Various Modes of Instruction of the Buddha

It is said that He was reluctant to teach the doctrine at very beginning, He realized that the doctrine He discovered was profound (gambhīro), difficult to understand (duranubodho), difficult to see (duddaso), can not be known only through logic (atakkAvacaro) and should be known by the wise. The åriyapariyesanasutta of MN says that the Buddha decided so because human beings are led by powerful defilements, preaching the doctrine to such group will be only for the tiredness of the teacher. Yet the Buddha later decided that He should preach for still there are some with less defilement.

Because of this situation the Buddha should have thought different ways of preaching the doctrine to the people. In the µahAvekhanassasutta of MN the Buddha says the following regarding the suitable listeners to understand His doctrine.

“Etu viJJupuriso asaTho amAyAvī ujujAtiko ahamanusAsAmi. YathAnusiTThaM tathApaTipajjamAno nacirasseva sAmaM dakkhissati.”

=O wise man! Who is not shrewd and non deceiver and straight come I instruct (you). He before long by following and practicing will see (the truth) completely.”

The Buddha says honest, practical and result oriented individuals are capable of entering the path of right view, so the Buddha initially instructs to generate right view that makes a person humble and goal oriented.