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How Dhamma Will Spread

My dear Dhamma sons and Dhamma daughters:

It is now nearly twenty years since a great responsibility was placed on my shoulders by my Dhamma father, Sayagyi U Ba Khin. When I review this work of Dhammadūta it is astonishing to see the fruits of Dhamma, to see how Dhamma is growing. Twenty years ago this technique was new to the country, and the Teacher was unknown, yet thousands of people started coming to the courses.

But the bigger wonder was the way these Dhamma servers started serving, taking such pains to help others to learn Vipassana. In those non-centre camps held in places without proper facilities, the servers faced so much discomfort, so many inconveniences, and yet they gave such selfless service, with so much love and compassion.

When centres started being built it looked as if the facilities would make it easier for the management, but now the problems are merely of a different nature. New structures keep coming up, and whatever has been built needs repair and maintenance.

Whether one is a Dhamma server or an assistant teacher, all are householders and each one has some responsibility towards family and livelihood, yet they spare so much time and suffer so many inconveniences. It is unbelievable! Nobody even thinks of monetary gain, and they train themselves to understand that the respect given to them is actually given to Dhamma, that they are simply representatives of Dhamma.

In spite of all the discomforts, the servers feel so delighted, "Look, so many people are receiving Dhamma!" Besides this delight, what else do they receive? The Teacher inherited from his Dhamma father a quality of very strict discipline and sometimes he uses hard words. The servers give so much selfless service and in return they are given reprimands: "You did like this? You useless fellow! Why did you do that?" This is what they are given from their Dhamma father and from others! Nobody thanks them for the service they give.

It would be very easy for someone to say, "Forget all this! Let this teacher do his own work, why should I spend my time here? And all these ungrateful fellows, why should I spend my time on them?" But no, they still carry on in spite of all the criticism.

There is a good reason behind that. We do not know how many lives in the past we have performed meritorious deeds together. Gaining merits together brings people together in future lives, to again perform meritorious deeds. Or, in so many past lives we would have meditated together and this brings us together to meditate again.

So it is not that somebody has only received Dhamma recently in a ten-day course, and has appreciated Dhamma so much that this person feels like serving. Oh, no! Of course that is the immediate cause, but the greater cause is the work we have done together in different lives. Having tasted Dhamma in one way or the other in the past, this person feels, "May more and more people come in contact with Dhamma and come out of their misery."

During many lives one has understood sabbadānaṃ dhammadānaṃ jināti—giving Dhamma is the highest dāna—and this becomes clearer every time we serve. One can work hard and donate millions, building different kinds of facilities for others— this is good because people benefit, don’t stop this. But when one compares the dāna of Dhamma, one finds there is no comparison.

Ups and downs are bound to come in life and if someone can face all that smilingly, oh, that is the biggest gift that can be given to anyone! This gift of Dhamma is not only made by the Teacher or the assistant teachers, but by all those who are serving.

Although the work done in the last twenty years is satisfactory, still so much more has to be done. When misery is so great, Dhamma has to arise. When there is so much darkness, light is needed, Dhamma is needed.

I see brightness for the future. Not only because of the present group of people who work so selflessly, but for generations those with good pāramīs from the past will take up the job, and the wheel of Dhamma will keep on rotating.

There is a danger to the rotation of the wheel of Dhamma if people make it a livelihood. How could this be Dhamma? You are expecting something in return. The danger also exists if mad people serve who crave only for position, power, or status. Then again Dhamma will not be Dhamma because there is no purity. Another danger is that someone will add something to Dhamma merely to please a particular group or sect. When an ignorant person starts doing that it will be a great danger signal for the rotation of the wheel of Dhamma. There is nothing to be added, nothing to be taken out. Dhamma is absolutely pure, absolutely complete—kevalaṃ paripuṇṇaṃ, kevalaṃ parisuddhaṃ.

Those who are giving service should remember that Dhamma is not spreading because of them, but because it is the time for Dhamma to spread. They are just vehicles, and should feel so pleased to be a vehicle. Because of this they are gaining wonderful pāramīs, wonderful paññā and developing their own meditation. This is not an ordinary gain.

A large number of suffering people have some unwholesome saṅkhāras accumulated in the past which have brought so much misery to them, but many also have some very good saṅkhāras, and the time has arisen now that the fruit of their wholesome saṅkhāra should come up as the Dhamma. Then who are you or I to give them Dhamma? They are receiving Dhamma because of their good karmas of the past. We are just vehicles, that is all.

I keep on telling the story of the puppy walking under the bullock cart thinking, "I am carrying the entire burden of this bullock cart! That trader gives so much importance to those two bullocks, but over them is only the weight of the yoke. Over me is the weight of the whole bullock cart!" A mad puppy.

Nobody who serves Dhamma should think like that puppy. You should feel, "It is Dhamma that is working, and I have a wonderful shelter, I am in the shadow of Dhamma. Good!"

Keep remembering this couplet, a dohā by a great saint of this country, Kabir: Kabira kharā bāzārameṅ, liye kuḷhārā hātha. Śiśa utāre, bhuīṅ dhare cale hamāre sātha. Kabīr says, "I am here calling you, but I have an axe in my hand. Only one who is ready to chop off his head and throw it in the dust can come with me." This is the prerequisite: Cut off your head, cut off all the ego, and then come. Yes, it will be wonderful for you and for all others who practise Dhamma. And I am sure that not only now, but for generations there will be people coming up who will have their heads chopped off, who will not work for ego. Then Dhamma will remain pure. I am sure that a large number will benefit—those who serve and also those who are served. Dhamma works both ways: It is good for you and good for others, beneficial for you, beneficial for others.

May Dhamma grow. Keep on enjoying Dhamma by growing in Dhamma, under the shelter of Dhamma. May Dhamma grow, so that more and more suffering people round the world grow under the shelter of Dhamma, and come out of their misery. May Dhamma spread for the good of many, for the liberation of many.

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