Buddha's teaching is neither a religion, nor a philosophy, not a system even, it merely is a statement of things as they are.

Admittedly, it does contrast with this very religious aspect which one finds in Burma – and as much as anywhere else; all these statues, all these monuments, etc. It is the outcome of people's need to indulge into this religious aspect, these prayers, devotions.

Originally, if we truthfully stick to his discourses, we find ourselves very remote from all that. Buddha is a discoverer. He is likened to a scientist who discovers something: he does not make a religion out of it, neither a cult.

He discovered a new law, and expounded this law. His pupils listen to and learn this law. Once they well master the way to give sermons at their turn, they are will be able to teach it. It is of no use to reinvent the wheel because it has already been made.

It is of no use to rediscover anything whatsoever because the ground was already cleared. So, in the wake of Buddha's predication, we are "auditors" (this is how we call Buddha's pupils) who listen to his teaching. We try to understand these natural laws, and once we understand them, we can pass on this teaching at out turn.

Thus, there are no prayers, no rituals, no invocation of divinities. We do not expect anything from anyone else than ourselves. It is merely about a work to do on ourselves. It is mainly a work of understanding, because in fact, we are nothing else than big ignorant children. Besides, he does claim it himself: "My teaching is not meant for little children".

How to overcome suffering?

Buddha has expounded suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering and the path leading to the cessation of suffering. Certainly, but from a more practical viewpoint, the question that arises is: "What to do, concretely, to succeed in overcoming this ignorance, in rooting out the causes of this misery?"

There is all the same a small work to be done; it does not occur as if by magic. To hope that the "great spirit" is going to bestow us its grace, according to him, that does not work – I besides myself tried it over ten years, and it didn't work.

He therefore proposes another approach, a little more pragmatic one, which is a work to be done within us. Besides, he utilizes the word "work". This work is threefold...

At first, it is advisable to manage to evolve in a living environment, which is based on a fundamental ethics, and to lead a virtuous life.

That doesn't forcibly mean to "become a monk", remote prospect. The monk is supposed, at virtue's level, to be a kind of professional in this field. Regrettably, it is not always the case. The idea of this virtuous behavior, in fact, lies in not being aggressive: no murder, no violence, no theft, no adultery, no lie, and no consumption of any intoxicating drinks. To him, it does constitute the basic pillar.

At a second stage, backing up with this virtuous behavior, we will be fit to do this work remaining to be done.

Then, we do proceed to concentration and meditation. These meditative exercises are useful to develop concentration, a full presence of mind. A completely fickle spirit, which is not controlled, won't be able to do much.

At a third stage, once we have laid down these two foundations, which are virtue and meditation, we are going to proceed to the development of that which Buddha calls "intelligence", "wisdom", which is the pinnacle of the practice.

It is the final straight line, which leads to awakening, to liberation. It is neither a meditation, nor an exercise, even less a prayer or a ritual. It is direct inner sight into reality, that's all. It is easy to say, but no easy task to do.

The decline of Buddha Teaching

The sunset that just took place reminds me of something: that which is on the decline. The day elapses, the night arrives...

Buddha also spoke about the decline of his teaching. His teaching will disappear from this world one day, because it is a necessity: all that which has arisen must inevitably pass away.

All civilizations of the past finally disappeared. That which deserves to be known on this subject, is that according to him, the root causes of his teaching's decline, those are neither wars, nor famines, or religions, or political ideologies... but those are monks.

The ones whom he entrusted for preserving his teaching are those who, in the course of time, will be responsible for its destruction. Why? Because, there were already, in Buddha's time, and there will be more and more monks, who will introduce into this teaching notions that are completely personal.

That is to say, they will, little by little, add their personal opinions, their personal doctrine, they are going to mix up, they are going to dig up into such and such philosophy various elements by saying that "finally, everything is only one", or that "somewhere, Buddha also spoke about it".

One will be caught up amid a mixture in which one will finally no more succeed in "discerning the diamond from the pebbles", in which it is found. Thus, these monks are going to introduce views and opinions that bear little resemblance with Buddha's teaching.

What is the Buddha teaching?

What is Buddha's teaching? There are manifold ways to answer this question.

To give an answer to this question, I am going to tell an anecdote connected with his lifetime. One day, Buddha travelled with a group of monks. They passed in front of a monk who was giving a teaching. He was a very skilful speaker. Buddha then asked the monks: "Monks, can you hear this monk giving a teaching so skillfully?"

The monks answered: "Yes, Respectable Buddha, we hear him".

Buddha continued by uttering a very important sentence.

He says: "Monks, when a monk expounds the teaching, it is not "my" teaching that he expounds – that is to say the one of Buddha. Monks, when a monk expounds a teaching, it is not "his" teaching that he expounds – that is to say his personal teaching. Monks, when a monk expounds the teaching, it is only the reality of things as they are, which he expounds".

This sentence takes part among small key sentences that Buddha, during his life, left to us here and there. Crudely speaking, his teaching is a "lesson about things" (the word "Dhamma", moreover, means "thing", "phenomenon"), and nothing is to be added to it. Admittedly, nothing is to be removed from it too.

Owing to monks (or people) who will add to or remove things from this teaching, this later will regrettably get lost. There will only remain the empty shell, that is to say: ceremonies, recitations, big doctrinal studies in the university, etc. Moreover, this is the way it already is at the present moment.