When the Buddha was eighty years old and about to pass away, a young man named Subhadda came to see him. Ananda, the Buddha’s attendant, thought it would be too exhausting for his master to see anyone, but the Buddha overheard the request and asked Ananda to invite the young man in.
Even as he was dying, the Buddha was willing to speak with a person requesting help.
When he came before the Buddha, Subhadda asked, “Are other religious teachers fully enlightened?”
The Buddha knew he had a very short time to live and that answering such a question would be a waste of precious moments. Remember that, if you ever have the opportunity to ask a great teacher a question make it a question that can change your life, not something that’s unimportant and trivial.
The Buddha answered the young man, “It’s not important whether the other teachers are fully enlightened. The question is whether you want to liberate yourself. If you do, practice the Noble Eightfold Path. Wherever the Eightfold Path is practiced, joy, peace, and insight are there.”
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