<p>I think he famously added to the Vinaya over time.</p>
<p>For example, he gave the explicit rule against alcohol <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/7244/254">when a monk came back drunk</a>.</p>
<p>There are even a few rules added <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.1-6.vaji.html#para-6-2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">in the Maha-parinibbana sutta</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-13T10:31:31.837Z
2022-04-13T10:31:31.837Z
ChrisW
<p>Yes. The Buddha adapted his teaching according to circumstance. Here it was a matter of life and death, and the Buddha taught something different.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn54.9/en/sujato#sn54.9:4.2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN54.9:4.2</a>: “Ānanda, why does the mendicant Saṅgha seem so diminished?”<br />
<a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn54.9/en/sujato#sn54.9:4.3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN54.9:4.3</a>: Ānanda told the Buddha all that had happened, and said,<br />
<a href="https://suttacentral.net/sn54.9/en/sujato#sn54.9:4.6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SN54.9:4.6</a>: “Sir, please explain another way for the mendicant Saṅgha to get enlightened.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Be sure to read the full sutta. It points out some of the dangers of misunderstanding the teachings.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-12T12:48:33.537Z
2022-04-12T12:48:33.537Z
OyaMist
<p>The Buddha also often adapted what he taught according to his audience's needs.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Kesi, I train a tamable person [sometimes] with gentleness,
[sometimes] with harshness, [sometimes] with both gentleness &amp;
harshness.</p>
<p>&quot;In using gentleness, [I teach:] 'Such is good bodily conduct. Such is
the result of good bodily conduct. Such is good verbal conduct. Such
is the result of good verbal conduct. Such is good mental conduct.
Such is the result of good mental conduct. Such are the devas. Such
are human beings.'</p>
<p>&quot;In using harshness, [I teach:] 'Such is bodily misconduct. Such is
the result of bodily misconduct. Such is verbal misconduct. Such is
the result of verbal misconduct. Such is mental misconduct. Such is
the result of mental misconduct. Such is hell. Such is the animal
womb. Such the realm of the hungry shades.'</p>
<p>&quot;In using gentleness &amp; harshness, [I teach:] 'Such is good bodily
conduct. Such is the result of good bodily conduct. Such is bodily
misconduct. Such is the result of bodily misconduct. Such is good
verbal conduct. Such is the result of good verbal conduct. Such is
verbal misconduct. Such is the result of verbal misconduct. Such is
good mental conduct. Such is the result of good mental conduct. Such
is mental misconduct. Such is the result of mental misconduct. Such
are the devas. Such are human beings. Such is hell. Such is the animal
womb. Such the realm of the hungry shades.'&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;And if a tamable person doesn't submit either to a mild training or
to a harsh training or to a mild &amp; harsh training, what do you do?&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;If a tamable person doesn't submit either to a mild training or to a
harsh training or to a mild &amp; harsh training, then I kill him, Kesi.&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;But it's not proper for our Blessed One to take life! And yet the
Blessed One just said, 'I kill him, Kesi.'&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;It is true, Kesi, that it's not proper for a Tathagata to take life.
But if a tamable person doesn't submit either to a mild training or to
a harsh training or to a mild &amp; harsh training, then the Tathagata
doesn't regard him as being worth speaking to or admonishing. His
knowledgeable fellows in the holy life don't regard him as being worth
speaking to or admonishing. This is what it means to be totally
destroyed in the Doctrine &amp; Discipline, when the Tathagata doesn't
regard one as being worth speaking to or admonishing, and one's
knowledgeable fellows in the holy life don't regard one as being worth
speaking to or admonishing.&quot;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.111.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Kesi Sutta</a></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-13T18:46:36.307Z
2022-04-13T18:46:36.307Z
ruben2020
<p>The Buddha's core teaechings never changed over his lifetime.</p>
<p>His first teaching was about the Four Noble Truths, which includes the Noble Eightfold Path. His second teaching a few weeks later was about the Three Characteristics, namely, impermanence, unpleasurableness &amp; not-self.</p>
<p>His last teachings (refer to DN 16) included how Saints could only be found where the Noble Eightfold Path was found. His final words were about impermanence.</p>
<p>Therefore, his teachings never changed.</p>
<p>At times he taught in more detail, such as explaining the Four Noble Truths as Dependent Origination (refer to AN 3.61). Or at times he taught more comprehensively, such as teaching not-self (anatta) as emptiness (sunnata).</p>
<p>But his teachings never changed because Buddha was Fully Enlightened before he ever taught.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-14T13:34:53.280Z
2022-04-14T13:34:53.280Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>Did the Buddha's teachings change over time during his life?</p>
<p>In the Buddha's decades long work, did he change or redevelop his teachings? Which ones?</p>

<buddha>
Did the Buddha's teachings change over time during his life?
# Did the Buddha's teachings change over time during his life?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-04-12)

Did the Buddha's teachings change over time during his life?

In the Buddha's decades long work, did he change or redevelop his teachings? Which ones?

**Tags:** buddha


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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-04-13. Score: 1

I think he famously added to the Vinaya over time.

For example, he gave the explicit rule against alcohol [when a monk came back drunk](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/7244/254).

There are even a few rules added [in the Maha-parinibbana sutta](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.1-6.vaji.html#para-6-2).


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-04-12. Score: 1

Yes. The Buddha adapted his teaching according to circumstance. Here it was a matter of life and death, and the Buddha taught something different.

> [SN54.9:4.2](https://suttacentral.net/sn54.9/en/sujato#sn54.9:4.2): “Ānanda, why does the mendicant Saṅgha seem so diminished?”  
> [SN54.9:4.3](https://suttacentral.net/sn54.9/en/sujato#sn54.9:4.3): Ānanda told the Buddha all that had happened, and said,  
> [SN54.9:4.6](https://suttacentral.net/sn54.9/en/sujato#sn54.9:4.6): “Sir, please explain another way for the mendicant Saṅgha to get enlightened.”

Be sure to read the full sutta. It points out some of the dangers of misunderstanding the teachings.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-04-13. Score: 1

The Buddha also often adapted what he taught according to his audience's needs.

> "Kesi, I train a tamable person [sometimes] with gentleness,
> [sometimes] with harshness, [sometimes] with both gentleness &
> harshness.
>
> "In using gentleness, [I teach:] 'Such is good bodily conduct. Such is
> the result of good bodily conduct. Such is good verbal conduct. Such
> is the result of good verbal conduct. Such is good mental conduct.
> Such is the result of good mental conduct. Such are the devas. Such
> are human beings.'
>
> "In using harshness, [I teach:] 'Such is bodily misconduct. Such is
> the result of bodily misconduct. Such is verbal misconduct. Such is
> the result of verbal misconduct. Such is mental misconduct. Such is
> the result of mental misconduct. Such is hell. Such is the animal
> womb. Such the realm of the hungry shades.'
>
> "In using gentleness & harshness, [I teach:] 'Such is good bodily
> conduct. Such is the result of good bodily conduct. Such is bodily
> misconduct. Such is the result of bodily misconduct. Such is good
> verbal conduct. Such is the result of good verbal conduct. Such is
> verbal misconduct. Such is the result of verbal misconduct. Such is
> good mental conduct. Such is the result of good mental conduct. Such
> is mental misconduct. Such is the result of mental misconduct. Such
> are the devas. Such are human beings. Such is hell. Such is the animal
> womb. Such the realm of the hungry shades.'"
>
> "And if a tamable person doesn't submit either to a mild training or
> to a harsh training or to a mild & harsh training, what do you do?"
>
> "If a tamable person doesn't submit either to a mild training or to a
> harsh training or to a mild & harsh training, then I kill him, Kesi."
>
> "But it's not proper for our Blessed One to take life! And yet the
> Blessed One just said, 'I kill him, Kesi.'"
>
> "It is true, Kesi, that it's not proper for a Tathagata to take life.
> But if a tamable person doesn't submit either to a mild training or to
> a harsh training or to a mild & harsh training, then the Tathagata
> doesn't regard him as being worth speaking to or admonishing. His
> knowledgeable fellows in the holy life don't regard him as being worth
> speaking to or admonishing. This is what it means to be totally
> destroyed in the Doctrine & Discipline, when the Tathagata doesn't
> regard one as being worth speaking to or admonishing, and one's
> knowledgeable fellows in the holy life don't regard one as being worth
> speaking to or admonishing."
>
> [Kesi Sutta](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.111.than.html)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2022-04-14. Score: 0

The Buddha's core teaechings never changed over his lifetime.

His first teaching was about the Four Noble Truths, which includes the Noble Eightfold Path. His second teaching a few weeks later was about the Three Characteristics, namely, impermanence, unpleasurableness & not-self.

His last teachings (refer to DN 16) included how Saints could only be found where the Noble Eightfold Path was found. His final words were about impermanence.

Therefore, his teachings never changed.

At times he taught in more detail, such as explaining the Four Noble Truths as Dependent Origination (refer to AN 3.61). Or at times he taught more comprehensively, such as teaching not-self (anatta) as emptiness (sunnata).

But his teachings never changed because Buddha was Fully Enlightened before he ever taught.


---

