So then, does Siddhaartha as the Buddha have no special position in Buddhism? It may be said that he is the first person who awakened to the Dharma and who thereby became a Buddha. He is the first person in the history of the world who realized what the Dharma is, and the one who also mastered with his whole existence how the Dharma can be realized, that is, the way to the Dharma. This is precisely the reason he is called the founder of Buddhism. Essentially speaking, however, anyone can become a Buddha, just as Siddhaartha did, if one follows the same path. In this sense, Buddhism can rightly be said to be the "Teaching of becoming a Buddha" as well as the "Teaching of the Buddha". On the other hand, Christianity, while it may be called the "Teaching of the Christ", can never rightly be said to be the "Teaching of becoming a Christ".

　　 In Christianity, also, the medieval spirituality of the 'imitation of Christ', and especially the doctrine of the Eucharist indicate that the Christian has to become one with Christ as Christ is one with the Father. In Christianity, however, Christ with whom the Christian has to become one is the only genuine and decisive revelation and the center of history. To become one with Christ means to participate in Him. Therefore, one does not become a Christ in the same sense as one can 'become a Buddha'.

　　 The fact that Siddhaartha as the Buddha, `Saakyamuni Buddha, is neither the only Buddha, the center of history, nor the final Awakening to the Dharma, was clearly and impressively expressed by `Saakyamuni himself.

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Shortly before his death, `Saakyamuni addressed AAnanda, one of his ten great disciples, and others who were anxious at the prospect of losing the Master: "O AAnanda, be ye lamps unto yourselves. Rely on yourselves and do not rely on external help. Hold fast to the Dharma as a lamp. Seek salvation alone in the Dharma. Look not for assistance to anyone besides yourselves."[5] Obviously, when he said to his disciples, "Do not rely on external help", and "Look not for assistance to anyone besides yourselves", he included himself in terms of 'external help' and he excluded himself in terms of 'assistance'. He said this despite the fact that he, `Saakyamuni Buddha, had been a teacher of AAnanda and the others for many years. It may not, however, be clear at first how the following two passages in his statement are related to each other: "Rely on yourselves" and "Seek salvation alone in the Dharma"; or "Be ye lamps unto yourselves" and "Hold fast to the Dharma as a lamp". In this address, `Saakyamuni did not identify the Dharma with himself. He identified the 'Dharma' with the individual disciple and further, he emphasized this identity in the concrete situation of his death.

　　 In Buddhism, as you may gather from what has been said, the Dharma is beyond everyone -- beyond even `Saakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. This is the reason why it is often said, as quoted before, "Regardless of the appearance or non-appearance of the Tathaagata (`Saakyamuni Buddha) in this world, the Dharma is always present". Who, then, is rightly qualified to talk about the Dharma in its absolute universality? Is one who does not realize the Dharma qualified to talk about it? Certainly not! For, through one's conceptual understanding and one's objectivization of it, the total universality of the Dharma becomes an empty or dead universality. Hence, only one who has realized the Dharma with his whole existence can talk about it in total universality. Although Dharma transcends everyone, including `Saakyamuni Buddha and is present universally, there is no Dharma without someone to realize it. Apart from the 'realizer' there is no Dharma. In other words, the Dharma is realized as the Dharma with its universality only through a particular realizer. `Saakyamuni Buddha is none other than the first 'realizer' of Dharma. He is not, however, the only realizer of Dharma. In the sense that `Saakyamuni is a realizer of Dharma with its total universality, he may be said to be a center of the Buddhist faith, but he is certainly not the center of the Buddhist faith since everyone can become a center as a

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realizer of Dharma, a Buddha. The significance of `Saakyamuni's historical existence is equal with that of every other 'realizer' of Dharma, except that `Saakyamuni was the first.

　　 How can we hold to these two apparently contradictory aspects of Dharma: its total universality and its dependency upon a particular man for realization? The answer lies in the fact that one's realization of the Dharma is nothing but the Self-Awakening of Dharma itself. Your Awakening is, of course, your own Awakening. It is your awakening to the Dharma in its complete universality, and this awakening is possible only by overcoming your self-centeredness, i.e., only through the total negation of your ego-self. This self-centeredness is the fundamental hindrance for the manifestation of Dharma. Therefore, when the self-centeredness is overcome and selflessness is attained, i.e., anaatman is realized, Dharma naturally awakens to itself. Accordingly, the self-awakening of Dharma has the following double sense. First, it is your Self-Awakening in your ego-less true Self. Secondly, it is the Self-Awakening of Dharma itself in and through your whole existence.