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Nature of the Buddha

Light of the World

‘Understood are the things to be understood,
Cultivated are the things to be cultivated,
Eradicated are the things to be eradicated,
Therefore Brahmin, I am the Buddha.’
(SUTTA NIPATA)

‘As long, brethren, as the moon and sun have not arisen in the world, just as long is there no shining forth a great light of great radiance. There prevails gross darkness, the darkness of bewilderment. Night is not distinguishable from the day, nor the month, the half-moon and the seasons of the years from each other.’
‘But, brethren, when the moon and sun arise in the world, then a great light of great radiance shines forth. Gross darkness, the darkness of bewilderment, is no more: Then are months and the half-moon and the seasons of years.’
‘Just so, brethren, as long as a Buddha, who is an Arahant, a Buddha Supreme, arises not, there is no shining forth a great light of great radiance. But gross darkness, the darkness of bewilderment, prevails. There is no proclaiming, no teaching, no showing forth, no setting up, no opening up, no analysis, no making clear of the Four Noble Truths.’
‘What Four? The Noble Truth of Suffering, the Arising of Suffering, the Ceasing of Suffering, and the Approach to the Ceasing of Suffering.’
‘Wherefore, brethren, do you exert yourselves to realize “This is suffering; this is the arising of suffering; this is the ceasing of suffering; this is the approach to the ceasing of suffering”.’
SN 55.36

The above words give us a clear picture of the great value of the arising of the Buddha to the world. The Buddha arose at a time when Western Philosophy as developed by the Greeks, was led by Heraclites who gave a new interpretation to the early religions of the Olympian gods. It was a time when Jeremiah was giving a new message among the Jews in Babylon.

It was a time when Pythagoras was introducing a doctrine of reincarnation in Greece. It was a time when Confucius was establishing his ethics of conduct in China.

It was a time when India’s social fabric was heavily encrusted with priestcraft, Brahmanical dominance, self-mortification, caste distinctions, corrupt feudalism and subjugation of women.

It was at such a time that the Buddha, the most fragrant flower of the human race, appeared in the land where saints and sages dedicated their lives to the search for truth.

He was a great man who wielded an extraordinary influence on others even during His lifetime. His personal magnetism, moral prestige and radiant confidence in His discovery, made Him a popular success. During His active life as a Teacher, the Buddha enlightened many who listened to Him. He attracted the high and low, rich and poor, educated and illiterate, men and women, householders and ascetics, nobles and peasants. He went in search of the vicious to teach, while the pure and virtuous came in search of Him to learn. To all, He gave the gift of the Truth that He had discovered. His disciples were kings and soldiers, merchants and millionaires, beggars, courtesans, religious, criminal-minded as well as deluded people. When people were fighting, He made peace between them. When they were deluded, He enlightened them. When they were inflamed with rage and lust, He gave them the cooling water of Truth. When they were forsaken and wretched, He extended to them the infinite love of His compassionate heart. All people were one in the eyes of the Buddha.

He was ‘Lokavidu’—‘The knower of the world’. Having himself lived a life of luxury He knew the world too well to have any illusions about its nature, or to believe that its laws could be completely refashioned to suit the desires of human beings. He knew that the world does not only exist for their pleasure. He knew about the nature of worldly conditions. He realised the vicissitude of worldly life. He knew the futility of human imagination or day-dreaming about the world.

He did not encourage wishful-thinking in terms of establishing a worldly Utopia. He did not set out to remould the world. Rather, He told of the Way by which one could conquer one’s own world— the inner subjective world that is everyone’s private domain. In simple language, He told us that the whole world is within us and it is led by the mind and that mind must be trained and cleansed properly. The external material world could be controlled and cease to create anguish if our inner world is under control.

His Teaching was basically simple and meaningful: ‘To put an end to evil; to fulfil all good; to purify the mind. This is the advice of all the Buddhas.’ (DHAMMAPADA 183)

He taught the people how to eradicate ignorance. He encouraged them to maintain freedom in the mind to think freely.

By every test of what He said and did, He demonstrated that He was the pre-eminent man of His day. He declared a faith of service, a ministry of sacrifice and achievement. He advised us to start each day as if it was the beginning of a life. We must not waste time and energy in searching the beginning of life. We should fulfil our endless responsibilities and duties of daily existence here and now without depending on others to do it for us. In other words, He taught us to be self-reliant.

He gave mankind a new explanation of the universe. He gave a new vision of eternal happiness, the achievement of perfection in Buddhahood. He pointed out the way to the permanent state beyond all impermanence, the way to Nirvana, the final deliverance from the misery of existence.

His time was more than 2,500 years ago. Yet, even today this great Teacher is honoured not only by all religious-minded people. He is also honoured by atheists, historians, rationalists and intellectuals, free thinkers, scientists and psychologists all over the world who freely acknowledge Him as the Enlightened, most liberal minded and compassionate Teacher.

‘Sukho Buddhanam Uppado.’
Happy is the birth of the Buddhas.
(DHAMMAPADA 194)

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Редакция перевода от 01.07.2015 19:32