THE MESSAGE OF LORD BUDDHA
Lord Buddha’s birthday,
called Buddha Purnima, was celebrated
this year on 7th May 2020. Buddha , the Enlightened One, is
the metaphorical name of Siddhartha
Gautma who was born in Lumbini, present day Nepal, and according to several
historians , lived from 563 B.C. to 483
B.C.
He was a prince, was
married, had a son and could live a most comfortable life without any
interruption.
But his mind underwent
a revolutionary change when he had first hand observation of old age, sickness
and death. This prompted him to search
for the way by which human beings could escape the cycle of repeated births and
deaths.
What he learnt was not something
theoretical or academic. He had wandered for decades together and arrived at
the quintessence of his experiences, which he preached through the eightfold path discovered by him.
This eightfold path consists of right
views; right aspirations; right speech; right behavior; right livelihood; right
effort; right thoughts and right contemplation . Collectively, it leads to destruction of sorrow.
During his sermons at
innumerable places he told the audience: “I have found the truth and have
taught you the noble path that leads to the city of peace. I have shown you the
way to the lake of ambrosia, which washes away all evil desire. I have given you
the refreshing drink called the
perception of truth, and he who drinks
of it becomes free from excitement, passion, and wrong-doing.”
Sarojini Naidu
(1879-1994) wrote a poem entitled “To A Buddha Seated On A Lotus”wherein she
asks what mystic rapture, what peace, unknown to the world of men is the secret
of Lord Buddha[i]s
Lotus throne?. This mystic rapture is contrasted with the sufferings and
strife, the strenuous lessons of death, deferred hopes, futile strivings of the
spirit and the unsatisfied hunger of the soul, which are the common human
destiny of the unenlightened masses.
According to Buddhist
scholars, Lord Buddha does not speak of
a God, a Creator. He does not tell why we live, but how to live. He teaches a
way of life, a way to rise above the troubles of life, and finally, a way to
achieve the ultimate happiness of Nirvana. In which state of blissful non-being
untroubled peace is combined with the complete opening-up of understanding.
8th May 2020 G.
R.KANWAL
No comments:
Post a Comment