Budha dev

Fore-word

SIDDHARTH-GOUTAM-BUDDHA

(Copy right protected by Dr. G.S. Tripathy)

Siddharth_Goutam_Buddha was a man - not a God as it is depicted by many. He was an able teacher, a great reformer but not a savior like God.

In his life there are two different sides - social and individual. Lost in the joy of his inner meditation, the familiar Buddha image is of a meditating sage both withdrawn and absorbed.

When he is concerned with the sorrow of humanity, there is other side of Gautama’s life. A second tradition matured in the then north India, based on this compassion for humanity which developed as the ideal of salvation with the discipline of devotion for the way of universal services under the kusans and Guptas.

The former tradition prevails in Thailand, Burma and Ceylon where as the latter appeared in Japan, China, Korea, Tibet & Nepal.

That Gautam strove and attained transcendental wisdom by sitting under the Bodhi tree; he pointed a path for liberation from the world of suffering. That Buddha was the founder of Buddhism had been agreed upon by all forms of Buddhism in the world. The essential unity underlying many differences in outlook is the root of the matter whose expression came to characterize Buddhism as it spread from India to other parts of the world.

Gautam Buddha was born, grew up and died as a Hindu only. He did not feel that he was preaching a new religion. With a new emphasis, the ancient ideals of Indo Aryan civilization were being restated by him only. For the incomparable safety, fearlessness, abhaya, moksa, nirvana, he had his quest for religious India through and through.

A spiritual experience was aimed at by Buddha where all selfish craving is extinct with every fear & passion. Accompanied by the conviction of having attained spiritual freedom, it is a state of perfect inward peace which can’t be described by words. It knows what it is only he who has experienced fully.

It has been pointed out by Buddha that God belong to the world of manifestation. Hence he can’t be called absolutely unconditioned. Non-existences have its co-relative existence. The unconditional is beyond both existence and non-existence.

Buddha can’t be higher than that of Brahma even though his followers do believe in their own ways differently.

About the inexpressible, when the educated indulged in vain speculations the uneducated treated God as a being who could be manipulated by magic rite or sorcery. It makes little difference how we live if Almighty forgives us any way at the discretion. Against the ignorance and superstition the dread and the horror the Buddha had revolted, which accompanied popular religion. With dogmatism theistic views generally fill the minds of men and their hearts with intolerance. The world has been filled with doctrinal orthodoxy mingled with strife unhappiness, unjustice, crime and hatred.

A stream without an end is the conception of the world as SAMSARA. To all Indian systems like Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Sikh the law of KARMA that functions is common. Everything is temporary including Gods who took their birth in this SAMSARA. Even death is not permanent for it must turn to new life.

Buddha does not say that man has no control over his future. An “Arhat” attains Nirvana that a man can work out his future. A fatalistic view is not accepted by Buddha. The everlasting destiny cannot be determined by the conduct of the individual during his life time, according to him.

For the strenuous life, the Buddha was not an ardent exponent. He was following the middle path. According to Buddha man is to conquer time, overcome samsara and he is to follow the moral path which results in illumination. The reality of an unchangeable self for the self could not be conceded by Buddha which is something that can be guilt up by good thoughts and deeds.

Nirvana assumes freedom of the subject of inwardness while karma relates to the world of objects of existence in time. Man can standout their existential limits. The void of the world to get beyond it can be experienced through nothingness only.

There must come upon the individual a sense of agonizing annihilation, a sense of certification, a sense of bitter nothingness of all the empirical existence which is subject to the law of change in order to standout of objective existence.

There is something which survives death, though it cannot be described if death is not all, if nothingness not all. Feeling perception formations, thoughts which are the impermanent, changeable and non-substantial. That ‘I’ is the unconditioned, something which has nothing to do with the body. He becomes detached from them and becomes free when the individual knows that what is impermanent is painful.

If an ‘I’ is something like it the indispensable prerequisite of this is a higher consciousness. This ‘I’ is the primordial essential self. This is unconditioned; the realization of this gives us liberty and power.

That there is no self at all, from this it does not follow. Though it is the only content that can be known objectively, the ego is not the only content of the self. To attain “Nirvana” there is another side to our self which of course helps us.

To strive for salvation, Buddha asks us to be diligent. In this connection he is referring to the inward principle which is not swept away by the current of events not controlled by outward circumstances. From the usurpations of society, this protects itself. This does not submit to human opinion where jealousy guards it rights.

Having broken all bonds the enlightened is free. The ascetic has gained mastery over himself.

When he attained “Nirvana” Buddha was far from being dissolved into nonbeing. By the erroneous notions, Buddha was no longer conditioned. To be free from the characteristics Buddha realized himself that constituted an individual subject. From the sphere of dualities he had vanished.

He would be unjust to himself if any one looks with disgust of any fellow being who is sick or dead. We must not find fault with any human being who limps or stumbles on the road.

We will become brother of all if we learn what pain is. Buddha was an offshoot of the more ancient faith of Hindus. It is perhaps a schism or a heresy. As a new and independent religion Buddhism had not been started, Buddha inherited on the fundamentals of metaphysics and ethics while he agreed with the faith. Against certain practices, he protested which were in vogue at that point of time. In the Vedic ceremonialism, he refused to acquiesce.

To bring about a reformation in religious practices was the main object of Buddha, with a return to the basic principles. Hindus did not attack it in the way in which Buddha did.

Our Geet Govind described Buddha as the ninth, Avatar of visnu which is totally and basically wrong. Of course it is an accepted view of many who blindly look him as an Avatar knowing fully well the he was the son of Sudhodan, a zamidar of Kapilavashu is the then Kalinga. In a sense the Buddha is a maker of modern Hinduism in his own way. Free from prejudices, Buddha aimed at the development of a new type of free man intent on working out his own future.

Whether we like it or not, inspite of political divisions, the world is one. With those of others, the fortunes of every one are linked up.

Humanism of Buddha crossed the real and national barriers. But in the souls of mankind, the chaos had been reflected with the chaotic condition of the world affairs. In spirit, history has become universal.

In spite of all its blunders and follies what we need today is a spiritual view of the universe for which this country has stood. This may blow through life again bursting the doors and flinging open the shutters of man’s life.

The lost ideal of spiritual freedom must be recovered. We must maintain inner peace if we wish to achieve peace and tranquility, which are essential elements of peace. To its love, the free spirit sets no bounds. It recognizes in all human beings a spark of the divine.

Except that of wrong doing, it casts off the fear and passes the bound of time and death.

Chapter-III Teachings of Buddha

Chapter-III Teachings of Buddha

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Into two parts, the teachings of Buddha may be divided.

One is moral and the other is philosophical. Without the knowledge of one part the other part cannot be understood properly.

The theory of Causation or dependent origination is the fundamental principle of the Buddha’s philosophy. In accordance with this theory the continuous existence of a man is like a wheel of causes and effects. Ignorance gives rise to actions. Nama Rupa, Six-Senses, Feeling, Craving, Consciousness, Grasping, birth becoming and suffering then in their turn come gradually. The primary cause, which is ignorance, must be destroyed, if the last effect is to be destroyed.

There are four noble truths which consist another important theory of Buddha. That all existence is full of suffering is the first one.

That all suffering has a cause is the second truth. That suffering can be made to come to an end is the third one.

There is a way to end suffering is the last one. The first two truths are pessimistic.

But the other two certainly provide grounds for optimism is the opinion of the critics of Buddhism.

That the existence of a being is full of suffering why does, at all, Buddha says? The reason is all Jivas are subject to rebirth, decay. Death and again rebirth. Because they are transitory, all worldly happiness even pleasures lead one to sorrow.

And the loss of happiness and pleasure is worse than ever to have had them. The great spiritual doctor, Gautama Buddha, tried to find the ultimate cause of worldly suffering just as a good doctor tries to discover the cause of the malady before administering a remedy. The cause to be ignorant or craving arising from it that he found out of his experience.

The Buddha asks the people to remove the ignorance of truth and their craving for happiness as the doctor removes the cause of the patient’s disease and thus cures it. Nirvana is called the cessation of suffering. This is the summumbonum, beyond logical reasoning and beyond description.

It is a positive unconditioned state realized by the mind, but it is not a negative condition.

Buddha neither followed the path of self indulgence nor the path of self mortification. Ascetics often observed fast during the time of Buddha. They led abhorrent lives and exposed themselves to fires burning around them. Thinking that the mud was exalted torturing the body they slept upon spikes. On the path leading to the ideals each step in the process is an inevitable advance.

Right View

One should get rid of all superstitions animism and primitive rites. Faith in the cruel animal sacrifice or human sacrifice, in the inequality of human being and in the existence of a prime creator of the universe are to be given up according to Buddha. This is the rational basis of Buddhism. Determination is bound to be facility if one’s view is wrong. It is based on the right view then the right mental resolve is the foundation of all great achievements. Action is preceded by speech and right speech results from right determination.

While charity truth service and kindness constitute the positive one, abstinence from killing stealing, indulgence in passion and from drinking intoxicants is the negative aspect of right action.

Right Livelihood

Out come of right action is Right Livelihood. Those who cause suffering to others are the wrong means of livelihood. For food and clothing, a monk is not allowed to do any bodily service for a lay man in exchange. By his good will towards others he must earn his alms only?

Right Effort

By a person for his own mental and moral devotion Right effort consists in strenuous Endeavour. Free from evil tendencies he should first give up his bad habits and acquire good ones and promote the good qualities that, he may have acquired already. Buddha lays great stress on this particularly.

Right Mindedness:-

This is the attention paid to the activities and weakness of one’s body and mind.

The last step is the middle path in right concentration.

The fixing of the mental faculties on a right object is right concentration. Whether they are scientific, literary, artistic or religious, the ability is useful not only to the spirituality inclined but essential in all pursuits.

The ancient Indian theory of Karma had been accepted by Buddha.

It has been laid down that the deeds of a being determine the state of life into which he will be reborn. Everywhere inequality is prevailing. Some are born poor, others rich – some are beautiful & others are ugly. Some are intelligent and others are witless.

What is the reason for this? The anomaly was due to the karma of each being in his former life is the reply of Guru to his disciple.

As his master, every living being has his own karma that differentiates all beings in to low & high state; karma may be mental, physical or oral. The nature of karma is judged by accompanying volition. Involuntary or unconscious acts are not treated as karma.

One is not always compelled by an iron necessity to go through worldly joys and sorrows from one life to another according to Buddha doctrine of karma. By some mysterious creator to which we must helplessly submit ourselves where karma is not predestination imposed on us. The doctrine of karma was highly developed by Buddha and his followers. That a being possesses the freedom of will to act, irrespective of his acts in his previous birth who held properly. Existence is impermanent whether in good or bad conditions though the former is better then the two. Naiskarmya karma leads to Arhatship and consequently to Nirvana which is the total extinction of personality. Nirvana has a secondary meaning too. It stands for the extinction of the springs of action jotting towards craving, hatred and delusion or their opposites.

Constant Spiritual exercise and contemplation are required by Nirvana. The Yogin or the Spiritual aspirant cultivates to four noble sentiments before soaring to subtle regions of thought.

In the Brahma world, Brahmaviharas give a foretaste of life. Karma or compassion, mudita sympathetic or joy, metta or universal love, upkkha or equanimity are the four sentiments who know no bounds of time, class & space.

With universal love Buddha imbued the mind of Angulimala, the notorious Robber who was converted into a spiritual way farer. You must feel compassion for them when your fellow beings are in misery. You must feel happiness when your fellow beings are happy. To mankind alone, the feelings are not restricted but cover all beings of this mundane world in the past, present and future. That you should feel the same towards a man who besmears your arm with sandal paste and one who backs your other arm with an axe where equanimity should be real.

As the perfections of the Boddhisattva universal love and equanimity are also regarded. While Buddha repeatedly says him-self that dharma is ancient and passed on by Risis or holy man from age to age; the code of morality of the Buddhist is mainly founded on the words of Buddha.

In the books of Discipline, the rules of conduct for the monks and nuns are definite and are given methodically and meticulously, while that of lay devotees or worldly folk rebirth is in a higher heaven the ideal of the monastic order is nirvana.

Meritorious acts have been performed by them. Every month four times fasts have been observed. Monks, indigent people, Brahmans have been given charities.

To follow the five commandments through out their lives the lay devotees take the vow. They are forbidden to take what is not given to tell falsehood, to deprive any animal of its life, to use intoxicants and to commit adultery. There are three additional prohibitions for days when fasts are to be observed.

Superstitious rites, ceremonious and degrading ascetic practice have been disapproved by Buddha. He tried to remove caste distinction.

As per Buddha, one does not become a Brahmin by birth. So also one does not become an outcast by birth. According to actions, it will be decided only.

Violence against others in any form is condemned by Buddha. In accordance with him forbearance is a greater virtue then the exercise of the mental spirit.

For his sermons, Buddha always used mother tongue of the people instead of an artificial language understood only by the learned few. Buddha was one of the rationalists of the world who asserted that one is one’s saviour and master without reference to any outside Power.

His concept of religion is not dogmatic.

Synopsis of his Life, Chapter-II.

Chapter-II (Synopsis of his Life)

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In the seventh century B.C. the civilized parts of India was divided into sixteen rulers out of which eight were kingdoms and the remaining were republics. At that time the most powerful kingdoms were Kosal and Magadha.

In olden days Kosal was divided into two parts. One was Uttar Kosal having its capital at SAKETA and the other was Dakshin Kosal with its capital at Sravasti. The little Sakya Jamindari was under Dakshin Kosal which was a part of the great Kalinga Empire. Subsequently towards 6^th century B.C. Suddhodhan was the chief of Sakya Rajya with its capital at Kapilvastu which is identified as Kapileswar at present. This Kapileswar is situated towards the south of Lingaraj Temple at a distance of one and half kilo meters in Bhubaneswar which is the capital of ODISHA now.

Hence the people who are telling that Sakya Rajya was in modern Nepal, they are absolutely wrong both historically and factually. The Sakyas were Kshatriyas of Solar race. In 569 B.C. the queen “Mahamaya” was going from Kapilvastu to Devadaha, her parents home to have her first child. This system is still in vogue in ODISHA till to day which is a dream in this world at present including Nepal. The queen gave birth to a divine son on her way in the Lumbini Garden between two Sal trees. At the birth place of Gautam, a monument was erected by Chandasoka in 249 B.C. which was the twelfth year of his victory over Kalinga. The child was nicknamed as Siddharth also.

On its delicate limbs, seeing the mark of greatness an old sage named Asita visited the place of Suddhodhan and expressed a desire to see the new born child. It is said the sage laughed first and shed tears afterwards.

That a saviour had come to the earth for the salvation of the people for which he laughed and shed tears because king would not live long to see the achievement of the child.

Queen Mahamaya turned away sevendays after the birth of the child while the Sakyas were celebrating the birth day of the baby.

Kapileswar village observe Buddha Purnima

Though two thousand and six hundred years have passed in the current of time, the tiny village of Kapileswar wears a festive look every year during Buddha Purnima till today. Every person of the village takes a dip in the sacred pond inside the campus of the Kapileswar temple and offers pooja to Buddha deva as the morning breaks. According to them Gautam Buddha was their ancestor. The villagers claim proudly till date that Siddharth Gautam was born in this village and spent his childhood.

Driving down a narrow road from Prabhu Lingaraj Temple, One reaches this place and gets to see people observing Buddha Purnima with traditional fervour.

Over the birth place of Gautam Buddha, Presently there is a debate going on among the scholars in view of the inscription found in this area in 1928 with the availability of literature which gives a profound and right direction that Buddha was born here in the then Kapilvastu identified as Kapileswar only.

Every household here prepared ARISHA, a special cake at home on Monday and offer the same to the lord Buddha keeping up the tradition started by ODIA merchants TAPASU and Bhallick at Buddha Gaya.

These two merchants offered “ARISHA” to Gautam after he attained enlightenment at Buddha Gaya.

There is another unique feature found in this Kapileswar village from time immemorial.

The matrimonial alliance is restricted to the village itself in the belief that marrying into families of other villages could destroy their identity of being Buddha’s descendents.

This firm belief reinforced with a group of scholars claiming that Buddha was the son of the soil of Kapileswar only.

Since he believed Buddha was born here, King Ashok came here to Kapileswar village in order to worship Lord Buddha and erected a Sthamba in his memory with epigraphical literature available today.

This stone inscription has been taken to Asutosh Museum which is at Calcutta. ODISHA Govt. should take steps to bring back this epigraph to be preserved in Orissa Museum.

By his mother’s sister “Mahaprajabati Gautami”, Gautam was mothered in his childhood and afterwards. She became also the step mother of Gautam. To the frolics and pranks natural to his age, the child preferred solitude and thoughtfulness. His spiritual inclination was observed by his father who tried his best to protect the child from mundane sufferings which he has grown up.

A beautiful girl of the same clan, Jasodhara was married to Gautam, the young man. They had been blessed by the birth of a son in course of time. The baby be named Rahul subsequently.

Unknown to anybody in the house, Gautam one day tore himself away and rode away towards the forest.

First he went to his teacher Adara Kalama and then to Udraka Ramaputra. All that they had to teach him, Gautam imbibed. But as the thirst far truth remained unquenched he moved on place to place. Near Bodh Gaya, ultimately he reached a picturesque land which was surrounded by luxuriant trees through which gentle stream were passing with banks of silver land.

By emaciating the body Gautam resorted to different kinds of self-torture in accordance with the belief. It was of no avail for him as the mind could not be elevated by this process.

That physical torture alone did not lead an elevation of the mind, had been taught by whatever little experience he had gained, however. Although in moderation, thereafter he began to eat and sleep like a normal man. At the end of six years of penance he would became a Buddha, an awakened one, by attaining Bodhi or Supreme knowledge at the age of thirty six only.

A bowl of milk pudding was offered to Buddha by Sujata who was devoted to him at noon. A few bundles of dry grass were given to Buddha in the evening, on which he could sleep at night.

In contemplation under the tree he spent for a month now called the bodhi which has been set out by him on his travels.

The newly awakened Buddha met two ODIA merchants on the way who offered him ARISA pitha, gruel of barley and honey by name Tapussa and Bhallika who became the first disciples of Buddha.

To impart his knowledge to the world his momentary dejection gave way to a keen desire. He thought of visiting his old teachers with new determination. But unfortunately both of them had died a little while ago.

For setting fourth in motion on his Dharma Chakra for the first time Buddha addressed the five monks near Banaras. On the middle path to be chosen by every human being for ascetic life and should avoid the two extremes- was his advice.

The five monks Converted to Gautama’s view after a long discourse and they laid the foundations of the Buddha’s Sangha.

The Sangha was enriched by the addition of the two intelligent Brahmans by name Sariputra and Maudgalyayanas who became the chief disciples of the master.

Important additions continued to be made to the congregation of disciples. A rich merchant of Sravasti which was the capital of Dakhin Kosala bought a large park for as many gold pieces as would cover the whole ground from the prince and made a gift to the Sangha by erecting a monastery by name Jetavana Vihara .

Prasanjit, the king of Dakshin Kosal became the disciple of Buddha along with a rich lady by name Visakha. Jivak, the royal physician also became his disciple.

About the water of the river separating their territories between Sakya and Koliyas, there arose a quarrel. The quarrel would have grown into a fierce battle had it not been for Buddha’s intervention. By the death of Sudhodana, this event was followed.

Gautami wanted to join the Sangha of Buddha which was granted by the master. King Bimbisara of Magadha was murdered by his son Ajatsatru, who was an admirer of Devadutta - a monk of the Sangha. On the life of the master these two had their designs and exposed. They fell prostrate at his fact instead of doing him any harm subsiquently.

From the height of a hill, Devadutta arranged to hurl a piece of rock at the master but only a splinter hit him.

By letting loose a mad elephant on the master, a last effort was made by Devadutta, but the animal bowed down before Buddha. He brought about a schism in the brotherhood and organized a rival Sangha after being frustrated in his murderous attempts. He died of bleeding from the mouth before he could commit more such attempts, of course, afterwards.

His clan met with a great misfortune a few years before passing of the master. Virudhak or Vidudabha was the son of the king Prasanjit of Kosal was on a visit his mother’s family along with the daughter of one of the Sakya rajas where he was insulted for his low birth. He took a vow to take revenge on Sakyas enraged. After the death of his father Prasanjit he marched against the Kapilvastu undeterred by the expostulations of the master, and put to the sword of the whole Sakya clan.

In spite of his sermons on peace, great must have been the distress of the old master to receive the news of this massacre.

From place to place, still Buddha kept moving delivering his sermons on morality, peace, universal love and purity.

The famous courtesan, Amrapali presented her mango-grove to the Sangha. This was the last great gift during the master’s life time.

Buddha felt that his end was at hand when he approached his eightieth year and he explained to Ananda on matters concerning Dhamma (Law) and discipline. The master told his pupils that he had unfolded all that a good & benevolent to them and his words should be their teacher henceforth.

By the death of Sariputra & Maudgalyayana the massacre of the Sakyas was followed within a very short period. At that time the master was at Pava. A black smith of the town invited him far a meal of rice, cakes and Sukarmaddava by which the master fell ill of health. About the meaning of the word Sukarmaddava, there is no agreement among the scholars. It may be some kind of edible herb or may be a boar’s tender flesh.

Whatever it might have been, it was difficult to digest. Buddha was taken ill with, dysentry. Though he was ill of health he went to Kusinagar.

Before two Sal trees Anand was as usual to spread a cloth for the master as he was to die in a similar place on the ground while he took his birth.

Like a lion he lay down and gave his last admonitions to thousands of monks who had assembled to have a last glimpse of the master.

With honour, his mortal remains were cremated.