ages and its wisdom increases, the caregivers will be more willing to allow the child to depart from constant care and venture out into the world to explore thinking "The boy can now look after himself”.

A Teacher who shares these Teachings, in this case The Buddha, might choose to initially watch over their Students taking great care to ensure they are guided and supported with dedicated attention. But then, as they grow in the development of these Teachings a wise Teacher would understand that it is important to step back from a Student providing them the ability to exercise wise decision making based in the wisdom, moral conduct, and mental discipline of these Teachings thinking “The [Student] can now look after himself”.

This will help the mind of the Student ensuring there is not attachment wanting constant interaction and attention from the Teacher.

Gotama Buddha’s Students basically lived side-by-side with him in a Community of Ordained Practitioners. This close proximity in living can, oftentimes, lead to the mind developing attachment. But, even with this close proximity in living arrangements you can see that The Buddha remained unconcerned about his Students knowing that it is important for them to stand up on their own two feet to establish a well developed practice of these Teachings making wise choices in their life. While he did look after his Students more closely as they initially stepped forward to learn, later, upon the Student being more developed in The Teachings, he wisely chose to step back being unconcerned having confidence that the Student could “look after himself”.

Detailed explanation of moral wrongdoing and moral concern is available in this same book series found in Chapter 25 of the book “Generosity” (Volume 13).