What Makes an Ordained Practitioner or Teacher of Buddhist Teachings?

In recent months and years, numerous news stories have reported serious misconduct by individuals presenting themselves as Ordained Practitioners or Buddhist Teachers.

These reports have included gambling, drug use, drug trafficking, purchasing sexual services, sexual abuse, and other deeply harmful behavior.

Such conduct is entirely contrary to what most people would think is wise of someone serving as an Ordained Practitioner or a Teacher of The Teachings of The Buddha.

It is important, however, to understand that wearing certain clothing, shaving one’s head, living in a monastery, or sitting in a respected position within a community does not, by itself, make someone an Ordained Practitioner or a Buddhist Teacher as defined by The Buddha.

According to The Buddha, a person’s role is demonstrated through their conduct.

The Buddha Taught Through Both Words and Actions

The Buddha was a living example of his Teachings. What he taught to others was also what he practiced in his own life.

A Buddha understands that Students learn not only through spoken guidance but also through observing the Teacher’s decisions and actions.

A Fully Perfectly Enlightened Buddha guides others through words while simultaneously demonstrating how a wise human being lives.

Because a Buddha is Enlightened, every decision is made through wisdom.

A Buddha is an exceptionally rare type of individual. Although Ordained Practitioners and Household Practitioners can attain Enlightenment, they would not necessarily become a Buddha.

A Buddha and an Enlightened being practice the same Teachings and experience the same liberated mental state. The Teachings that led a Buddha to Enlightenment are the same Teachings that can lead others to Enlightenment.

However, three primary qualities distinguish a Buddha:

1. A Buddha attains Enlightenment independently, without the guidance of a Teacher.

2. A Buddha dedicates the remainder of their life to teaching the independently discovered Path, enabling countless beings to attain Enlightenment.

3. A Buddha preserves The Teachings in such a way that countless beings can continue attaining Enlightenment after The Buddha’s death.

These are the three primary qualities that make a Buddha a Buddha.

An Enlightened being experiences the same freedom of mind as a Buddha but would have attained Enlightenment with the guidance of Teachers.

An Enlightened being may or may not choose to teach others and would not necessarily dedicate the remainder of their life to preserving and spreading The Teachings of The Buddha.

What Makes a True Ordained Practitioner?

An Enlightened being makes decisions through wisdom in every situation.

Anyone who has not yet attained Enlightenment will not practice The Teachings of The Buddha perfectly.

A true Ordained Practitioner, therefore, is not necessarily someone who has already attained Enlightenment.

Rather, a true Ordained Practitioner is someone sincerely committed to learning, practicing, and developing the mind toward Enlightenment.

Such a Practitioner trains diligently in:

• Higher virtuous behavior and moral conduct

• Higher mental discipline and concentration

• Higher wisdom

When a person claims the role of an Ordained Practitioner or Buddhist Teacher but repeatedly engages in conduct that is directly opposed to these trainings, the title and appearance do not reflect the person’s actual practice.

Conduct Reveals the Teacher

It is not someone’s clothing, hairstyle, title, institutional position, or place within a community that determines whether they are a genuine Ordained Practitioner or Buddhist Teacher.

Their actions reveal the truth.

A person cannot credibly teach restraint while living without restraint. A person cannot teach harmlessness while deliberately harming others. A person cannot guide Students toward wisdom while repeatedly making unwise decisions rooted in craving, anger, and ignorance (unknowing of true reality).

Those who gamble, use or transport drugs, purchase sexual services, abuse children, or engage in other harmful conduct are not demonstrating the practice taught by The Buddha.

They may appear to occupy the role of an Ordained Practitioner or Buddhist Teacher, but they are not functioning according to The Teachings of The Buddha.

They are not practicing as The Buddha taught.

They are not making decisions as The Buddha taught.

They are not guiding others as The Buddha taught.

The Importance of a Qualified Teacher

Anyone who sincerely aspires to attain Enlightenment should learn with the guidance of a Teacher who is either Enlightened or very close to Enlightenment.

A Teacher can guide Students only to a destination that the Teacher understands through direct experience.

Would it be wise to learn how to drive from someone who has never driven a car?

Clearly, it would not.

The same principle applies to The Path to Enlightenment.

Students would be wise to take time to observe and understand a Teacher’s practice.

They can examine whether the Teacher’s conduct reflects virtuous behavior, mental discipline, wisdom, honesty, restraint, mindfulness, and loving-kindness.

Through careful observation but not judgment (i.e. looking down on others), Students can develop confidence that a Teacher possesses the understanding and experience necessary to guide them.

A trustworthy Teacher does not demand blind belief.

Instead, the Teacher encourages Students to learn, reflect (i.e. independently verify), and practice The Teachings so that each Student can develop their own mind.

“One Who Sees The Teachings Sees Me”

The Buddha explained that genuine closeness to him is not determined by physical proximity, clothing, status, or outward appearance.

He taught:

“One who sees The Teachings sees me;one who sees me sees The Teachings.”

Reference: SN 22.87

A person may appear outwardly devoted to The Buddha’s Teachings while remaining far from his Teachings through their conduct.

Another person may live far away from Buddha and yet remain close to The Buddha by practicing restraint, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom, and virtuous behavior.

This is why harmful conduct by individuals presenting themselves as Ordained Practitioners or Teachers should not be viewed as a reflection of The Buddha or his Teachings.

If such individuals were sincerely practicing what The Buddha taught, they would not deliberately engage in these harmful actions.

Focus on Developing Your Own Mind

There were individuals during the lifetime of The Buddha who entered the monastic community but were unable to train according to what was taught by The Buddha.

The Buddha addressed this directly.

His guidance was true then, and it remains true today.

When you encounter a news story about misconduct by someone wearing monastic clothing or occupying a respected position within a Buddhist community, remember that appearance does not determine practice.

Their actions are not a reflection of you.

Their actions are not a reflection of sincere Ordained Practitioners.

Their actions are not a reflection of The Teachings of The Buddha.

Continue developing your own practice with the guidance of a Teacher you have carefully observed and trust.

Study The Teachings, reflect on them, independently verify them, and apply them in your own life to experience the results of an improved mental state and life.

Your responsibility is to train your own mind.

The following Teachings explain how The Buddha distinguished between those who merely appeared to be Practitioners and those who were sincerely undertaking the training.

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What Makes a Monk

Monks, suppose a donkey was following directly behind a herd of cattle, thinking:

“I am a cow too. I am a cow too.”

But the donkey’s appearance would not be like that of the cows. Its sound would not be like that of the cows, and its footprints would not be like those of the cows.

Nevertheless, it would continue following behind the herd, thinking:

“I am a cow too. I am a cow too.”

In the same way, a Monk might follow directly behind The Community of Monks, thinking:

“I am a Monk too. I am a Monk too.”

But his enthusiasm for undertaking the training in higher virtuous behavior would not be like that of the other Monks.

His enthusiasm for undertaking the training in the higher mind would not be like that of the other Monks.

His enthusiasm for undertaking the training in higher wisdom would not be like that of the other Monks.

Nevertheless, he would continue following behind The Community of Monks, thinking:

“I am a Monk too. I am a Monk too.”

Therefore, Monks, you should train yourselves in this way:

“We will have a determined interest in undertaking the training in higher virtuous behavior.

We will have a determined interest in undertaking the training in the higher mind.

We will have a determined interest in undertaking the training in higher wisdom.”

It is in this way that you should train yourselves.

Reference: AN 3.82

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One Who Sees The Teachings Sees the Tathāgata

Monks, even if a Monk were to take hold of my outer robe and follow directly behind me, placing his feet in my footsteps, he would still be far from me if he were craving sensual pleasures, strong in passion, evil in mind, corrupt in his decision-making, muddled in mindfulness, unalert, uncentered, scattered in mind, and uncontrolled in his sense bases.

He would be far from me, and I would be far from him.

Why is that?

Because he does not see The Teachings.

Not seeing The Teachings, he does not see me.

But even if a Monk were to live one hundred leagues away, he would be near to me if he were free from craving for sensual objects, not strong in passion, not evil in mind, uncorrupt in his decision-making, established in mindfulness, alert, centered, unified in mind, and well restrained in his sense bases.

He would be near to me, and I would be near to him.

Why is that?

Because he sees The Teachings.

Seeing The Teachings, he sees me.

Reference: ITI 92

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The Monks of The Perfectly Enlightened One

Monks, those Monks who are deceitful, stubborn, excessively talkative, fraudulent, arrogant, and unconcentrated are not Monks of mine.

They have strayed from The Teachings and Discipline.

They do not achieve growth, progress, or maturity in these Teachings and Discipline.

But those Monks who are honest, sincere, steadfast, cooperative, and well concentrated are Monks of mine.

They have not strayed from these Teachings and Discipline.

They achieve growth, progress, and maturity in these Teachings and Discipline.

Reference: AN 4.26

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A robe does not make someone an Ordained Practitioner.

A title does not make someone a Buddhist Teacher.

A position of respect does not demonstrate wisdom.

A person’s actions reveal the degree to which they have learned, practiced, and developed according to The Teachings of The Buddha.