What Should We Look for in Life?

Suppose that, one day, your cherished belongings were stolen. While you were desperately searching for the thief to retrieve your possessions, you were suddenly asked, "Which is more important: finding the thief or finding yourself?" How would you answer? In both the Fascicle 15 of the Mahīsasakavinaya and the Mahāvagga of the Pali Canon's Vinaya Piṭaka, there are accounts of a group of young men with virtuous roots who were confronted with this very same dilemma when questioned by the Buddha.

As recorded in the vinaya, after attaining enlightenment, the Buddha traveled to Deer Park at Sārnāth to preach his first sermon. There, he delivered his first five disciples (pañca bhiksavah), as well as the sixty bhikkhus, including Yasa. After living in the vicinity of Deer Park for a while, he headed to Uruvilvā. On the way, the Buddha deviated from the main road to enter a forest, where he meditated under a tree. 

At that time, there were about 30 young men with their wives amusing themselves in the forest. One of them had no wife, so he took a prostitute with him. While everyone was indulging in their merriment, the prostitute stole the man's belongings and ran away. In order to help him retrieve his stolen possessions, everyone set out to search for the prostitute.

While searching in the forest, they saw the Buddha, with a magnificent and dignified appearance, sitting in meditation under a tree. Therefore, they went up to him and asked, "Great Shramana! Have you seen a woman passing by here?" The Buddha replied, "Young men! What's been going on between you and this woman?" Then they told the Buddha about the incident.

"Which one matters more to you, the search for that woman or the search for yourselves?"

"The search for ourselves is more important."

"Then why not sit down and let me impart the Dharma to you?"

After the young men bowed to the Buddha and sat around him, the Buddha shared the Dharma in a sequential order. As the young men listened to the teachings, they said to the Buddha, "Bhagavān (World-Honored One), we wish to follow you to leave the home-life and receive full ordination.”

"Welcome, Bhikkhus!" The Buddha said, "The true Dharma has been well proclaimed; you should practice virtuous conducts of purity to extinguish all sufferings." They then took the full ordination, and they all attained arhatship.

The Buddha's probing questions in the forest helped these young men stop searching outward and, instead, find the ultimate goal of their lives. So, what is it that you have been searching for?



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Life Questions: How Do You Define Success? Answered by Ven. Chang Ge

What Should We Look for in Life?

Life Questions: Where to Find Happiness either with or without Money? Answered by Ven. Chang Deng

​Life Questions: Oh Love, What Should I Do with It? Answered by Ven. Chang Sui

Life Questions: Would You Be My Friend? Answered by Ven. Chang Chii

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Life Questions on Beauty Bonus: How Much Do Looks Matter? Answered by Ven. Yan Rou

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Resource: Issue 443 of Humanity Magazine (July 2020), Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Translation: Li Siang-ling
Editing: Keith Brown, Claire