With humility, love and reverence, Lord
Buddha is bestowed with many titles by different schools and traditions. He is duly venerated as: Anuttara -Unsurpassed;
Bhagavat -Blessed One; Gautam Buddha -Gautam who became Buddha; Loka-Vid -Knower
of the World; Purusa-Damaya-Sarathi -Charioteer of a person to be tamed; Samyak
Sam-Buddha -Perfectly self-enlightened; Sakyamuni -Sakya who became Muni
–enlightened; Sastadeva-Manusyanam -Teacher of gods and humans; Su-gata -Well Gone;
Tathagata -Thus Gone; Vidya-Carana-Sampanna -Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct,
and many more.
The great Hindu saint Shankaracarya (788-820
AD) revered Lord Buddha in the highest esteem and wrote: “I adore Buddha who is
the leading Yogi in this Kali Yuga.” It
was Shankaracarya who affirmed Lord Buddha as the 9th incarnation of Lord
Vishnu and thereafter Lord Buddha is revered as the 9th incarnation
of Lord Vishnu of the Hindu pantheons.
The poet-saint Jaydeva writes: “You are
Lord Vishnu himself; you have assumed the form of Buddha; glory onto you; O
Lord of the universe; O Hari.”
Indeed, Lord Buddha creatively adapted
and recast the ancient teachings of the Vedas and Upanishads, and ushered them
to their culmination phase with most logical conclusions.
Lord Buddha was born as Siddhartha
Gautam, an ordinary human being. As
Siddhartha Gautam, he attained Buddhahood in Nirmanakaya and became Buddha, a
perfect being, the perfect embodiment of all virtues.
Lord Buddha founded the sublime Buddha
Dharma, which he unreservedly bequeathed to humanity. He did not arrogate himself as divine and there
is no such deification. This noble
example has been the greatest strength of Buddhism and the source of highest inspiration
to everyone.
Lord Buddha relied purely on reasons
and rational analysis. His innovative
thought and tireless effort enabled him to be enlightened and become
Buddha. He taught people on how to
realize the same awakening that he had realized.
Lord Buddha declared that the gates of
success and prosperity are open to all who care for their life and aspire for
higher ideals.
Lord Buddha freed himself from all
conditioning, applying his mind with boundless compassion and showed a path
that gives meaning to life. He presented
no new astounding philosophical theories, nor did he venture to create any new
material science. He explained to everyone
what is within and without, the truth that concerns our emancipation, and
ultimately expounded a unique path of deliverance.
Upon attaining Buddhahood, Lord Buddha proclaimed
to the world that the latent inconceivable potential and the creative power are
inherent in everyone to be enlightened and be Buddha just like him.
Lord Buddha’s primary message is; “Man
can gain his deliverance –Nirvana, by his own exertion without depending on any
external entity, the God, which does not independently exist.”
Lord Buddha, being enlightened,
radiated the light of Dharma, like a beacon, dispelling the darkness of
ignorance in all directions. He drew all
sentient beings forward toward the light of deliverance closing the gateway to
lower realms of life, the lower state of existence.
Having awakened with truth, enlightened
with truth, knowing the truth and having embodying the truth, Lord Buddha
discovered that suffering is universal, its cause is universal, and so is the
remedy.
Lord Buddha’s universal teaching
exhorts goodness and goodwill at everyone’s heart, and convinces everyone to embrace
human values for harmony and happiness.
Lord Buddha eternally radiates Buddha Nature
and enables others to discover the same Buddha Nature in them for which he
exerts everyone to practice Bodhi Citta -the altruistic wish for the welfare of
all sentient beings.
Lord Buddha’s precepts are timeless and
eternally pristine. His noble example is
the source of inspiration to all. Indeed
he is the perfect model of all virtues. He
inspires everyone with his iron-will, historic renunciation, perfect purity, profound
wisdom, universal love, boundless compassion, selfless service, magnetic
personality, and exemplary skills.
Lord Buddha’s serene and peaceful
countenance is a soothing sight to the pious eyes. His message of peace and tolerance is welcomed
by all with indescribable dignity. His Dharma
is revered by all and it continues to be resilient and relevant, and benefit
everyone alike.
Lord Buddha did not carve a place for
himself in his Dharma by laying down conditions. Lord Buddha says:
“Dharma must be its own successor.
Principle must live by itself, and not by
authority.
If a principle needs an authority, then it is
not a principle.
If it becomes necessary to invoke the name of
founder to enforce the authority of Dharma, then it is not a Dharma.”
Such was the view Lord Buddha had on his own
position regarding his Dharma.
Lord Buddha did not promise to give
salvation. He said he is Marga-Daata; way
provider, and not Moktsa-Daata; giver of salvation. Lord Buddha did not claim that he was a divine
being or a God. He repudiated all such
descriptions.
Lord Buddha maintained that he was no
more than a natural son of Suddhodhana and Mahamaya. He said that his Dharma is a discovery and
not a revelation. His Dharma is a discovery
through enquiry and investigation into the conditions of human life on earth,
understanding the human instinct with which a man is born, and moulding that instinct
and disposition man has formed as a result of history and tradition, which were
working to his detriment.
Lord Buddha asserted that he was one of
the human beings born on earth and his teaching is the teaching of a man to man. He never claimed infallibility of his teaching. Rightfully Lord Buddha says, “His teaching is
the true way to salvation, as He understood it; and His teaching is open to
anyone to question it, test it and find what truth it contains.”
Lord Buddha delivered his teachings to
all-alike including kings, the distressed, the un-touchable scavengers, the
poverty stricken societies, and misguided lots.
He rejected the very structure of caste system, for in his time the
societies belonging to lower caste were considered unworthy even for
salvation. To this dogma, Lord Buddha
said, “My doctrine makes no distinctions between high and low, rich and poor;
it is like a sky, it has room for all; like water, it washes all alike.”
Lord Buddha did not say whatever he
taught is complete, ultimate and finite.
He asked his disciples to continue to discover the ways to alleviate
suffering. For this reason Buddha Dharma
continues to evolve and remain relevant with time that advocates selfless
service benefiting every other sentient being.
Lord Buddha gives absolute liberty to
the world of thought and intellect for search of absolute truth. Indeed the freedom that Lord Buddha gave kept
his teaching alive and evolving. The fervent
wish of Lord Buddha to his followers is that they continue to innovate and find
new height for Dharma and remain relevant.
Lord Buddha says Dharma must continue to evolve for being relevant.
There were great scholars of high
metaphysical subjects but apathetic to societies inflicted by poverty, social
discrimination and suffering. This made Lord
Buddha disinterest to metaphysics. Instead
Lord Buddha wished people to focus on alleviating the suffering rather than
discussing metaphysics while being apathetic to the social ills and suffering.
Suffering arises from myopic
vision. Our thoughts are determined by
preconditions as how things should be. Clinging
to preconceived idea and judgement is detrimental to knowing the truth. Hence, Lord Buddha tells us not to accept
things, even his ideas, until through objective enquiry, investigation and introspection
we know the truth and acquire ownership of the same.
Buddha Dharma is not a belief system
but a process of observation, introspection and self-enquiry. It is a journey of awareness; from the
awareness of the object to the awareness of the subject. It is a journey from impermanent suffering to
permanent peace. It is enriched with
fundamental qualities of divinity that establishes harmony and happiness across
societies and nature.
In Buddha Dharma, the awareness of the
phenomena and introspection relates to intellect, while the ability to feel
compassion for all is a function of the heart, the emotional feeling. Dealing with intellect and emotional feeling,
Lord Buddha gives his profound teachings on Buddha Nature and Bodhi Citta.
Lord Buddha asserted; “Be light unto
yourself. Hold fast to the Truth. Look not for refuge to anyone besides Buddha
Nature inherently present in you. Know
that certain things are unwholesome and wrong.
Discard them. When you know that
certain things are wholesome and good; accept them and adhere to them wholeheartedly.”
With the teaching of Lord Buddha there
came the unique concept of Nirvana.
Nirvana is neither nihilistic nor sinking in the bottomless oblivion.
Nirvana means the awakened
consciousness living in every present moment observing the flow of phenomena as
they are. Nirvana refers to dwelling in
a non-reactive state witnessing the reality knowing fully that there is neither
a doer nor sufferer but mere flow of phenomena amidst universal flux of mind
and matter.
Having attained Nirvana does not mean
we exit Samsara leaving it behind. We
simply attain universal nature of existence having realised the transcendental
wisdom which is neither influenced nor affected by action or change, and
therefore not subject to suffering.
The concept of Nirvana is a step
forward and not a replacement of the Hindu concept of Moktsa explained by Vedas
and Upanishads. There is a seamless
continuity between the teachings of Vedas and Upanishads, and the teachings of Lord
Buddha. There is endless connectivity
and continuity between Vedas and Upanishads, and Buddha Dharma.
Lord Buddha delved vastly on the
subject of mind and attachment to sense objects, and transformed the ancient
wisdom and taught them in a pragmatic term laying greatest stress on reasons
and rationales which otherwise were kept secret from the general mass of people.
Vedas and Upanishads too have profusely
dealt on the subject of mind. Bhagvad Gita
(6.5) says, “One must deliver himself with the help of his mind. For man, mind is the cause of bondage and
mind is the cause of liberation.”
Mind absorbed in sense objects is the
cause of bondage and the mind detached from the sense objects is the cause of
liberation (Amrita-Bindu Upanishad -2).
Padma Purana says; “Chitta-Vritti-Nirodhah
-self-control, control the flickering mind from incessantly generating fleeting
thought.” Further, it says:
“Indriyani vasa
Kritva yatra tatra vasa Narah;
Tatra tasyam Kuruktsetram Prayagum Puskarum
tathah.”
“If you are able to control your mind,
then you need not go visiting holy places.
Wherever you are, the place is holy.”
This principal philosophy is shared by Hinduism and Buddhism alike.
Bhagvad Gita (6.15) extols; “Practicing
constant control of body, mind and action, one attaints the spiritual abode of
peace and happiness. Such a man is freed
from all desires.” Further it says “One
who is righteous will never come to grief; either now or in future.”
Lord Buddha did not reject everything
of Hinduism and taught something new, something not known. Lord Buddha also did no claim that he was
preaching a new Dharma. What Lord Buddha
did say was that he was preaching the Arya Dharma –the ancient, eternal noble
Dharma. His path was the Arya Path –the
noble path, the Dharma with methods of practicing it, which is practical and relevant
to all, at all times.
Lord Buddha crystallized and emboldened
the vast pool of knowledge in Vedas and Upanishads, and took it forward.
Lord Buddha found suffering is
everywhere and with everyone. Everyone,
high or low, rich or poor, is liable to experience either physical or mental,
or the combination of both. To him this universality
of suffering was important.
Lord Buddha probed into the fathom of
suffering and came up with universal response, and said; “Suffering can be annihilated
and lasting happiness can be experienced by living in harmony within and with
others, living a meaningful life with balance of thought, word and action, and
executing wholesome action only with right understanding, right intent, right
feeling and right Sanskar –attitude and behaviour.”
Buddhism grew up and flourished within
the multiple folds of Hinduism. It is a
product of the process of thinking, which had long been nurtured.
Lord Buddha charted a new path for the
reasons that at the time of Lord Buddha, the Hinduism was dominated by Karma-Kanda
-the rites, rituals and ceremonies. The
societies were dominated and dictated by Charvakas -the sensualists, and
Vedantiests -the philosophers and intellectuals, high castes and priests, who
were not concerned for social harmony, well-being and happiness of the
societies.
Lord Buddha felt distressed when he
found people did not know the real meaning of Dharma and therefore the meaning
of life. The indescribable human
suffering was being perpetuated by no other then human beings themselves.
Lord Buddha took forward the teachings
of Vedas and Upanishads, and applied for overcoming suffering of all sentient
beings. Lord Buddha taught in the
language of the people, which everybody could understand. His teaching was simple, clear and practical.
Lord Buddha stressed that people must
discover the truth by themselves and not by proxy for that is not
possible.
The teachings of Vedas and Upanishads,
and that of Lord Buddha agree so far as the goal of life and means of reaching
that goal are concerned. The fundamental
difference is between the theory and practice.
Lord Buddha delved more on practice, the ways and means of reaching the
goal of life, and less so on meta-physics of it and beyond.
The Vedas and Upanishads, in their
flurry of theories, say that the world is only an illusion, Maya. The Samsara is phenomenal and unreal. Samsara is simply a world of appearance. Behind this phenomenal world, there is the
world of reality and that world of reality is Brhamn, from which this
phenomenal world is projected.
Brahma Satya -Brahmn is real and it is
eternal. Everything changes but Brahmn
remains same, Sanatana -eternal. Brahmn
is the source, as well as end of everything.
Brahmn is Nirguna -without form and thus no attributes can be
assigned. Brahmn is unconditioned,
un-compounded, uncreated, unborn, and without beginning and end.
Brahmn is Siva -the world of
consciousness, who is revered both in form and formlessness. In formlessness –Nirguna Akar, Siva is
revered in the form of a mass on a base, called the Siva Linga. In form -the Saguna Akar, the Brahmn is Siva
and Sati –the divine power.
Sati is the manifestation of Sakti, the
energy aspect of matter -the Siva. The Siva
and Sakti, the matter and energy, are inseparable. Everything comes from Siva and dissolves into
Siva, and the driving force is Sakti. The
essence of every being is Siva and Sakti.
Transcending the Vedas and Upanishads,
Lord Buddha says; “Our life has two realities: the outer one and the inner one,
and the desires of the two are different.
The outer reality tries to fulfil itself by fulfilling the desires of
senses and stimulating sensual pleasures, and passions. The inner reality finds fulfilment by fulfilling
the desires of living in harmony within and with others, right feeling on
others, and realising eternal happiness in this life right here on earth.
Life is existence. Two things we should do in our life: we
should live our life most devoutly and live a life most divinely.
To be happy and successful in life, one
needs right perception and inspiration. With
right perception one will have right understanding free from sensual desires
and passion, and have right feeling for others.
One needs inspiration from excellence -those who understood the truth
and tried to bring everyone to his level.
A truly inspired person is always motivated to work for mutual happiness
and prosperity for all."
Our attitude toward others is a result
of our way of thinking and living. We
think that whatever happens to others will not happen to us and we apply
different standards to evaluate others.
The others are either seen someone deserving respect or an unwelcome
identity. We divide the world between us
and them due to persistent cussedness of human nature, moral blindness and spiritual
affliction.
Lord Buddha urged everyone to direct
all efforts to live in a state of complete harmony, free of negative emotions
and discrimination. Bodhi Citta, the
essence of Buddha Nature, perfectly aware and mindfulness for goodness of
others, will be there only when we are in complete harmony within and with
others.
Lord Buddha says; “There are two
mistakes one can make.....not starting the journey and not completing the
journey. It is better to travel well
than to arrive.....Suffering is a universal misfortune of mankind. If someone is seeking liberation, one should
come out of Avidya-the ignorance, the cause of suffering.”
So long there is ignorance, suffering will
continue. For coming out of ignorance
one should have right understanding of Catvari Arya-Satyani, -the Four Noble
Truths. The truth reveals itself with
transcendental experience when one practice Asta Magra, -the Noble Eightfold
Path with which one overcomes suffering here in Samsara.
Lord Buddha says, “All the troubles
originate from Avijjamulaka-the ignorance.
Because of ignorance, man is deluded into thinking what is unreal as
real. Thinking unreal as real, man is attached
to the unreality of Samsara -existence.”
To Lord Buddha the discussion on
metaphysical issue on self or Atma or Atta in Pali, is speculative and imaginary. Lord Buddha considered it as awilderness of opinions
and did not reveal the nature of Atma -self.
Instead Lord Buddha placed Buddha Nature in place of Atma characterised
by Boddhi Citta out of which the universal human values outflows.
Lord Buddha avoided on being definitive
on the philosophy of Atta or Atma -self.
It is because at metaphysical level the subject and object loses their
identities and become one. Instead, Lord
Buddha exhorted his disciples to depend on their action for their deliverance
rather than debating on subjects which do not have discrete existence.
Laying foundation for self-reliance, Lord
Buddha says, “Yourselves should exert, the Tathagatas are only teachers.” Lord Buddha has pointed out the path, with a
strong message on self-reliance, or self-dependence, and it is left for us to
follow.
In his last words to Ananda Lord
Buddha’s says, “Be ye the lamp unto yourself.
All conditioned things are subject to decay. Attain your goal by diligence”.
To attain the goal by diligence means
to ensure self-reliance for which one should have right understanding and work
with diligence. It is only with right
understanding one can have right perspective for life which inspires and motivates
to work diligently.
Emphasizing the importance of
self-reliance and diligence, Lord Buddha exhorts us to depend on ourselves for our
deliverance. Lord Buddha has shown the path,
and it is left to us whether to follow or not.
Lord Buddha did not consider life out
of context but he looked at it as a whole, inclusive of social, economic and
political aspects, besides being spiritual, and this has been his
greatness.
Lord Buddha advocated peace and
happiness by leading a pure life based on moral and spiritual principles; a
life suffused with virtue and righteousness.
Lord Buddha did consider material
welfare but did not consider material welfare as an end in itself, which he
emphasized that material welfare should be only a means to an end –a higher and
noble end.
The human suffering arises from lack of
basic physical amenities and spiritual deficiency. It is only with simultaneous elimination of both,
the ever persisting human suffering can be alleviated.
The suffering at gross level is reflected
as poverty. The elimination of physical
suffering requires: (i) Food, sufficient to prevent hunger and maintain good health;
(ii) Clothing, sufficient to appear socially decent and conducive to protect
body, (iii) Housing, which gives sufficient safety and security, and (iv)
Medicine and Health Care, which cures and prevent diseases.
But, a person enjoying superfluous
material wealth could still be living with spiritual poverty. The spiritual poverty cannot be eliminated by
supply of goods and services, nor can happiness be measure by the scale of
quantity of goods being consumed.
Lord Buddha gives special attention to
elimination of hunger. One evening Lord
Buddha was about to begin Dharma talk, an elderly farmer rushed into the hall
who was late as he had to search his lost buffalo and had not eaten his meal
whole day. Seeing the old farmer, Lord
Buddha asked to offer a meal and delayed his Dharma talk.
When the farmer had the meal, Lord
Buddha said, “Respected friends, if I had begun my Dharma talk while our
brother was still hungry, he would not be able to concentrate. That would not be right.
There is no greater suffering than
hunger. Hunger wastes our bodies and
destroys our well-being, peace and happiness.
We should never forget those who are hungry. It is a discomfort to miss one meal, but
think of the suffering of those who have not had a proper meal in days or
weeks. We must find ways to assure that
no one in this world is forced to go hungry.”
On poverty Lord Buddha says, “The poverty
in all its dimensions can be eliminated by acquisition of seven noble wealth:
(1).Faith in wholesome moral qualities, (2).Morality and righteousness, (3).Being
ashamed of morally reprehensible act, (4).Being afraid of morally corrupt act,
(5).Being receptive and ever striving to enhance personality and character,
(6).Being generous in giving and caring others, and working selflessly for the
good of others, and (7).Having insight of the nature of phenomenal existence.”
On happiness Lord Buddha says that there are four things which are conducive
to a man's happiness:
1…Uttbana-Sampada
–Competence: One should be skilled, earnest and energetic in whatever profession one is
engaged,
2…Aarakkba-Sampada: Taking care of the
income earned righteously. Neither
one should hoard wealth avariciously nor should he be
extravagant,
3…Kalyana-Mitta: Good friends who are faithful, virtuous
and intelligent, who will selflessly help others along the right path of virtue
and righteousness, and
4…Samajivikata: Being involved and volunteering selflessly in
social welfare activities caring those who are in Vikata –problem.
To a layman, happiness comes with four virtues:
(1)...Sraddha: Faith and confidence in moral, spiritual and intellectual values,
(2)...Sila:
Ethical conducts -abstinence from causing death of other beings, from
stealing and cheating, from adultery, from falsehood, and from substance abuse,
(3)...Caga: Practicing generosity, voluntarism and self sacrifice without expecting
any return for the welfare of others and environment, and
(4)...Patina: Developing wisdom and one’s attitude and behaviour which lead to
complete destruction of suffering.
Lord Buddha also speaks of four levels of
happiness attainable by a lay person:
(1)...Atti-Sukha:
Happiness of possessing enough material resources for economic security, earned
by just and righteous means,
(2)...Bhoga-Sukha:
Happiness of spending wealth earned sincerely on meritorious deeds and sharing it
with others for their benefits,
(3)...Ananna-Sukha:
Happiness of not being in debt, and
(4)...Anavajja-Sukha:
Happiness of living a faultless life with integrity, and free of
corruption.
Every human being has the natural desire to be happy
and the capacity to pursue moral excellence, and to demonstrate their ideals
through action.
There exists causal and reciprocal
relation between material poverty and spiritual poverty. Focussing only on eliminating material
poverty is self-defeating and hence the starting point for to be happy would be
to begin with life skills and moral qualities, and balancing the two.
Lord Buddha wish us to create a value based society, where life is in peace and harmony, where there is
fairness and justice; where hatred is conquered by love, greed by contentment, and
evil by goodness, where enmity, jealousy, ill-will are conquered by compassion,
good-will, and generosity.
Buddhism focus at creating an
environment for balanced growth in material and spiritual wealth where one’s
potential could be fully realised. The
enabling environment requires spiritual and moral values with which very one
should earn a living in a righteous manner according to their skills and aptitudes.
In Buddhism, meeting the basic material
requirement is a virtue. But the
indulgence in insatiable greed that brings about disharmony in the nature and
society is a crime which causes suffering to self and others.
Lord Buddha says, “Santustha Paramum
Dhanaum, -Contentment is the greatest wealth.”
But contentment advocated by Lord Buddha does not imply to sustain or
endure poverty. Lord Buddha did not value
poverty. What Lord Buddha advocated was that
we should understand our needs in right perspective and commit for its
fulfilment by righteous means.
Buddhist values and ethics tell us to
practice self-introspection, self-consciousness, awareness and mindfulness, and
cultivate a feeling of prosperity -the right feeling, the feeling of plenty. The basic economic thought in Buddhist
teaching is the ethical-economic; the idea that anything beyond basic necessity
is plentiful at which one can experience happiness.
High standard of life does not
necessarily guaranty happiness. It is
the high quality of life that gives happiness.
Resource creation not the resource consumption gives happiness.
Happiness is an eternal desire and
people have always been in the quest happiness.
But happiness can be found only when happiness of all is placed above
that of an individual. One cannot find happiness
out of deprivation, imbalances, and unfairness.
Ever since the dawn of human history every
great personality has spoken on happiness.
The views of some are worth appreciating:
“Morality and righteousness, and
traditional values cause happiness. One
should uphold the importance of family values, specially the virtues of goodness
and benevolence (Confucius 600-400 BC).”
“Man cannot escape from reality. For happiness, man should be part of this
world but without considering this world is his. For happiness one should be simple and become
one with others at a deeper level (Laotse 600-400 BC).”
“The immortal soul is a part of the
cosmic divinity. The highest happiness
for man is in the realisation of the cosmic divinity through philosophical
search (Pythagoras 562-496 BC)."
“Justice creates harmony and harmony is
the basis of soul’s well-being. Thinking,
desire and will are the activities of the soul and when these three are in
harmony within and with others’ and their environment, the happiness will be
achieved.
Highest good should be the ultimate aim
of man and it can be achieved with four virtues: (1) wisdom, (2) bravery, (3)
temperance, and (4) righteousness (Plato 427-347 BC).”
“Happiness means life flourishing; a feeling of life
flourishing and the state of mind at that instant. That happy state of
being arises from individual experience of rightly putting the inborn talent,
the natural acceptance, into practice. Happiness should be earned with exercising one’s abilities and potential
to the fullest extent.
Happiness requires two basic skills: (1) the ability
to focus on happiness-producing thoughts that brings about peace and harmony,
and (2) the ability to evaluate events and situations as positive, instead of
negative and remain undisturbed when confronted with downturn events or
disasters (Aristotle 384-322 B.C).”
“Whom enough is too little, nothing is
enough. It is the positive thinking and
reflection on positive goal of life supports living a balanced life. The lower soul is blown up by good fortunes
and thrown down by misfortunes. The sole
aim for a person’s life is to achieve happiness, by destroying listlessness (Epicure
341-270 BC).”
“The highest aim of a person is to
reunite his soul with the divine soul from whence it came. Happiness arises by liberating the soul
imprisoned by suffering and enabling it to return to its home in the light
world. The individual soul is the arena
where the eternal rivalry between good and evil takes place in search of
happiness (Plotin 204-270 BC).”
“Happy is the active, gifted, zealous,
the person who likes doing what he does and is capable of doing (Augustine
354-430 AD).”
“As we all want to be happy so we will
behave morally well and impeccably, as morality is constituent of happiness
(Immanuel Kant 1724-1804).”
To be happy we have to have inner
positive energies to transform and transcend unsatisfactory emotional state of
being. That positive energy lies in
right understanding of one's own being and environment we live in.
In the pursuit of happiness, the danger
lies in romanticising happiness and narrowing its domain to faith, belief and
traditions. Happiness is not gotten as
gift; we have to work for it.
By inherent nature we are motivated in
life when we are connected to the sense of purpose and we find happiness in
engaging to that sense of purpose. But
we continue to miss out the right sense of purpose due to lack of right
perspective for our life. It is the
right perspective of life that actually determines happiness.
Lord Buddha says, “Happiness is
experienced in living a life with positive thought and emotion renouncing the
feeling of deprivation.
Happiness is experienced with a trained
mind, a mind that can be controlled at will, a mind that does not go on to
subjects that are conducive to tension.
Happiness can be experience with a mind
that remains aware and mindful, keeps on developing itself, discovering itself
and within itself the secret of life, the problem of life and the reality of
life.
Happiness can be experienced with a
pure mind as the root of all virtues is the pure nature of mind.”
In life, every choice we make and every
action we take, we either benefit or pay the price for it. The result of the past and the present generates
the cause of which the results will mature in the future. The future becomes present and then, the
past. This chain of existence in the
cycle of birth and death caused by cause and effect eternally continues.
Lord
Buddha says; “The past is dead and gone. The future is not yet come. The present is only what one has: that
determines the future.
Do not
pursue the past; do not lose yourself in the future.
The past
is no longer is. The future has not yet
come.
Look
deeply at life as it is. In the very
here and now,
Be diligent
today. To wait until tomorrow is too
late.
Death
comes unexpectedly. How can you bargain
with it?
By oneself evil is done, by oneself one is
defiled.
By oneself evil is left undone, by oneself
one is purified.
Purity and defilement depend on oneself, no
one can purify another.”
Lord Buddha’s teaching begins with ordinary
mind and ends with enlightened mind, and between the two unfolds timeless
teachings.
Lord Buddha places mind at the
forefront and says that it is the mind which fashions our actions, the mind
which shapes our destiny, and the mind leads us either towards suffering or
happiness.
The sublime message of Lord Buddha is; “Commit
not a single unwholesome action. Cultivate
the wealth of virtue to tame this mind of ours.
This is the teachings of all Tathagatas.”
Lord Buddha says; “World isn’t a projection
of our minds, but it isn’t totally independent of our minds either. Find out all about human nature and nature of
all things, and realised the body of ‘Suchness’ in which body, mind, and the
cosmos are in harmony and unperturbed.”
“The
subject on which I meditate is truth.
The
practice to which I devote myself is the truth.
The
topic of my conversation is truth.
Look,
I have become the truth.”
Lord Buddha taught the noble ideal of
selfless service. Teaching the noble
ideal of selfless service Lord Buddha emphasized that everyone should strive
earnestly to avoid being deceived by one’s Ego.
Lord Buddha redefined renunciation that renunciation
does not mean running away from mundane life or becoming an ascetic. Truly renunciation means getting rid of impure
thoughts and defilements, and living a righteous life. For practicing Dharma, renunciation is necessary but it does not imply denunciation of
worldly life.
Renunciation does not mean going away
from home to homeless life. One should
renounce attachment but not the Karma –action.
Whatever is one’s way of life one should execute rightful action with
vigour and full devotion but being free of having preconceived notion on the
result of one’s action and longing for the result.
Renunciation implies to let go off the attachment
–the emotional bond that binds us to Samsara.
It is the emotional bond, the longing for preconceived outcome of
thought and deed that holds everyone clinging and binds to the wheel of
Samsara.
For practicing Dharma the basic
necessities are Taap -austerity, Tyag -renunciation, and Tapasya -devotional
endeavour.
Lord Buddha initiated the noble idea of
going on retreat as an appropriate way of practicing renunciation. It is possible for everyone. Everyone can practice renunciation by way of
going on retreat leaving behind the mundane world temporarily.
In retreat one experiences the feeling
of the emotional bond we live with and the joy of being free from the emotional
bond. Practicing retreat enhances
confidence that renouncing the world is not too difficult but one must not go
for it solely to enjoy positive joyful experience of leaving the world behind.
To enable us to transcend the emotional
bond in whatever mode of life we live, Lord Buddha personally practiced,
perfected and presented Samatha and Vipassana Bhavana –meditations, for good of
humanity to be at peace and harmony.
Lord Buddha placed human value at the
core of his teaching as Buddha Tattva, Buddha Bhavana or Buddha Bhav -Buddha
Nature, which encompass all positive aspects of life.
The tool Lord Buddha gave us is Bhavana
–meditation, with which we will be conscious even at unconscious state of mind
and will not make inadvertent mistakes and be in trouble in life.
When one through meditation attains the
unconsciously conscious state of mind, one becomes enlightened. At that state of mind one will be aware and
mindful of what is being done consciously or unconsciously and in any state of
mind one will be doing only the right thing in one’s life and Dukkha –suffering,
will not be there for such person.
Lord Buddha makes it clear that the
purpose of renunciation is for harmony and happiness. One should renounce pretentiousness and adore
humility with right understanding and right perspective for life.
Renunciation should not be associated
with the gloom of harsh asceticism, or with
bleak damnation of the rest of humanity and it should not result from the feelings
of loss and grief.
As long as we live in human realm, we
should be generous. It is the generosity,
the spirit of being generous, that creates goodwill and well being of self and
others.
Lord Buddha says that the generosity
with which Dana -an act of giving, is executed has the power to change the attitude
and outlook.
More than the act of giving, the intention
of giving and the degree of compassion and loving kindness associated with the
act of giving is important. Whatsoever
is given, it must be given selflessly to a genuinely needy recipient.
Generosity triggers Buddha Nature
inherently present in us and unfolds Buddhi Citta –good will, and their
underlying power to deliver harmony and happiness. Generosity frees practitioners from
attachment, the emotional bond that ties everyone to Samsara.
In practicing generosity the recipient
is important, because helping those who do not have problem does not solve the
actual problem and does not bring happiness to anyone.
Giving selflessly for the well-being of
others genuinely wanting to receive, we experience confidence; we grow in
self-esteem, and self-respect. We
experience joy out of our intention that is being transformed by the selfless act
of giving.
Generosity cause spaciousness in our
mind and heart, and it is with that spaciousness of mind and heart, we derive
the strength to accept things as they are; the root of contentment, tolerance
and forgiveness.
If we have spacious mind and heart, we
are not afraid. The fear factor itself is
eliminated. It is the fear that gives
rise to attachment and compels us to cling on to pleasant experience. When we have spacious mind and generous heart,
the vast array of experiences comes and goes and we remain confident in all
circumstances.
Practicing generosity frees our minds
from the conditioned forces of craving, clinging and attachment. It frees our mind from projecting
incompleteness or creating a feeling of deprivation. It is by practicing generosity we are able to
create harmony and extend welfare to all beings and free them from all forms of
suffering.
If we are always looking for things to
be complete, we miss the degree to which we are complete.
In a singly act of giving selflessly,
fear and attachment are annulled. Giving
selflessly to a genuinely needy recipient unfolds four immeasurable: love,
compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity.
By way of selflessly giving a material
possession, contributing a positive thought, sharing a feeling for wellbeing of
others, or volunteering for social welfare activities, we understand the value
of life. We understand that what we do
in our life—the choices we make, the values we hold—matters. What we think and do in this Samsara matters
to us and others alike.
With a selfless act of giving we
abandon craving, the desire, and clinging or grasping. We let go delusion and aversion. We renounce ill-will and discrimination -the
sense of not being in harmony with others.
The joys that comes from generosity is
the understanding that no matter how much or how little we have, if we feel we
have enough, we will always have something to give.
For promoting social harmony, Lord
Buddha disapproved the fabrics of caste system and all forms of social
discrimination and inequality.
Rejecting the social discrimination
Lord Buddha says, “Every human, through sincere and dedicated practice, can
attain enlightenment.
The station to which a man happens to
be born determines only his designation.
Lineage does not enter into a man’s being. It is not the lineage that makes a man good
or bad. High idea is important and not a
noble birth.”
Rejecting the caste system, Lord Buddha
accepted people of all castes and creeds in his Sangha on equal human ground.
Lord Buddha says; “No castes, no
inequality, no superiority, no inferiority, all are equal. Identify yourself with others and commit: As
they; so I. As I; so they. What makes a person great is not his birth
but his action.”
Lord Buddha describes the nature of an
outcaste as:
“One who is irritable, rancorous, vicious, and
detractive, perverted in views, and deceitful is an outcaste.
Whosoever harms living beings, in whom,
there is no compassion for living beings is an outcaste.
Whosoever, being rich, does not support societies
or undertake social responsibilities is an outcaste.
Whosoever when questioned about what is
good conceals what is wrong is an outcaste.
No one is an outcaste by birth.
A man does not become Brahmin by his
birth. In whom there is truth and
righteousness, he is blessed, and he is a Brahmin.”
Taking refuge is a primary practice in
Buddhism but not with the hope that one will be saved by Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha gives no such guarantee. Lord Buddha only inspires us with his
teachings and it is we ourselves are responsible for our salvation.
One should seek refuge in Lord Buddha, but
without having surrendered one's freedom of thought. In Buddha Dharma one is free to exercise one's
own free will and develop one's knowledge to the extent of becoming the Buddha.
Also by making offerings, venerating
and paying obeisance to Lord Buddha in a sanctum sanctorum one should aspect neither
worldly nor spiritual favours. Being in front
of the image of Lord Buddha one should make feel that one is in the presence of
living Buddha and thereby derive inspiration from his noble personality and
breathe in deep his boundless compassion, and commit to follow Lord Buddha’s
noble example.
What Lord Buddha expects from his
disciples is not the obeisance to him but the reverence to his teachings.
Lord Buddha says; “He honours me most who
practices my teaching best. He who sees
the Dharma sees me.”
In Buddha Dharma, Dharma literally
means virtue that liberates us from suffering.
In Buddha Dharma there is no practice of
praying for salvation. Lord Buddha does
not grant favours to those who pray to him. As a Buddhist one should not pray to be saved,
but rely on one's own endeavour.
Lord Buddha says; “The onus is entirely
on you, you yourself have to work out your destiny, not that somebody else will
be responsible for what you do or what you are.
People have to save themselves.”
Lord Buddha has shown us the way out
from suffering. It is we who have to make
progress along the way. There is no such
thing as grace or miraculous schemes in Lord Buddha’s teachings. Lord Buddha disowns that he was a saviour.
Lord Buddha says there is no mystical
force controlling man’s destiny. The
destiny of man is determined by his will and his deed. A sense of purpose and positive attitude
helps but it is entirely a question of one' choice and effort.
The butter lamps offered to Lord Buddha
symbolizes wisdom dispelling darkness.
The prayers in reverence to Lord Buddha extend only to the extent of wishing
the light of wisdom arising in us and all living beings, both in this life and
in lives to come.
Reverence to Lord Buddha only provides
inspiration and not a boon. It helps us
to be less vulnerable to the ups and downs of our life. It provides right perspective to our life,
and enables us to exploit the potentials inherently present in us.
Buddha Dharma recognizes the infinite
latent potential inherently present in us and teaches that we can gain
deliverance by our own effort, independent of divine help or mediating priest.
Buddha Dharma appeals more to the
intellect and it is unique, mainly owing to its rationality, practicability,
and universality.
Buddha Dharma believes in Buddha Nature,
the primordial purity inherently present is us. It teaches how to liberate noble thoughts and emotional
feelings. Positive attitude and
behaviour, the pursuit of others’ well-being by positive means, and the fervent
wish to live a noble life in harmony with others and nature, are the cardinal
virtues of Buddha Dharma.
Buddha Dharma nurtures ambition without
limit. It does promote the idea of improving
one’s own well-being, but it should never be to the detriment of others. The primary emphasis of Buddha Dharma is on
mutual happiness and mutual prosperity.
Buddha Dharma does not believe on independently
existing principal divine creator or God.
But it does not deny the phenomenon of life after death. From this perspective, Buddha Dharma is not a
nihilism that nothing exists outside our perceptions, but it is also not an eternalism
that there is eternal entity that exists independently and exists by
itself.
Tolerance is a highly cherished ideal of Buddha Dharma. That is why
Buddha dharma spread without force or exertion but peacefully. Violence in any form, under any pretext
whatsoever, is against the teaching of Lord Buddha.
The Emperor Asoka of India, having embraced
Buddha Dharma, wrote in one of his edicts carved on rock; “One should not honour only one's own religion and condemn that of others. One should honour all
other religions with same merit. In
doing so, one helps one's own religion to grow and renders
service to the religions of others.”
Lord Buddha’s enlightenment itself is
the greatness of Buddha Dharma. As a
human being, Lord Buddha proved that every human being could be enlightened. As Buddhist we are required to put our
individual potential and all the teachings of Lord Buddha on test.
To be a Buddhist means having Bodhi
Citta –righteous thought, not simply having it but practicing it in all
sense. One should be offering merits
accrued by body, speech and mind, for the wellbeing of others. A Buddhist should appreciate and be happy at
others’ success and not let pride and jealousy to arise.
A Buddhist is one dedicates and wish that
all beings may be enlightened.
The mistake we make is that we turn our
thoughts outward, away from our self, to the world of supernatural, the God,
which Lord Buddha says non-existent. What
Lord Buddha tells us is to direct our thoughts and emotions inwards in search
of the Buddha Nature, which is within us.
The Buddha Nature, which is the primordial
purity, the blissful consciousness, is eternal, and it is embodied in all
beings. When one realises the Buddha
Nature, one becomes the embodiment of peace, love, and compassion.
The most appealing wish of Lord Buddha
is:
“May all beings be happy and secure,
may their hearts be wholesome.
Seen or unseen, those dwelling far or near,
those who are born, or who are to be born, may all beings be happy.
Cultivate a boundless heart towards all
being, just like a mother who would protect her only child even at the risk of
her own life.
Let the thought of boundless love pervade the
whole world, above, below and across without any obstruction, without any
enmity.”
Lord Buddha is the eminent source of
inspiration and also for innovation. A
life with no inspiration is a life of stagnation. With dynamism of ceaseless inspiration, we
can give new meaning to life and make it relevant. It is only with positive inspiration, intellect
and innovation, one is able to liberate noble thoughts and pursue positive ambition.
Lord Buddha’s teachings are based not
only on reasons and rationales but on innovation and experience.
Lord Buddha through his teachings tells
us to experience life. It is the
experience that makes us real being and it is the experience that reveals the
true meaning of life. The experience may
be pleasant or unpleasant.
Lord Buddha urges us to experience a
truthful life, a life with honesty and truthfulness, for which we must cherish
basic moral and ethical values, which is the purpose of our life.
Lord Buddha says; “Ehi-Passika -come and see, but not
come and believe."
Lord Buddha’s teaching is like a raft for crossing over
a river, and not for getting hold of and carrying on one's back. His teaching is meant to carry man to safety,
to cross over Samsara, and experience the bliss of being in harmony within,
with others and nature.
In Buddha Dharma is also not necessary even to know whether the teaching is from Lord Buddha, or
from anyone else. The story of Pukkusati (Majjhima-Nikaya, Sutta no. 140)
validates this fact.
Once, Lord Buddha arrived to a potter's shed where a
young recluse had takenshelter. Seeing the young
recluse Lord Buddha asked: "O Bhikkhu, in whose name you left home? Who is
your Master? Whose doctrine do you follow?
The young recluse answered; “O friend, there is a great
recluse called Gautam, he is an Arahant, a fully-enlightened one. In the name of that Blessed One, I have become a recluse. He is my Master, and I revere his doctrine.”
Lord Buddha asked; “Have you ever seen that Blessed
One? If not, would you recognize him when
you see him?”
The young recluse answered; “I have never seen that
Blessed One. Nor would I recognize
him, if I see him.”
Lord Buddha then without divulging his
identity, said: “O Bhikkhu, I will teach you the Dhamma. Would you listen and pay attention.”
In assent the young recluse said: “Very
well, friend.”
Then Lord Buddha delivered a remarkable discourse. At the end of the
discourse the young recluse whose name was Pukkusati,
realized that the person who spoke to him was Lord Buddha. He bowed down at
the feet of Lord Buddha and
apologized for calling him friend unknowingly and begged to ordain and admit him in his Sangha.
Lord Buddha asked him to come with alms-bowl
and robes. ImmediatelyPukkusati went out in search of
alms-bowl and robes, but unfortunately died in an accident before he could be
ordained. When the news reached Lord
Buddha, he announced that Pukkusati had already seen Truth, and attained the
penultimate stage in the realization of Nirvana, and that he was born in a
realm where he would become an Arahant and finally pass away, never to return
to this world again.
When Pukkusati listened to Lord Buddha and
understood his teaching, he did not know who was speaking to him, or whose
teaching it was. From this episode it is
clear that the teaching on truth, one can have from any one.
The sense of equanimity –the oneness,
comes from deep within. Deep in us, we
find that one moment is not separate from another. So is one being from another.
Our inner consciousness has the
capacity to see and realise the truth, the oneness. It can assess the past and present, and see
the future.
Lord Buddha says, “Everything is one
and everything is Sunya.” This sublime
statement is ever blossoming revelation.
Based on this eternal truth, Lord Buddha wish everyone of us to live in
harmony, as all are one, in this eternal ‘now’, without lamentation to the
past, which is gone, and without the hope for future, which has not come yet.
What is important in life is the
positive intent and emotion. If someone
is pursuing the positive intent and emotion with integrity and humility, that
person is an enlightened person.
It is with our Karma we suffer and
remain bound to Samsara, and with our Karma we are liberated from Samsara and
experience eternal happiness in this life here on earth.
Our past Karmas -thoughts and deeds,
have shaped our present, and our Karma of now will determine our future. The balance sheet of our Karma carries over
from one lifetime to the next, passing through the latent state between death
and rebirth.
Lord Buddha says, with the Karma of now,
we can annul our past Karmas and discredit if they were negative and reshape
the present as well as the future.
The Lotus Sutra says, “We need not go
life after life of austerity for attaining Buddhahood. With diligence we can instantly tap innate
Buddhahood and extricate ourselves from bad Karma.
With transformation in life style we can
evoke transformation within and in others.”
“Obeisance
to the Supreme Being; who founded Buddha Dharma.
May
those who hear, Generate Bodhi-mind, and
Spend
their lives devoted to Buddha Dharma.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
