One day, a highly respected monk, renowned for his psychic abilities and 'compassion' was performing some stunts/psychic feats.
Amongst the crowd watching the performance was Maitreya.
Maitreya cheered and applauded excitedly,
"Wow! Fantastic! Look at that monkey! Look at that monkey! Wow!!"
The monk turned and glared hard at Maitreya.
Although he was visibly angered and annoyed by the words,
He tried to maintain his composure and image.
The monk's followers, disciples, supporters, and the rest of the people in the crowd also glared at Maitreya with great displeasure, disgust and contempt.
Turning to Maitreya, one lady scolded,
"He's not a Monkey! You blind or what?! He's a human! Can't you see he's the renowned monk XX - the Buddha reborn! Stupid Fool!"
"Oh bad kamma, bad kamma ........"
Whispered and muttered the rest of the crowd among themselves, pointing at Maitreya, shaking their heads in mock sympathy.
Maitreya was stupefied.
"Oh! He's not a monkey? He's a human? A Buddha reborn?
Ha! Ha! I didn't know that ........ cos A Buddha is one who seeks and gain Enlightenment so as NEVER to be reborn again. So how can he be "The Buddha" reborn????
Besides, humans don't perform tricks for others' viewing pleasure, and especially monastics definitely won't, too.
Only monkeys will !"
With that, Maitreya coolly turned and walked away........
Away from the crowd ........
Away from this senseless world.
"It is good to see the Noble Ones (Ariyas);
To live with them is always a pleasure;
Not seeing fools is also always a pleasure."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 206
"The foolish man, who on account of false views,
Scorns the teaching of the Arahants, the Noble Ones, and the Righteous,
Produces fruits like the bamboo -
Only for self-destruction."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 164
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"Ignorant worldlings, lacking in knowledge,
Do not know the unique ( and real ) qualities of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha,
And so they are like the blind;
But the wise, having knowledge,
Are like people with sight."
- The Buddha
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"Are we, or are we not practising correctly in accordance with the teachings of (Buddha) Buddhism?
We shouldn't just do as we see fit.
There is only ONE TEACHING, ONLY ONE BUDDHA -
But nowadays his disciples are following different paths.
It is a great shame and disgrace."
- Ajahn Tate
"It is useless pretending to forget the power of kamma,
Or pretending that one is superior to The Buddha.
One who does so is sure to be cornered by his own foolish pretensions and assumptions."
- Venerable Ajahn Mun
"The fool can, and will NEVER see what the wise sees."
"A little power soon goes to the head of one who's not used to it."
- The Buddha
"Monks! This holy life is NOT practised for the sake of deceiving the public,
Nor for the sake of gaining their respect,
Nor for the sake of gains, offerings, and fame,
Nor for the sake of defeating other sectarians.
This holy life is lived for the sake of restraint, abandoning, dispassion, and The Cessation of Suffering."
- The Buddha
"He who performs miracles (or psychic/supernatural powers) to gain followers are like tradespeople who employ dancing girls to sell their wares."
- The Buddha
"There is only one real magic -
The magic of The Dhamma;
The teachings that can liberate the mind and put an end to suffering.
Any other magic is like the illusion of a card trick -
It distracts us from the real game -
Our relation to human life, to birth and death, and to Freedom."
- Ajahn Chah
"He who tries to impress others with his knowledge, powers, skills, talents and abilities etc,
Is like a monkey who performs tricks to and for the amusement of others."
"A person who's still subjected to anger, greed and delusion, and have access to unusual/special powers, will only bring harm to himself and others."
"The foolish bhikkhu desires praise for qualities he does not have,
For precedence among bhikkhus,
For authority in the monasteries,
And for veneration from those unrelated to him.
'Let both laymen and bhikkhus think that things are done because of me;
Let them obey me in all matters great and small.' --
Such being the thoughts of the fool,
His greed and pride grows."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 73, 74
"The skill of a fool can only harm him;
It destroys his merit and his wisdom."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 72
"You can have all the visualisation, symbols, powers etc;
But with no real comprehension and realisation of The Dhamma,
You can, and will NEVER be enlighten.
Neither will you have any wisdom,
Nor find Real, True Happiness;
You'll be just like the spoon - NOT knowing the flavour / taste of the soup."
"Those who seek the TRUE path to Enlightenment must NOT expect an easy task,
Nor one made pleasant by offers of honour, respect and devotion."
"He who looks, appears, and/or seems holy,
May NOT actually, exactly, and/or necessarily be Truly holy."
"The duty of a monastic is NOT to perform and/or entertain;
BUT to strive for Release (Nibbana),
So as to help others."
The Basic 10 Precepts which ALL monastics should be keeping :
1) To abstain from hurting / harming and the taking of life.
2) To abstain from taking what is not given.
3) To abstain from unchastity.
4) To abstain from false speech / idle chatter / malicious gossip / harsh speech.
5) To abstain from intoxicants causing heedlessness.
6) To abstain from untimely eating. ( i.e. after 12 noon )
7) To abstain from dancing, singing, music and unseemly shows.
8) To abstain from wearing garlands / jewelleries, smartening with scents, and beautifying with perfumes.
9) To abstain from the use of high and large luxurious chairs, couches and beds.
10) To abstain from accepting gold and silver. ( i.e. money ) .
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"And then there are certain respected samanas and bramanas who, living on the food offered out of faith are given to watching entertainments that is a stumbling block to the attainment of morality.
And, what are such entertainments?
They are dancing, singing, music, shows, recitations, hand clapping, brass instrucment playing, drum playing, art exhibitions, playing with an iron ball, bamboo raising games, rituals of washing the bones of the dead, elephant / horse / buffalo / bull / goat / sheep / cock / quail fights, fighting with quarter staffs, boxing, wrestling, military tattoos, military reviews, route marches, and troop movements.
'Samana Gotama ( i.e. The Buddha ) abstains from watching entertainments which is a stumbling block to the attainment of morality.'
Bhikkhus! A worldling might praise The Tathagata in this manner."
- The Buddha, Brahmajala Sutta from Digha Nikaya - Majjhima Sila ( Middle Morality ) No. 13
