16
The Buddha Teaches a
Life Lesson
In the centuries following the Buddha’s death, numerous tales emerged about his
life and his relationship with his family members, including his son, Rahula. Modern
experts say that telling the real stories from the ctional ones is now often dif cult.
In one of these anecdotes, the Buddha tries to instill in his son the importance of
always thinking before acting—as a way to make fewer mistakes.
[The Buddha asked:] “What do you think about this, Rahula? What is the pur-
pose of a mirror?”
[The boy answered:] “The purpose of a mirror is to look at yourself.”
[The Buddha responded:] “Even so, Rahula, one should act with body, speech,
or mind only after rst looking at oneself. Before acting with body, speech, or
mind, one should think: ‘What I am about to do, will it harm me or others?’ If
you can answer: ‘Yes, it will,’ then you should not act. But if you can answer:
‘No, it will not,’ then you should act. You should re ect in the same way while
acting and after having acted. Therefore, Rahula, you should train yourself
thinking: ‘We will act only after repeatedly looking at ourselves, only after
re ecting on ourselves.’”
Quoted in Buddha Dharma Education Association, “Rahula, the Son of the Enlightened One,” 2008. www
.buddhanet.net.
both of them were well acquainted with his teachings and had al-
ready become followers. Indeed, Rahula declared that he himself
had abandoned court politics and the chance to someday be-
come king and was ready to join his father in his efforts to teach
people about the Middle Way.
Accompanied by his son and many other loyal adherents, the
Buddha continued traveling and teaching for several more de-
cades. It was said that in the year 483 BCE, when he was about
eighty, he sensed his own death approaching. Soon, he was too
old and weak to trek any further and took to his bed. On his last
day of life, he spoke to the dozens of admirers who now crowd-
ed around him and advised them not to spend needless time
mourning his passing. Rather, he said, they should use their time
