I'm Not Good

I'm Not Good


Once, a man met a loyal disciple of the Buddha, and decided to ask him some questions.

The disciple could not answer some of the questions posed to him, but told the man,

"If you don't mind, you come here again tomorrow at this time;

I'll bring my Teacher, the Great Buddha, with me, to answer your queries.

I'm sure my Teacher will be able to. He's very good."


The next day, the disciple brought The Buddha to the appointed place.

The man was waiting.

Seeing how youthful the Buddha looked, the man became sceptical as to how much this 'young chap' would know.

Pulling the disciple aside, he asked,

"You say you'll bring your Teacher - The Great Buddha, the All-Knowing One. This is Him ? Your Teacher ?"

"Yes ! Yes !" replied the disciple enthusiastically.

Unconvinced, the man told the Buddha thus, "I met your disciple yesterday. And he told me you're very good. So I come today to see how good you were."

To the astonishment of everyone present, the Buddha replied coolly and quietly,

"I'm not good."

"Uh-Ah ! I knew I was right ! From the moment I saw you, I knew you're not good. You look too young to know anything. Or, to have even experienced anything.

This is a total waste of my time!" said the man in frustration.


To that, the Buddha calmly replied,

"In good, there's bad; In bad, there's good.

For one who's conquered all, known all, gone beyond all, how can there be good ?

I'm neither good nor bad;

I'm Pure !"

"The Buddha does not speak when people are not ready and/or willing to listen (or understand)."

"Though young he may be,

But if he's high in moral attainments,

He's very strong and powerful."

- The Buddha

"I have overcome all, I know all;

I am detached from all, I have given up all;

I am liberated from moral defilements, having eradicated craving.

Having comprehended The Four Noble Truths by myself,

Whom shall I call my teacher?"

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 353 .

"Known are the things to be known;

Cultivated are the things to be cultivated.

Destroyed / Conquered are the things to be destroyed / conquered;

Therefore Brahman, I AM THE BUDDHA."

- The Buddha

"By day shines the sun;

By night shines the moon.

In regalia shines the king;

In meditation shines the Arahant.

But The Buddha in his glory shines at ALL times,

By day and by night."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 387

"He who has reached the goal,

Is fearless,

Is without craving.

Is passionless,

Has cut off the thorns of life.

This is his final body."

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 351

"What needs to be done, is done;

The holy life completes.

There is nothing more to do."

- The Buddha

"He who is free from craving and from attachment,

Who is skilled in the knowledge of the significance of terms,

Who knows the grouping of letters and their sequence,

Is indeed called,

'One who has lived his last,

A man of great wisdom,

A great man'. "

- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 352