CHAPTER 13
THE BUDDHA'S DAILY ROUTINE
"The Lord is awakened. He teaches the Dhamma for awakening."
-- MAJJHIMA NIKAYA
The Buddha can be considered the most energetic and the most active
of all religious teachers that ever lived on earth. The whole day
He was occupied with His religious activities except when He was
attending to His physical needs. He was methodical and systematic
in the performance of His daily duties. His inner life was one of
meditation and was concerned with the experiencing of Nibbanic
Bliss, while His outer life was one of selfless service for the
moral upliftment of the world. Himself enlightened, He endeavoured
His best to enlighten others and liberate them from the ills of
life.
His day was divided into five parts, namely, (i) The Forenoon
Session, (ii) The Afternoon Session, (iii) The First Watch, (iv)
The Middle Watch and (v) The Last Watch.
The Forenoon Session
Usually early in the morning He surveys the world with His Divine
Eye to see whom he could help. If any person needs His spiritual
assistance, uninvited He goes, often on foot, some times by air
using His psychic powers, and converts that person to the right
path.
As a rule He goes in search of the vicious and the impure, but the
pure and the virtuous come in search of Him.
For instance, the Buddha went of His own accord to convert the
robber and murderer Angulimala and the wicked demon A1avaka, but
pious young Visakha, generous millionaire Anathapindika, and
intellectual Sariputta and Moggallana came up to Him for spiritual
guidance.
While rendering such spiritual service to whomsoever it is
necessary, if He is not invited to partake of alms by a lay
supporter at some particular place, He, before whom Kings
prostrated themselves, would go in quest of alms through alleys and
streets, with bowl in hand, either alone or with His
disciples.
Standing silently at the door of each house, without uttering a
word, He collects whatever food is offered and placed in the bowl
and returns to the monastery.
Even in His eightieth year when He was old and in indifferent
health, He went on His rounds for alms in Vesali.
Before midday He finishes His meals. Immediately after lunch He
daily delivers a short discourse to the people, establishes them in
the Three Refuges and the Five Precepts and if any person is
spiritually advanced, he is shown the Path to Sainthood.
At times He grants Ordination to them if they seek admission to the
Order and then retires to His chamber.
The Afternoon Session
After the noon meal He takes a seat in the monastery and the
Bhikkhus assemble to listen to His exposition of the Dhamma. Some
approach Him to receive suitable objects of meditation according to
their temperaments; others pay their due respects to Him and retire
to their cells to spend the afternoon.
After His discourse or exhortation to His disciples, He Himself
retires to His private Perfumed Chamber to rest. If He so desires,
He lies on His right side and sleeps for a while with mindfulness.
On rising, He attains to the Ecstasy of Great Compassion (Maha
Karuna Samapatti) and surveys, with His Divine Eye, the world,
especially the Bhikkhus who retired to solitude for meditation and
other disciples in order to give them any spiritual advice that is
needed. If the erring ones who need advice happen to be at a
distance, there He goes by psychic powers, admonishes them and
retires to His chamber.
Towards evening the lay followers flock to Him to hear the Dhamma.
Perceiving their innate tendencies and their temperaments with the
Buddha-Eye, [1] He preaches to them for about one hour. Each member
of the audience, though differently constituted, thinks that the
Buddha's sermon is directed in particular to him. Such was the
Buddha's method of expounding the Dhamma. As a rule the Buddha
converts others by explaining His teachings with homely
illustrations and parables, for He appeals more to the intellect
than to emotion.
To the average man the Buddha at first speaks of generosity,
discipline, and heavenly bliss. To the more advanced He speaks on
the evils of material pleasures and on the blessings of
renunciation. To the highly advanced He expounds the Four Noble
Truths.
On rare occasions as in the case of Angulimala and Khema did the
Buddha resort to His psychic powers to effect a change of heart in
His listeners.
The sublime teachings of the Buddha appealed to both the masses and
the intelligentsia alike. A Buddhist poet sings:
"Giving joy to the wise, promoting the intelligence of the
middling, and dispelling the darkness of the dull-witted, this
speech is for all people. [2]"
Both the rich and the poor, the high and the low, renounced their
former faiths and embraced the new Message of Peace. The infant
Sasana, [3] which was inaugurated with a nucleus of five ascetics,
soon developed into millions and peacefully spread throughout
Central India.
The First Watch
This period of the night extends from 6 to 10 p.m. and was
exclusively reserved for instruction to Bhikkhus. During this time
the Bhikkhus were free to approach the Buddha and get their doubts
cleared, question Him on the intricacies of the Dhamma, obtain
suitable objects of meditation, and hear the doctrine.
The Middle Watch
During this period which extends from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Celestial
Beings such as Devas and Brahmas, who are invisible to the physical
eye, approach the Buddha to question Him on the Dhamma. An
oft-recurring passage in the Suttas is: "Now when the night was far
spent a certain Deva of surpassing splendour came to the Buddha,
respectfully saluted Him and stood at a side." Several discourses
and answers given to their queries appear in the Samyutta
Nikāya.
The Last Watch
The small hours of the morning, extending from 2 to 6 a.m. which
comprise the last watch, are divided into four parts.
The first part is spent in pacing up and down (cankamana). This
serves as a mild physical exercise to Him. During the
second part, that is from 3 to 4 a.m. He mindfully sleeps on His
right side. During the third part, that is from 4 to 5
a.m., He attains the state of Arahantship and experiences Nibbanic
bliss. For one full hour from 5 to 6 a.m. He attains the Ecstasy of
Great Compassion (Maha Karunasamapatti) and radiates thoughts of
loving-kindness towards all beings and softens their hearts. At
this early hour He surveys the whole world with His Buddha-Eye to
see whether He could be of service to any. The virtuous and those
that need His help appear vividly before Him though they may live
at a remote distance. Out of compassion for them He goes of His own
accord and renders necessary spiritual assistance.
The whole day He is fully occupied with His religious duties.
Unlike any other living being He sleeps only for one hour
at night. For two full hours in the morning and at dawn He
pervades the whole world with thoughts of boundless love and brings
happiness to millions. Leading a life of voluntary poverty, seeking
His alms without inconveniencing any, wandering from place to place
for eight months throughout the year preaching His sublime Dhamma,
He tirelessly worked for the good and happiness of all till His
eightieth year.
According to the Dharmapradipika the last watch is divided into
these four parts.
According to the commentaries the last watch consists of three
parts. During the third part the Buddha attains the Ecstasy of
Great Compassion.
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[1] Buddhacakkhu constitutes the knowledge of the one's
inclinations (asaya) and the innate tendencies (asayanusaya nana)
and the knowledge of the dullness and keenness of faculties such as
confidence, mindfulness, concentration, energy and wisdom
(indriyaparoparyat-tananan)
[2] Satapancasataka, v. 78.
[3] The Dispensation of the Buddha.
