Getting to Know the Buddha

Who was—or is—the Buddha? A wandering ascetic who taught people in ancient India? The founder of a world religion and monastic way of life? A “scientist of the mind”? Responses such as these fail to connect us directly with the fullness of the awakened heart. One fruit of deep engagement with the Buddhist path is to sense the presence or essence of the Buddha in a way that transforms us.

This is the devotional side of dharma practice, and its depths can be plumbed in many ways. All Buddhist traditions include devotional elements, but some make them more explicit and extensive than others. I have practiced mostly in the convert Theravada, or insight, tradition, where such elements were deliberately stripped away in the early years. I have always felt nourished by the devotion I’ve encountered in the Mahayana and Asian Theravada traditions, and appreciate that it is creeping back into the contemporary insight world.

The Pali discourses include a devotional practice called Recollection of the Buddha (buddhanussati). Both foundational and profound, such practice can connect and unify the cognitive mind with the emotions and the body, as well as lead to deep insights. Recollection of the Buddha is rarely taught in the contemporary insight scene, but I learned it from Bhikkhu Bodhi and have practiced it for an extended period both in retreat and during home practice. Having experienced some of its benefits, I am moved to share it with those who are interested.

There are a number of standard topics for recollection, the most fundamental of which is the Buddha. The Pali word typically translated as “recollection” is anussati, which includes connotations of remembering and contemplating. However, in light of how the practice actually functions, I find it useful to consider more creative interpretations, such as (in the case of buddhanussati) “knowing the Buddha,” “familiarizing the Buddha,” or “reflecting the Buddha”—as discussed in more detail below.

The basic practice instruction is to go through a series of standard phrases about the Buddha, turning them over in the mind, allowing them to permeate not only one’s mental realm but also the body, the affective heart, and our overall sense of conscious presence. These phrases occur not only in recollection practice, and not only in the Pali texts, but widely across nearly all Buddhist traditions, where they are called the Ten Epithets of the Buddha.

In the practice instructions attributed to the Buddha (for instance, in Anguttara Nikāya 11.12), only nine of the epithets are used for recollection (the first is simply stated), and this list has been preserved in a chant that is done daily at modern Theravada monasteries. Significantly, laypeople are instructed to bear these nine attributes in mind “while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down; while engaged in work and while living at home with a house full of children.” So although the practice is often done formally on the cushion, it is by no means limited to this way.

The first epithet is Tathagata, which literally means “thus-gone” or “thus-come” (perhaps both are intended). It is used copiously in the early texts by the Buddha to refer to himself, and it is not traditionally contemplated in the formal practice. The nine phrases for contemplation, with simple interpretations gleaned from traditional sources, other teachers, and my own experience, are as follows. Note that we contemplate the Pali terms, understanding the English as an adjunct. It is important to connect with these words in the ancient language.

The Tathagata (Buddha) is:

1. araham: (literally: a Worthy One, worthy of veneration and offerings); a Purified One; a Liberated One; totally free of greed, hatred, and delusion.
2. samma sambuddho: a Perfectly Enlightened One, who has removed all obstacles to knowledge and understands the nature of all dharmas (all phenomena). He saw not only his own path out of suffering but all the way to the roots, such that his teachings remain relevant across time and culture.
3. vijja-carana-sampanno: accomplished in clear knowledge and excellent conduct; his understanding fully manifest in his actions.
4. sugato: (literally: well-gone); the Happy One; gone to the bliss of nibbana such that no worldly condition can shake his mind; gone by the noble eightfold path.
5. lokavidu: knower of the world, one who knows all the different realms of existence, who knows all types of conditioned phenomena, and who knows the minds and hearts of living beings. This enables him to teach. (This is a transitional quality between the Buddha’s own liberation and his compassionate action in the world.)
6. anuttaro purisadamma-sarathi: unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, who can tame the most difficult and obstinate people.
7. sattha devamanussanam: teacher of devas and humans, who points out what is harmful and beneficial, who guides us to the good. Beyond just taming our unwholesome tendencies, he teaches us practices, the path, and how the process works. Humans and devas have the capacity to understand the dhamma.
8. buddho: the Enlightened One, who fully understood the four noble truths, who awakens the light of wisdom in others. Also the powerful and direct awakeness that can be sensed by those with trained minds.
9. bhagava: the Blessed One, the Fortunate One, who practiced and fulfilled all meritorious qualities and extends waves of blessings out to the world. This opens to the unfathomability of awakening.

This is enough to start the practice. One sits and calms the mind briefly, perhaps using the breath. Then one evokes some sense of the Buddha that is meaningful—perhaps by imagining a statue or painting one has seen, or imagining that the Buddha is present. This brings up positive feelings that enliven the mind and heart.

Now one brings to mind the notion that the Buddha was araham—completely pure; free from greed, hatred, and delusion; and hence worthy of offerings. Turning the Pali term over in the mind, recalling some brief English associations, letting the meaning penetrate not only the mind but also the heart and body. . . And after some time, moving on to the next one. We might go through several rounds in one sit. On later rounds, we might intuitively linger with certain terms that feel especially vibrant that day.

Additional explanation of some of the terms may be useful. Sometimes there is a question as to why buddho appears in addition to samma sambuddho. The traditional understanding is that the second epithet refers to the Buddha’s own complete enlightenment, whereas the eighth comprises his ability to evoke wisdom in other beings. The early tradition does not grant any being the direct power to awaken another, but if a listener’s mind has been trained, hearing the dharma can spark insight (including liberating insight). The Buddha’s direct, clear, powerful awakeness could have this effect.

By valuing and honoring the awakened nature of the Buddha, we sense our own potential to awaken.

Another term worth expanding upon is bhagava. This ancient term would have been recognized in the Buddha’s culture—we hear it in the Sanskrit Bhagavad Gita, for instance. Typically rendered in English as “blessed,” bhagava distills the sacred aspect of the Buddha. I would suggest, however, that the term includes additional dimensions, such as what is mysterious, unfathomable, or ineffable about the Buddha’s awakened mind. After contemplating the whole list of qualities, there still remains something we cannot know about the mind of the Buddha. We only know that what happened under the Bodhi tree is still echoing today, and the intuitive heart tunes into that as we open the mind to bhagava.

Although we are certainly not imagining ourselves as the Buddha, there may be some sense of internal resonance as we do the practice. On one retreat I sat with my teacher Gil Fronsdal, a yogi asked why he would bow to the Buddha-rupa before sitting down to teach. Fronsdal smiled and said, “Out of gratitude and appreciation.” Then, looking thoughtful, he added, “And sometimes there is some reflection here,” motioning up and down in front of his chest. I have experienced a similar feeling from buddhanussati practice: Yes, these qualities exist in my heart, too, in a simpler, milder, or potential form. Sometimes a deep aspiration also arises to further develop these qualities.

It is expected that as one becomes more intimate with these phrases and their effect on one’s heart, more nuanced meanings and connections will emerge. One is that we can develop a felt sense of each phrase in the body that gets evoked just with the naming of the Pali term. Going through the list is then an excursion through a kaleidoscope of subtle sensations. We are getting to know the Buddha from the inside in ways that become nonverbal.

Also, new layers of meaning may emerge in surprising ways as the epithets open, blossom, and reveal their hidden nectar to us. For instance, lokavidu, knower of the world, may initially seem to concern the external world we hear about in the news. At some point, this term may expand dramatically. (Any of the terms may do so.) Each person discovers meanings that align with their own path and understanding.

Although recollecting the Buddha is an accurate translation of buddhanussati, perhaps the alternative rendition of “knowing the Buddha” is useful in that it fills out another dimension. In German, there is a different verb for knowing a fact (wissen) compared with knowing a person (kennen), as well as the wonderful compound kennenlernen—to get to know someone (by learning about them). This is very much what happens in this practice. In light of this, another loose translation could be “familiarizing the Buddha.” Not familiarizing myself with the Buddha but simply familiarizing the Buddha—making him family, even part of my DNA. And, finally, I offer “reflecting the Buddha”—a deliberate shift from reflecting on the Buddha, once again to emphasize the direct connection this practice can engender.

The foundational benefits of this recollection practice are the inspiration and uplift we feel in our heart from these Ten Epithets of the Buddha. A fully awakened being arose in the world, expressed the living dharma through his life, and had the compassion, vision, and skill to teach others the path to freedom. The heart lifts in devotion—what good fortune! We naturally open to being part of this stream, this unfolding, this wonder.

This feeling already nourishes the heart, but in addition, the goodness flows in a number of directions. The classical texts point to the consequent arising of certain beautiful and onward-leading mind-states. From AN 11.12: 

“When a noble disciple recollects the Tathagata, on that occasion, they. . . gain inspiration in the meaning, inspiration in the dhamma, and gain gladness connected with the dhamma.”

From gladness follow joy, tranquility, happiness, and samadhi. The last term is typically translated as “concentration,” but I leave it untranslated to allow its fuller meaning of a mind that is gathered or unified in a wholesome way that promotes clear seeing. If the phrases are used in an ongoing way as a cognitive reflection, the mind enters what I like to call “daily-life samadhi,” in which the mind is simply present in a wholesome and balanced state that is robust to perturbations and can be retained off the cushion. If the phrases are used at first, then dropped in favor of noncognitive engagement (such as the felt bodily sense), the mind can enter a more traditional concentration state.

Thus, the use of deliberate thought can bring about deeper mind-states that indicate cultivation of the heart and the path. There is wholesome thought—we are using the thinking aspect of the mind in a particular way, a devotional way, that nourishes wholesome affective states like joy (piti) and happiness (sukha). This helps to unite mind and heart, which can become separated in Western culture. We need devotional practice more than we realize.

Another direction that the foundational feeling of uplift from recollection practice can flow is toward a recognition of our own good qualities. By valuing and honoring the awakened nature of the Buddha, we sense our own potential to awaken. When done in the container of dharma practice, this does not feed conceit but nearly the opposite—it supports both wholesome humility and self-respect. For Westerners who often suffer from self-criticism or from doubt in their capacity to practice, Recollection of the Buddha may heal these internal divisions and bring a healthier relationship to the spiritual life.

Yet another direction that this recollection practice can go is to support daily life situations. As we connect again and again with awakened qualities, we may find some version of them arising in mundane contexts. Could the Buddha’s aspect of buddho (awakeness) find application in listening deeply to a friend in distress? Does the flexibility of mind found in lokavidu (knowing the hearts and minds of diverse beings) help us to see our neighbor’s perspective, even if we don’t agree with it? Perhaps there will be effects in how we write an email or cook for our family.

All of these flowerings of buddhanussati practice—internally, externally, on and off the cushion—allow us to realize the deeper meaning of the term “refuge.” The refuge of the Buddha lives in us to the degree that we develop, recognize, and integrate it into our lives, and this practice is one way to do that. When we know the Buddha for ourselves in the sense evoked by devotional practice, that knowing becomes a reliable resting place for the heart and mind amid changing circumstances. We carry an intimate connection to that within ourselves that intuits freedom. In moments of strong connection, which arrive mostly by grace, we partake of the ongoing echo from the Buddha’s awakening, like catching a wave, tuning into stillness in motion, or simply losing the words.

I did Recollection of the Buddha practice for over a year before it occurred to me that I might be treading into the territory that the later traditions call “buddhanature.” Having the word come to mind brought a smile of appreciation for having touched even a piece of the depth and goodness of this notion. Although the term does not appear in the Pali suttas or in modern Theravada Buddhism, perhaps its roots can be projected back this far if we look to the arena of practice.

Devotion plays a crucial role in Buddhism because it is a natural part of the human psyche. A remarkable Pali sutta (AN 4.21) shows even the Buddha having the urge to pay homage. Not long after his awakening, he declared, “It is painful to dwell without reverence and deference,” and he wondered as to what he could offer respect. Not finding any being his superior in spiritual qualities, he concluded, “Let me then honor, respect, and dwell in dependence only on this dhamma to which I have become fully enlightened.” If even the Buddha longed to offer respect, it is surely good for us too.

It is said that if we practice buddhanussati at the beginning of a retreat, it will deepen, smooth out, and ensure the success of the other practices we do on that retreat. Given that today is the beginning of the “retreat” that is the rest of your life, it may be the perfect time to start Recollection of the Buddha practice.