The Buddha said that for people to reach Nibbāna, they have to follow the Noble Eightfold path

Question:  Can followers of other religions which have different beliefs & practices develop their mind to reach the state of Nibbāna? (For example those who believe that God determines everything)

Than Ajahn:  The Buddha said that for people to reach Nibbāna, they have to follow the Noble Eightfold path. If any religion teaches the Noble Eightfold path then they can reach Nibbāna, if they don’t teach the Noble Eightfold path then they don’t get to Nibbāna.

Question:  The Buddha certainly talked about the benefits and happiness of various companionships, marriage, possession, etc. Even the monastic life depends on the society to meet their needs of life and existence. Is denying these things (the happiness of companionship, marriage, having possession/wealth etc) in accord with the Buddha’s teaching?

Than Ajahn:  The Buddha’s teaching has many levels, it is similar to the educational system. It has different levels of teaching and sometimes the lower level and the higher level might seem conflicting. So it depends on which level you are in, then you stick to that level.

If you are a householder, you live accordingly: you have a husband or a wife, you still rely on money. The Buddha taught householders to be charitable and to be righteous (to have virtue/sīla). But for those who want a higher level of happiness they have to renounce the householders life and happiness in order to seek a higher form of happiness, the happiness that arises from meditation. In order to get to this higher level of happiness, you have to renounce lower forms of happiness.

You have to choose between these two levels. If you still want the physical kind of happiness, you can have a family, you have money, you give dāna and you keep the precepts, then you will have this happiness. But if you want the higher form of happiness, you have to become a monk or keep the eight precepts and meditate. You have to renounce the other kind of happiness (the physical type of happiness). It is just a matter of choices. There is actually no conflict. It is like playing a game, there are many levels in a game, the beginner level, the intermediate level or the advanced level. Different rules are involved in these different levels. That’s all.

For monks, we have to renounce the physical types of happiness, but we still have to rely on society to support us through their charity/dāna. People who have money give dāna because giving dāna make them happy. So this is how it works. There is no conflict but they are two different levels of happiness. You have to choose which level you want.

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto