Shakyamuni Buddha

Subduing Opponents and Display of Miracles

As he wended his way from town to village, from palace to roadside, sowing widely the seeds of Dharma, the Buddha overcame numerous challenges—from the obstacles put forth by his own jealous cousin Devadatta to provocation from eminent teachers of the brahminical systems who saw their royal patronage and prestige slipping as the Buddhadharma gained wider acceptance. In Vārāṇasī, a perennial center of Sanskrit learning, the Buddha defeated six important teachers of such rival views through his Dharma teachings. In Śrāvastī, aware that nothing short of a demonstration of his miraculous powers would cut through the strongly held views of the brahminical teachers there, the Buddha accepted a challenge to compete in a contest of miraculous displays. After turning down offers by Bhikṣu Mahāmaudgalyāyana and Bhikṣuṇī Utpalavarṇā to perform such displays on his behalf, the Buddha himself manifested a vast display of miracles that silenced all his opponents. Examining the history of the 45 years that the Buddha spent teaching following his enlightenment, it is clear that the Buddha not only offered the Dharma unstintingly to all, but that he also carefully attuned his presentation of the Dharma to accord with the aptitudes and attitudes of those present. His discourses included everything from simple homilies to highly sophisticated philosophical exegesis, each offered according to the capacity of the students. The internal diversity of the Dharma that the Buddha taught assured that disciples could enter the teachings at the level most appropriate to them, and progress thereafter along the path leading to enlightenment.

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