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Detail of Biography - Lord Buddha
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Lord Buddha
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Birth Date :
01/01/1970
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Biography - Lord Buddha
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THE BIRTH OF BUDDHA
Ikshvaku clan had a brilliant, influential and virtuous king by the name of Shuddhodan. He had an extremely beautiful wife named Mahamaya. His subjects were very happy and contented. The soldiers of his army had a high sense of dignity about their kingdom. The state coffers were ringing with money. The credit for all this went to king Shuddhodan’s religiousness and piety.
The town of Kapilvastu, dominated by the leaders of the Shakya clan was situated on the banks of river Rohini, 130 kms north to Kashipur in southern Nepal. The opposite side of the Rohini was inhabited by people of the ‘Kauli’ tribe.
The two gorgeous daughters of the king of Kauli, Mahamaya and Gautami were married to king Shuddhodan. In spite of having a comon husband, they held no differences between them. They had mutual love and respect.
Later, Mahamaya became pregnant. During her pregnancy she dreamt of a white elephant entering her body. She was very glad with that. And she told about it to King Shuddhodan.
Story says that at daybreak, the king invited some vision experts of that time to analyze the dream. They told him that the queen would give birth to a son with immense talent and divine knowledge. This child would either become a sovereign or would extinguish the ignorance and sins of the world. This pleased the king and the queen.
After some months, the queen expressed her desire to be free from toil, grief and attachment. She wanted to stay in the Lumbini forest, which was ideal for meditation. The king made arrangements for her stay in the Lumbini forests.
In 623 BC, the queen gave birth to a charming boy under a Sal tree in the Lumbini forests. It was the day of ‘Vasant Poornima’ (the full moon day of the Hindu month of Vasant). The child’s face was radiant. Everyone was impressed by its looks.
As the news spread, people flocked to the Lumbini forests. The queen and the newborn prince were brought back to Kapilvastu in a palanquin amidst great fanfare. The town was adorned with flowers and garlands. The queen and the prince were given a hearty welcome.
An astrologer told the king, "Your son will be the light of your clan. Your clan will progress under him. Your son will rescue the world from the depths of despair. If your son takes over the empire, he will become the monarch of all the kingdoms in the world. If he decides otherwise and retires to jungle in search of salvation, he would win over all the cultures by his knowledge and truth. He will stand strongly like the Meru Mountain."
The king was overjoyed. This triggered yet another round of festivities in the city. Sages and mendicants were treated to a lavish feast. They were bestowed with gifts and alms.
Amidst this revelry, the old sage Asit paid a visit to the palace. The king accorded a warm welcome and asked the queen to bring the child. The child was placed near the feet of the saint.
The divine face of the child left the saint feeling awestruck. There were marks of wheel on the child’s feet. The hands and feet had too many lines and the eyebrows were thick.
The sage told the king in awe, "I congratulate you on being the father of such a charming child. This is the reward of the virtues of your previous birth. This happens just once in thousand centuries. Your family is a blessed one. Your child will enlighten the world with knowledge and love. However, your wife will pass away within seven days."
A shocked king broke down into tears on hearing this. The sage reassured him that though his wife would die, he had nothing to worry about his son. Then, the sage left.
The sage’s forewarning came true as Mahamaya passed exactly seven days later. The king’s second wife Gautami took up the responsibility of looking after the child.
The birth of the child just increased the admiration and respect that people had for the king. The kingdom prospered and the state treasury started brimming with money. In view of all this, the child was named ‘Sarvarth Siddha’, which was later shortened to Siddharth. He was addressed as Siddharth.
BUDDHA'S CHILDHOOD
As time passed by, Siddharth grew into a good-looking young boy. He began to progress in arts and other skills. Many landlords, indebted to king Shuddhodan, sent golden and silver toys to prince Siddharth. But even as a boy, these precious toys did not fascinate him.
When Siddharth was eight years old, the king called ‘Vishwamitra’ to impart knowledge and artistic skills to him. Vishwamitra was an expert in all the scriptures and was proficient in education and arts. In the beginning, the teacher recited some verses and asked Siddharth to write them down. Siddharth wrote the verses with ease.
Then, the impressed teacher taught him how to count numbers. The prince repeated all the numbers swiftly. The teacher was surprised over the child’s knowledge. Then, he taught the prince to measure. Siddharth told all the measurements in a flash.
The mystified teacher rose and fell at Siddharth’s feet. He exclaimed, "You are greater than any of the teachers around ! You are a better teacher than me so I bow down to you. You will not only learn but will also glorify my reputation by your presence."
Despite being way ahead of the others, Siddharth treated the other disciples with great respect. He used to be very modest in his conversations. His heart apparently brimmed with compassion and gentleness.
His compassion was worth imitating. During horse races, he would stop abruptly in spite of being in a winning position, in order to give rest to his panting horses.
Once Siddharth was sitting in the garden and pondering, when his cousin Devdutt fired an arrow at some flying swans. A swan was injured and fell down, writhing in pain. Immediately, Siddharth took the swan into his arms. He fondled it to alleviate its pain and gently removed the arrow.
He had never experienced pain in his life. He took the arrow and pierced his finger with it. For the first time, he felt some sort of a pain. With tears in his eyes, he started fondling the bird.
Presently, Devdutt’s servant came up to the prince and said, " My master has shot the swan. Give it to me." Siddharth flatly declined to do so because the swan was alive. He opined that the attacker could stake his claim if the bird would have been dead.
When the servant carried the message to Devdutt, he came up to Siddharth and demanded the bird. The prince explained the same thing again. But when Devdutt refused to shed his stubbornness, both decided to settle the issue in the royal assembly. Both were involved in a fierce argument. Some people supported Devdutt white some backed Siddharth. Incidentally, an aged ascetic happened to enter the assembly at that time. He heard out both the sides. Then, he said, " If at all life holds any value, then the one who saves has a bigger claim on that living being than the one who kills." Everyone hailed the ascetic’s opinion. The king proclaimed the ascetic’s opinion as the decisive judgment and presented him with many gifts.
After some days of this incident, the king took prince Siddharth to see the lush green fields, streams, ponds, etc. The chirping birds in the fields were a delightful sight. Hawks and eagles patrolled the skies. Small creatures were busy as they climbed up and down the trees. The sweet voice of the peacock was enchanting. The pigeons were gleefully playing on the well. The villagers were toiling in the fields.
But, what caught the eye of Siddharth was not the merriment. All he could see was that the poor, illiterate people of the village were toiling painstakingly to eke out a living. They were sweating out in the scorching heat. All the big creatures either terrorized the smaller ones or killed them.
On seeing all this, prince Siddharth curiously asked his father, " Is this joy ? Is this what you wanted to show me ? Everyone is struggling either to save or to sustain their lives. If a man can rejoice in such a situation, he is stonehearted. Please leave me alone here. I want to spend some time over here."
King Shuddhodan agreed and left. Then, Siddharth began thinking, "How strange is life ? What is its base ? What is the remedy ?" These thoughts evoked the feeling of compassion in him. He sat there lost in his thoughts. Evening set in. King Shuddhodan arrived there and escorted him back to the royal palace.
EARLY STAGES OF RENUNCIATION
One day, the prince expressed a desire to see the world outside. He asked the charioteer to keep a chariot ready. The charioteer conveyed the news to the king, who immediately ordered that the whole town be cleaned up. He prohibited the aged, handicapped and the sick from stepping out of their homes. The town was supposed to be decorated.
The next day, prince Siddharth embarked on his pleasure trip. Everyone had worn colorful attires. The sight that the prince saw was of absolute joy. As the chariot moved, people gathered around it and hailed the prince. The prince loved each and every moment of it.
Presently, an aged man reached there out of the blue. His clothes were tattered and skin wrinkled. He had a hunched back and drooping eyes. His body was senile and shivering. He held a stick to prevent himself from falling. He pleaded for alms. He was breathing heavily. The people around him were trying to take him away.
A puzzled Siddharth asked his charioteer, "He looks like a human being. Who is he ? Why is he bending so much ? Why does he seem so depressed ? Is a man born with such a body ? He is saying that he will die today or tomorrow. What does that mean ?"
The charioteer explained, "He is an aged man. He was absolutely all right seventy years ago. He had bright eyes and a beautiful body. But now, he has become old. His age has weakened his physical strength. This always happens in old age. You must not worry over such things."
The prince asked, "Will, all suffer this fate ?" The charioteer replied, "The one who lives long suffers this condition."
The prince asked again, "If I grow old, will I suffer the same way ? Will Yashodhara also suffer the same ?"
The charioteer said, "Old age affects the prince and the pauper alike. Everyone including you, your father, your wife and brother are prone to this. No one is free from it."
Prince Siddharth was surprised. He said, "In fact, we all are fools. While enjoying our youth, we turn a blind eye to the probable problems of old age. Turn back the chariot. Why should one do this when old age is bound to affect everyone ?"
The charioteer turned back the chariot. The prince was dejected. The music of the beautiful ladies failed to please him. Yashodhara asked, "Aren’t you pleased even by my presence ?"
The prince lovingly told his wife, "Oh, the repose of my youth ! There is nothing except repose in youth. But O dear ! This attraction towards the body will be destroyed one day. This thought has robbed me off my calm. This youth will bend from the waist when old age will descend. Thus, I am worried. You’ll also be affected by old age. Your face will also be wrinkled. How will I bear this ? Is there no remedy to prevent old age ? What an irony that the world which has given so many amenities for our pleasure has not produced anything to protect youth. Oh dear ! You go and take rest. Let me find a permanent medication to preserve youth, so that we can live peacefully in this world." Yashodhara couldn’t understand Siddharth’s supreme knowledge.
The next morning, Siddharth sent a message to father Shuddhodan that he wanted to see the town again. But this time, he wanted only one charioteer and wanted no prior announcements or adornments.
King Shuddhodan was averse to this proposal. But, he had to agree for pleasing the prince.
The prince assumed the disguise of a trader and the charioteer dressed up as an assistant. Both set out on foot.
Both kept on walking through various roads. On one side, they saw women walking along with pitchers on their heads and a veil over their faces. They were smiling and chatting among themselves. On the other side, traders were seen talking loudly among themselves. Sounds of flour grinders and scenes of teachers teaching their students were quite pleasant. But, suddenly a sharp voice broke through the hustle-bustle. A man was shouting. "O compassionate people ! Help me, give me a hand or else I’ll faint. Please help me to get back home."
The prince and the charioteer ran towards the man. He was pleading for help. He suffered from epilepsy. His body had rashes. He was stumbling at every step. As he fell, his rashes caused more pain. He screamed out in pain. People looked on but not one of them came forward to help him.
Tears welled up in Siddharth’s eyes on seeing this. He went up to the man and rested his head on his cap. He soothingly caressed the ailing man. An alarmed charioteer said, "O prince ! The disease that he suffers is infectious. Don’t hold him for too long. You may contract that disease."
At this, the prince asked, "If I am infected, will I have to struggle like him?"
The charioteer explained, "A disease may strike anyone irrespective of his wealth, conduct, nature or caste. No one can predict which ailment will affect a person. No one can foresay that a man going to sleep will be hale and hearty when he wakes up."
The charioteer continued, "People don’t have enough knowledge to realize that their attachment to worldly things can cause various diseases. On the contrary, their desire for worldly pleasures is more dominating than the fear of diseases."
The charioteer had barely finished his explanation when they saw a procession of people, wailing and marching towards the river. A young man with some hot ashes led the pack, while he was followed by pall bearers who carried a corpse on a Nanami (a bed made of bamboo sticks on which a corpse is tied).
Seeing that, the ailing man said, "In a short while, I will suffer the same. Take me along, take me along." He kept on yelling and gradually the yelling gave way to a weak whimper. In a few minutes, the whimper ceased and so did his breathing. The prince was shell-shocked to see the cold face, lifeless body and popping eyes. He began to think how and when a man could be rescued from such a problem. Lost in thoughts, the prince started walking. The charioteer followed. On reaching the outskirts of the town, they sat down under a Banyan tree. There, Siddharth saw a saffron dress clad man approaching with a bowl in his hand. He curiously eyed his charioteer.
The charioteer understood the question and said, "This man is called a ‘mendicant’. He has given up all his desires. He lives like a sage. He survives on alms. He is always engrossed in meditation."
The mendicant went ahead and sat under a tree to meditate.
The prince gazed at the mendicant and remarked, "The mendicants do deserve the appreciation that scholars bestow on them. Meditation always helps in our and others’ welfare. This is the only path towards attainment of joy, immortality and a peaceful life. It is nothing but foolery to have an attachment towards the youth which faces maladies, a body which faces aging and death." Then, Siddharth said lovingly, "O brother ! We are surrounded by misery and death. I can understand the seriousness of the misery that is present in this world. My heart melts at this. I can feel the fickleness of joy and worldly pleasures. Joy ends in pain and youth ends in old age. Is life worth knowing despite these facts ? I was also in an illusion till now. I was also attached to this world. But, I’ve realized that I’m also prone to aging, ailments and death. Now I don’t want to speak, hear or understand anything special. O depressed world, may all your misery befall me. I will try to destroy it."
PREPARATIONS FOR ABANDONING HOME
Prince Siddharth returned home with the charioteer. His heart was filled with an urge of renunciation. But, this urge was born out of his love. It was not due to his misery but due to the misery of the people. The urge was due to selfless love. Now, he had no attachment towards women, parents, kingdom or anything.
The love of Siddharth’s parents and wife came in his way of renunciation. He found it difficult to leave his father alone in his old age when he had showered so much of adulation on him. How could he leave his stepmother Gautami, who had treated him like her own son ? How could he break her heart ? What would happen to Yashodhara who was dependent on him, who considered him to be her lord ? How could he leave in such a condition ?
But at the same time, he also thought, "People are trapped in senility, obstacles and misery. There is no one to guide them. Irreligion is prevailing in the name of religion. People are slaughtering innocent animals under the illusion of pleasing God. By doing this, people are aggravating their woes. In such a situation, I have to be the savior of the world."
The feeling of non-attachment had strengthened so much that it was now impossible for anyone to stop Siddharth. But, he didn’t want to shun the world without the consent of his father. He went to his father and presented his wishes before him.
King Shuddhodan was highly distressed to hear this. He advised Siddharth against it. The prince calmly replied, "If you are able to give me these four things in this world. I will not think of renunciation : (1) A life without death (2) A health without ailments (3) A youth without senility and (4) The worldly objects without destruction. If you are unable to do so, then please permit me to renounce this world. I want to progress on the path of welfare and service." But, the king was still averse to his son’s idea. He began to cry. Seeing this, the prince silently returned to his rest room.
SACRIFICE
Prince Siddharth was pondering in his rest room. Time flew by and it was well past midnight. He thought, ‘The time has come where I should make a choice. Either I have to renounce the world and serve people or I have to go ahead and be a sovereign.’ He got up on his bed and looked at his wife sleeping nearby. There was silence all around. He had a look at all the objects of pleasure lying around him. After a lot of conflicting thoughts, the prince got up. He had a glance at his wife and child and went away from there.
He came out and asked his charioteer to bring the horses. The charioteer was alarmed. The prince asked him to be silent. The horses were brought and both set out. They halted near river Anoma, which was forty-five miles away from Kapilvastu. Then, Siddharth got off the chariot and thanked his charioteer. He removed all his ornaments, royal attire and sword. He gave it to his charioteer and asked him to return along with the horses. He also sent a message to Yashodhara that the world would be his if he managed to find the truth he was seeking. Then he sent away the charioteer.
IN SEARCH OF TRUTH
After the charioteer’s departure, Siddharth’s mind calmed down. He thought of shaving his head, because he didn’t need its beauty anymore. He decided to dress up in saffron clothes rather than his costly attire. At that time, he saw a hunter passing by. He requested the hunter’s saffron dress and gave his dress in return. He shaved his head off with the hunter’s knife.
Then, he moved ahead. After some time, he reached the capital of Magadh, Rajgruhi. The town was situated on the five foothills of the Vindhyachal mountain range. Many sages used to reside there in order to avoid interaction with people. One of those five foothills was called Ratnagiri. Siddharth adopted the place as his residence.
Sage Siddharth used to survive on alms. He used to sleep on dry grass. Sometimes, he used to meditate till dawn. Then, he used to resume his routine and seek alms.
Sage Siddharth or Sage Shakya as he was popularly known, didn’t have to toil to obtain alms. People willingly gave him alms due to his charming face. He used to be content with dried foodgrains. Women were fascinated by his looks, but he used to get away immediately after seeking alms.
Sage Siddharth used to wander in the adjoining foothills and listen to the speeches of other sages. There were some sages, who viewed the body as an enemy. They used to perform various asanas till the body stopped feeling any pains. Some sages had their hands permanently raised due to which the blood circulation would stop and the hand became rigid like a log. Some wore pavdi (an ancient type of footwear) encrusted with nails. Seeing all this, sage Siddharth questioned those sages, "This life is already very painful. Why do you want to aggravate this pain ?"
The sages told him, "This body is a bondage. It restrains the upliftment of the soul. Thus, by giving pain to this body, we want to attain heavenly bliss."
Sage Siddharth countered, "You are a pious lot. You have immense mental strength. So, think sensibly and stop giving pain to the body." But all the sages ignored his advises.
Sage Siddharth moved ahead trying to figure out a way to drive away the ignorance of the saints. As he went ahead, he saw a man taking his goat for grazing. One of the goats was limping along due to an injury to its legs. Sage Siddharth lifted the goat, placed it on his shoulders and began walking with the herd.
Sage Siddharth enquired with the goatherd where the goats were being taken. He was told that king Bimbisar intended to perform a ritual wherein hundred goats were to be sacrificed. Sage Siddharth decided to pay a visit to King Bimbisar. They reached the king’s town at dusk. All were surprised to see a calm and charming sage along with the goats. All stopped their work and watched the scene.
In the palace, the sentry informed the king that along with the goats, a sage with an injured goat had arrived. The king called the sage to the sacrificial pit.
King Bimbisar was supervising the preparations going on near the sacrificial pit. On both sides of the pit, sages in white dresses were reciting some verses. The whole flock of animals was standing on one side. One of the sages brought a goat forward and placed a big knife on its neck. Then, he said aloud, "Oh Gods ! The biggest of all the sacrifices is being conducted by King Bimbisar. Be satisfied by this blood and meat, which is being offered. May all the sins of the king befall the goat and with its death, may all the sins be vanquished." Saying this, the sage lifted the knife.
In a flash, sage Siddharth darted forward and freed the goat. He told the sage, "You may gladly place the knife on my neck and kill me because there is no major difference between me and this goat. Consider both of us as same." The sage was stunned to hear this.
Then, sage Siddharth looked towards king Bimbisar and said, " Oh King, O Sage ! No one can evaluate this life. Everyone has the might to take it away but no one is capable of giving it. All who are living in this world survive on compassion. It is impossible to survive even for a moment without the grace of God. The ones who know this never think of hurting or killing anyone. Once compassion is destroyed in this world, life on earth would be impossible. We are the lords of these mute creatures. We always expect the choicest blessings from our lord. Then, how can we, the lords of these animals, hack them to death ? If Gods are really pleased by blood, they are not entitled to be called Gods. Why do you commit such a ruthless act in the name of religion ? Remember one thing, a soul can never be cleansed by blood. The whole universe is sustained by rules. Everyone has to pay for acts of hatred. No God has the power to change the punishment that a person has to face for being cruel. You can attain this power yourself. It can be attained only by compassion and love. Learn to treat everyone lovingly. All your despair will give way to joy."
Then, Sage Siddharth ended his speech and took away the goat. King Bimbisar was so touched by Siddharth’s words that he ran up to him and fell at his feet. He realized his mistakes and pleaded forgiveness. He said aloud, " Now onwards, no one will kill an animal in my kingdom. But, please give us some advises which will purify our hearts."
Sage Siddharth was pleased at the transformation in King Bimbisar’s attitude. The priests doused the sacrificial fire. The king requested sage Siddharth to stay back in his kingdom. But, he turned down the request saying that he would return once he found the knowledge and truth that he was seeking. Then he advised the king, "Make laws forbidding anyone from killing animals for their selfish interests and also make adequate provisions for the protection of the weaker people. Make your kingdom pure and free from violence."
After giving the advice, sage Siddharth went away from there. Later, King Bimbisar erected an edict on which was written, "Till now, animals were killed for rituals and for eating. But, with the passage of time, King Bimbisar’s knowledge has increased. He has realized that all the creatures are similar. Only the compassionate ones can expect compassion. Accordingly, no one will kill animals for any ritual or sacrifice. Nor will anyone kill any creatures for eating them."
On the other hand, sage Siddharth continued his search for truth and reached a desolate river bank. There, a waiting young lady came up to him and said, "I had met you in Tapovan yesterday. I live in a hut at a little distance from here. Yesterday, my son was bitten by a snake and he was affected by the venom. I have asked many people for a medicine to cure him. Unfortunately no one has it. You had advised me to bring some mustard seeds from a house where no death had ever occurred. I carried my son on my shoulders and ran from one house to another. Everyone was ready to give mustard seeds but there was not even a single house where no death had ever occurred. I have left my writhing son under a shady tree. I feel that he won’t survive. Please show me the house, where no death has ever occurred."
Hearing this, sage Siddharth told her, "You have found what others have not. You have found out what I wanted to tell you. The sadness, which is effecting you, plagues the entire world alike. If there really is a way to avoid death, I am ready to shed my blood. But, I have not yet found that way. I am also in search of the same. Now, go and light the pyre of your son."
Sage Siddharth resumed his journey. He proceeded from Rajgruhi. knowledge. He felt the need to propagate a religion, which would destroy all the pains. But, people were obsessed with repentance, sacrifices, rituals and incantation. How could they accept virtues like restraint and compassion towards every creature. How would they understand the significance of such a religion ? These questions were rife in Buddha’s mind. Still, his kindness was supreme. Thinking of every depressed creature, he decided to go ahead and preach that religion.
First of all, he decided to accept Aaradkalam and Udrak Ramputra as his disciples. But, he came to know that they had left the world. Thus, he decided to preach this lesson to the five disciples. He set out for this purpose. When he was three miles north of Kashi, he met a Jain Digambar sage by the name of Upak. Seeing the determination and cheer on Buddha’s face he asked, "Who is your master ? Whose student are you?"
Buddha answered, "No one is my master. I have attained peace. I am heading towards Kashi to establish an empire of religion. I will bring the light of knowledge into the lives of those who are caught in the maze of sins and death."
Upak asked, "Are you the ‘Jin’ who, will win over the world ?"
Hearing this, Buddha gently answered,
"The one who has won over the soul and the hurdles of the mind, he is a ‘Jin’. Only those people can win who have vanquished their mental bondages and stay away from sins. I have dominated my ‘me’ and have destroyed my sins. If you call me a ‘Jin’ due to these qualities then I really am a ‘Jin’." In this way, he eased Upak’s curiosity and reached Kashi. In a jungle, he spotted Kaundayan (the disciple of Udrak Ramputra) and his four accomplices. Seeing Buddha coming towards them, they thought that since Buddha had broken the vow, he was not respectable. They decided that they would address him by his name and would not stand up as a mark of respect. They would not greet him. Concluding this, they sat down.
Buddha slowly progressed towards those disciples. When Buddha went up to them, they unknowingly forgot everything and stood up. They offered him a seat and greeted him. They respected him like a teacher. However, they addressed Buddha as Gautam. Hearing this, Buddha said, "It is highly disrespectful to address a learned person by his name. I don’t care whether people respect me or not. The Buddha, who views the world with complete neutrality also steers the world towards the path of welfare. Thus, they should be respected just like a father." Like this, Buddha taught these principles to the five disciples. However, engulfed by ignorance and vanity, they turned a deaf ear towards it. They asked Buddha, "Firstly, you undertake penance and then you stop it abruptly. Then, how did you become a ‘Buddha’ without gaining control over your mind, speech and body?"

Buddha was born in a Hindu family, which nurtured him with the Hindu culture and way of life. The customs, traditions and the intricacies of Hinduism moved him definitely – not towards, but away from them.
Kingly and dignified dynasty that he had, was never a hindrance in his dauntless pursuit of truth. He was given all the lavish luxuries in an effort to evade his attention from his search of truth in this world.
It was professed that the boy would renounce this world negating all worldly pleasures. King Shuddhodan, Buddha’s father got worried by the prophecy as he didn’t want his dynasty to end with him. He was afraid and didn’t allow Buddha to go out of the palace and see the pain that existed in the world.
The king made sure that limitless pleasures are showered on Buddha so that there were no chances of him renouncing the worldly life of a king. …Nothing worked, Buddha arose and stood up for the well being of humanity, inflicting pain on himself and ultimately renouncing the world.
One day he saw the pains of the world in the form of an old man, a dead body, and a diseased person. Getting perturbed, he straightaway wanted to uncover the reason behind the suffering of this world.
He left home and took self-renunciation. To attain the truth, he followed all the customs and traditions prescribed by the Hindu religion. He indulged in numerous kinds of activities but nothing took him even near to the truth. Realizing the futility of the rituals in the religion, he renounced everything and went steadfastly in search of his own path.
Buddha’s inner purity showed its presence on his face. He possessed a magnetism, which changed and attracted thousands and thousands of people at that time. All the conditioning that existed in the lives of the people melted down in an instant and the masses echoed only one voice, which said ‘Buddham Sharanam Gacchami,’ meaning ‘we take refuge in the Buddha.’ Getting people out of the dogmas and false beliefs, Buddha ignited a movement against the falsehoods of the time.
Throughout his life, he castigated the Hindu practices and every aspect of Hinduism. He left no stone unturned in demystifying the smoke covering Hinduism. It is a miracle that though he was against all the Hindu ritualistic practices and the Vedas; even then, his powerful presence attracted everyone.
In his 35 years of asceticism, he tirelessly spoke for the wellbeing of everybody. Each and every word spoken by him changed the lives of people forever. Covering all the topics – from the trivial to the most important ones, his teachings are actually principles in their own right.
The uniqueness of Buddha was that he never replied when he was asked any question regarding God or truth. He denied the existence of God. He never believed in any God to whom one can pray. It is because of this that he never answered when asked about God or truth.
At the same time, it is essential to mention here that he was so Godly and so religious that people worshipped him as the Living God. He gave the real meaning of religion to this world. According to him, religion is nothing but the pursuit of the truth and the self. Like all great men, his achievements actually proved to be a boon for the whole humanity. People thronged to have a glimpse of him. Wherever he went, he took an ocean of disciples along with him.
He converted more than 50 Lac people out of which more than 28 Lac were Hindus. The rituals and customs vanished into thin air once people realized the truth of life as preached by Buddha.
Call it irony or a tragedy – Throughout his life, he denied truth in all the Hindu acts and denied the existence of God; even then Hindus accepted him as an "Avtar" – "God’s incarnate".
The universal acceptance of Buddha and his line of thought by the people on whom he ridiculed and disapproved show the power of his enlightened wisdom. … And this was the proof of Buddha’s inner strength.
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TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA
THE PATH OF RELIGION
Our present condition is the result of our thoughts and is based on our thoughts; it is only because of our thoughts.
“He abused me, he hit me, he defeated me, he looted me” – Such thoughts are given space to by man in his heart. This kind of a man cannot be liberated from malevolence.
Malevolence can never be destroyed by malevolence. It can be destroyed only by love.
The world doesn’t know that every one of us is nearing our end. The one, who knows this, can put an end to the torments.
One, who is in search of the supreme bliss, whose sense organs are not in his control, who does not eat moderately, is lazy and weak; such a person falls down because of attachments; just like the weak tree which falls down in the strong winds.
Only he who is liberated from sins, who has achieved stability in virtues, who has suppressed his sense organs and who has attained the truth – Is the person suitable to wear saffron cloths (an ascetic’s attire).
Those who believe what is untrue to be true and understand the truth as untrue; are never able to attain truth and are dragged into false desires.
Perversions enter into the mind of a thoughtless person.
People who do bad deeds have to cry in this world as well as in the other world. They incur sorrows on account of the evil results of the bad deeds.
A virtuous man is happy in this world as well as in the other world. He becomes happier as he reaches better states.
One, who knows the principles of the religion and acts according to it, has renounced attachment and malevolence and he who has digested knowledge (understood it) doesn’t have desire for anything in this world and the other world is fit for sainthood.
AWAKENING
One, who renounces laziness, can attain Nirvana. Laziness is the path of death. Those who are not lazy never die; those who are lazy are dead long before.
A scholar who has progressed in a state lacking in laziness attains happiness in his progress and attains bliss in the knowledge of the Buddha. Such men, with stable mind attain the supreme form of happiness – Nirvana.
When a man who is not lazy is awakened, never commits a mistake; all his ventures are sacred, behaves in a thoughtful way, is self-restraining and leads his life according to the religion. Such a person’s fame increases.
Never run after false grandeur; don’t pursue the consumption of attachment and malevolence or attractions. Only he, who is thoughtful and is not lazy, enjoys unprecedented happiness.
A knowledgeable man removes false grandeur with diligence and reaches the peak of knowledge.
Among the lazy men, only those who are not lazy advance ahead of the others.
A mendicant who feels happy in the state of diligence and who stays away from laziness is capable of destroying the biggest and the smallest of bondages.
A mendicant who feels happy in the state of diligence and who looks at thoughtlessness as a form of fear is very near to Nirvana.
THOUGHT
A wise man controls his thoughts, which are uncertain and have a nature of changing every moment.
A thoughtful man struggles and grapples to get himself liberated from attractions.
To control the mind is the greatest of deeds. The mind comes into control with much difficulty because it is fickle. It runs here and there according to its own wishes. Only a controlled mind is the means of attaining happiness.
Happiness is attained with good thoughts.
The mind keeps on wandering, the mind is without body and is inside the heart. One, who controls such a mind, is liberated from the bondage of attractions.
If the faith in the mind is uncertain and it is not able to understand the right religion; it results in the lessening of peace. The knowledge of such a mind is never a complete one.
If the thoughts of a man are not unstable, then his mind will never get frightened, it would renounce both sins and virtues. As far as the mind is not lazy, that is, if it were awakened, it would have no fear.
A man should build a strong fort of thoughts and win over the attractions with the weapons of knowledge thinking this body to be destructible, just like a pot. Even after winning over the attractions, a man should always be awakened. He should never be lazy.
One malevolent person may harm another malevolent man or, an enemy could harm another enemy. Above all these, a mind treading the wrong path could harm a person the most.
Even mother, father or any other kith and kin cannot give the benefits, which a mind following the right path would give.
Those, desirous of attaining salvation find out the path of virtues.
The man who understands this body as being similar to the bubbles of water or the mirage (an illusion), breaks the arrow of attraction, which appears to be having a flower on its sharp end. He will never see Yama (the God of death) or death.
Just like the flood of the river, which drags the sleeping village in its flow, the living beings, attached to this world and who gather sensual pleasures like the small boys collecting flowers innocently, are dragged by death.
A mendicant should live in the village without harming anybody, just like the bee, which sucks nectar from the flowers without affecting the fragrance or the color of the flower.
A mendicant should never aim at or pay attention to the evil deeds of others or the sinful deeds resulting from inappropriate behavior or at the actions giving sins because of ill will.
Even the beautiful but meaningless word of a man who doesn’t keep his words is just like the flower without any fragrance.
Just like the garland, which is made from different flowers, all the numerous people of the world can do many good deeds.
The fragrance of the virtues of a man is supreme, when compared to the fragrance of sandalwood.
Even the rubbish thrown on the street gives rise to fragrant flowers; in the same way, amongst the group of rubbish people, the really knowledgeable men appear. With their pure knowledge, they dazzle and are special when compared to the people who are attached to this world.
THE CLASS OF IGNORANTS
For a man who is awakened, the night appears to be long. For a fatigued person, even a mile seems to be a long distance. And for a fool, who doesn’t know the right principles, the life seems to be long.
If anyone doesn’t get the company of a more knowledgeable or equally knowledgeable person, then it is better to walk alone in a steadfast manner than to make friendship or take the company of a fool.
Only fools get sorrows by thinking that, “This son is mine, this family is mine or this wealth is mine”. He is not even the master of himself, then, where is the question of owning anything at all ?
The fool who understands his foolishness is wise to that extent. But the fool who thinks himself to be wise is the real fool.
Even if a fool stays in the company of knowledgeable men for a lifetime, he will never be able to realize the truth.
If a knowledgeable man comes in contact with the wise even for a moment, he is able to realize the truth.
The fool with less knowledge is an enemy for himself because he does bad deeds; the results of which have to be consumed by himself.
The deed which gives repentance in the end and the results of which has to be borne with tears in the eyes is definitely not done properly.
Before the result of the bad deeds do not come, man thinks his deeds to be like sweet honey. But, when the fruition of the deeds happens, such fools experience sorrows.
The outcome of bad deeds does not come immediately; but the bad deeds do not stop following man, like the fire covered with ashes.
When the results of the bad deeds come out, they invoke sadness and dejection in the imbecile person, which destroy his bright future.
Only a foolish person desires for false glory. He tries to come up in the order of mendicants and wants to become an expert in this art. He craves for adoration by the people.
The worldly people think of the deeds done by them as their own and want both the right and wrong deeds to turn out just as they envisaged them to be. By this, arrogance and temptations grow.
One path goes towards wealth and the other path goes towards Nirvana. One, who understands this, will never aspire for, and try to get fame; but he will get himself engaged in the activity of attaining liberation from this world.
Do not make friendship with a person who does wrong deeds. Keep friendly relations with a virtuous person.
The one, who drinks the nectar of religion, lives happily with a peaceful heart. The scholarly always find happiness in the principles of religion.
Praise or slander never sways the scholarly.
By listening to religion, the scholarly experience peace and become sedate and resolute.
The scholarly men act with caution. They don’t desire for the sensual pleasures. They don’t get elevated or depressed (or become vulnerable) by the joys and sorrows.
Only he is a knowledgeable and virtuous person, who doesn’t desire, either for himself or for others – wealth, sons, or power and position. He will never take the wrong path.
A scholarly man should end the ignorance in the daily lives of the people and lead the enlightened life of a mendicant.
By leaving the possessiveness towards everything, a scholarly man should free his mind of all pains.
The minds of those who understand the seven elements of knowledge – memory, knowledge, happiness, love, trance and indifference; are able to end their attachment with everything and enjoy bliss in thoughts. For those, whose actions are in control, and who have enlightened knowledge are liberated despite the fact that they live in this world.
The one, who has renounced sorrows, is liberated in every way and who has shrugged off all kinds of bondage doesn’t have any kind of sorrows.
The path of those who do not keep any kind of wealth, eat only certain kind of food, enjoy the unprecedented liberty of Nirvana – is very difficult to understand just like the trail of the birds flying in the sky.
Even the Gods are jealous of the one, whose sense organs are in control and the one who is liberated from temptations and pride.
The one who does his duty and is patient like the earth is pure and sacred. He is liberated from the rotations of birth and death.
The one, who is liberated from the false beliefs, who has broken all the bondage of this world, who has given up all his greed and has renounced all his desires is supreme to all human beings.
All the places, whether in a hut or a jungle, in the ocean or on the dry lands; wherever the Buddha lives, is a pleasurable place.
The places where the world doesn’t get happiness become most pleasurable for the people who don’t have any malignance. For such a person even the jungle appears to be joyous because he is not in pursuit of external pleasures.
Even if a man gives a speech of thousand words, it is meaningless if the words are without any meaning. But instead of this, if a man gets peace by just listening to one word, it becomes worth listening to.
Instead of listening to thousand useless words of a man, listening to the words of the religion which give peace is more useful.
A man wins over thousands of men; and another man wins over himself. Of the two, the one who wins over himself is much better and is the supreme human being.
It is better to win our own self than to win over others. The victory of one who has won himself and who lives in restraint can never be converted into defeat by anybody.
By saluting a man whose soul has achieved knowledge through experience even for a moment equals the results of the sacrifices done for thousands of years. The benevolence to such a man is more beneficial than the sacrifices done for thousands of years.
The man, who obeys, respects and regards the aged; attains a life full of vitality, beautitude, happiness and progress.
A single day of a thoughtful person is more valuable and precious than hundred years of life of a person who is a pleasure seeker and one who has surrendered to the sense organs.
A single day spent with a firm mind is the best when compared to a life of hundred years spent as a lazy and weak person.
The life of a single day with Nirvana (the supreme knowledge) is the best when compared with a life of hundred years without Nirvana.
THE CLASS OF SINNERS
A man should make haste in doing good deeds and keep the mind away from bad thoughts. The mind of a man who is lazy in doing good deeds is always busy in sinful deeds.
Even if a man commits a sin, he should try not to do it again. He should not find happiness in doing sinful deeds. When sins get accumulated, sorrows appear.
Until the fruits of good deeds do not come, even a virtuous man has to go through the bad days. But when the results of the good deeds come out, then the virtuous man gets all the good things of life.
“Sins would not affect me”, keeping such thoughts in the mind nobody should be indifferent towards sins. By doing sins in little quantities, a man gets surrounded by sins from all directions.
“Little virtues would not affect me”, keeping such thoughts in mind nobody should be indifferent towards virtues. By gathering virtues in little quantities, a man gets surrounded by virtues.
Man hurts himself by hurting an innocent and pure soul just like the sand, which falls on the person who throws it in the opposite direction of the wind. Such fools are surrounded by sorrows.
In the sky, in the middle of the ocean, on the mountains or in the whole world; there is no place on earth, which would protect and free a man from the results of the sinful deeds.
In the sky, in the ocean, inside the caves of the mountains or in the whole world there is no place on earth whereof, a man would be liberated from the fear of death
THE CLASS OF PUNISHMENT
All men fear punishment. All men fear sins. Do not forget that you are also like them. Don’t do violence and do not incite violence in others.
A man who expects happiness and happiness only for himself; gives pain to all the other creatures. Because of this, he never attains happiness and imparts or instigates violence in living beings.
Don’t speak harsh words to anybody. Those who speak in harsh words also get replies in harsh words. The spoken words become the reason for sorrows. You will get the same treatment as you give to others. Expect a blow for the blow that you gave to others.
Until and unless the temptations are not under the control of the self; becoming naked, repetition of verses, staying dirty for months, observing fasts, lying down on the floor or by applying ash over the body and sitting constantly in one position will not make a person pure and sacred.
One, who is peaceful, stable, has won over the sense organs, observes restraint despite wearing good clothes is really sacred and pure. Those who do not concentrate on the shortcomings of others are actually true Brahmins (belonging to the highest class), mendicants and saints.
Destroy the sorrows and endow yourself with complete character and knowledge through devotion, good conduct, meditation, knowledge from the religion and become vibrant and joyous. Never forget the right principles.
OLD AGE
When the whole world is burning, then, what is the need to laugh ? What kind of happiness is there ? You are engulfed in darkness; then, why are you searching for light ?
Look at this body, which has been tormented, is connected to great toils, is diseased, which is busy in formulating many strategies but is actually without any strength or support. It is just like a lump of soil covered with clothes.
This body is surrounded by many diseases and is transient. This body is susceptible to destruction and life ends at death.
The fort of bones is made with the covering of blood and flesh. This fort is dwelled upon by old age, death, pride and corruption.
Even the palaces and chariots of kings get destroyed. This body also gets destroyed. But the virtues of the man with good conduct never get destroyed.
I have lost many births in the pursuit of the creator of this body; but I didn’t find him. Birth and death are painful.
A man who didn’t observe the oath of celibacy, who didn’t save his wealth in his youth gets destroyed just like the old crane, which lives in a pond without fishes.
Men, who didn’t observe the oath of celibacy, who didn’t save their wealth in their youth repent over their actions in the past; and are just like a broken bow.
THE CLASS OF SOULS
If somebody counts himself to be dearer than everything else, then he should introspect into himself thoroughly. Out of the three stages of life; namely childhood, youthhood and old age, a wise person should be awakened atleast at one stage.
If a man behaves in a way that it becomes an example and knowledge for others, then he can control others by being a self-controlled person. Self-control is extremely difficult and rare to attain.
Soul is the controller of itself. Who can be the controller of the soul ? A self- restrained man attains the Lord who is unattainable for others.
The sins brought into conduct, produced and developed by a person crushes the ignorant man.
A sinner is brought down in the manner thought out by his enemies just like the creeper, which ties and brings down the tree. As the sins increase the sinner falls down to a lesser level by the efforts of his enemies.
The men who disrespect the orders of the Lord (Lord Buddha); such men from the noble families and even the virtuous people, actually follow the path of falsehood. By doing this, they invite self-destructive results for themselves.
The sinner is doing the sin by himself and the bearer of the sin is also alone to bear the sins. The one, who renounces sins, is also doing it by himself. Man himself clears off the sins. Pure and sacred people live with the power of the soul, but the sinners fall down. Nobody can sanctify the living being; he himself can find his salvation by himself.
One should not give up one’s duties for the sake of others; no matter how big the duty of the other person is. Once the realization of one’s duties occurs, a man should follow his duties carefully.
THE CLASS OF THE BUDDHA
(THE KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE)
Even the Gods are jealous of the one, who is a Buddha (a really wise person) – who is not negligent, is submerged in meditation and who has realized the greatest peace by renouncing all kinds of associations.
The birth as a human being is extremely rare, hearing the right religion is rare and to take the birth of a Buddha (attainment of the position of the Buddha, who is omniscient) is the greatest rarity.
“Do not do any kind of sin. Good deeds should be done and the mind should be kept clean” These are the teachings of every Buddha (the wise people) of the world.
Patience is a great penance and only tolerance is the real Nirvana. One who hurts others is not an ascetic and the one who humiliates others is not a mendicant.
“Do not slander, don’t beat others, become a winner over the sense organs” The religion preaches us so. In the consumption of food, be moderate, sit and sleep in isolation and think of high ideals” – These are the teachings of every Buddha (The knowledgeable men) of this world.
Even by looking at the coins of gold temptations are not appeased. Only he is knowledgeable who knows that the sweetness of temptations is momentary and is the reason for all the sorrows.
A man with desires is not satisfied even with the pleasures of heaven. A devotee, whose mind is open, realizes happiness only in destroying all his desires.
Men, who are tormented by fear, take refuge on the mountains, in the jungles and under the shade of trees.
The refuge taken by a man tormented by fear is not a proper one. It is not the best of refuges. A man is not liberated from all his pains by taking refuge in different places.
A man who takes refuge in the three, that is, the Buddha, religion and in the Sangha and a man who takes refuge in the four sacred truths – suffering, the reason for the suffering, destruction of suffering and the eightfold path, (The eightfold path is – right thoughts, right desires, right speech, right conduct, right actions, right attempt, right awakening and right meditation) leading to the destruction of suffering has been taken as the supreme kind of refuge. After taking this kind of refuge, a man is liberated from all the sorrows in his life.
Divine men (Buddha) are rare to be found. They don’t take birth everywhere. The dynasty in which they take birth becomes prosperous forever.
The birth of a Buddha (divine men) is joyous, the teachings of the right religion is pleasant and pleasurable. The peace of the Sangha is blissful. For those who are peaceful, devotion is enjoyment.
THE CLASS OF PLEASURES
To those who hate us, if we do not show hatred, we can live in happiness. Even amongst the people who hate us, we are free of hatred.
We live in happiness amongst the men who are in pain by keeping ourselves free of the suffering. Come; let us get liberated from suffering despite living amongst those who suffer.
We get happiness by being greedless amongst the greedy.
By thinking that, “There is no one who belongs to us” we live in happiness.
Victory gives rise to animosity because the one who gets defeat grieves on it. The contented one, who is liberated from victory and defeat is always happy.
There is no fire like attachment. There is no destruction like malevolence. There is no pain like this body. There is no happiness greater than peace.
Amongst all the diseases, hunger is the biggest one; there is no bigger absurdity than wearing the body in the pursuit of sensual pleasures. To know and understand this is the only Nirvana – and the greatest of peace.
Being healthy is a great reward. Satisfaction is the biggest wealth. Trust is the best of relationships. Nirvana is the supreme bliss.
The one who has experienced the sweetness of peace and the one, who has drunk the nectar of the scriptures, is liberated from sins and fear.
By living in the company of ignorants, one has to go through sorrows for a long period of time. The association of fools is as painful as the company of enemies.
The company of the wise people gives joy. Every man should follow in the footsteps of those men who are mature, knowledgeable, scholarly, patient, duty-minded and sacred.
THE CLASS OF THE LOVED
The man who runs after the things, which are liked by him forgetting his duties, becomes proud and doesn’t meditate becomes jealous as he progresses in life; of those who meditate.
Man should not have any attachment towards the liked or disliked things. It is sorrowful to leave the loved things and, at the same time it is rueful to be in contact with the disliked things.
Men should not have any attachment with anything at all. Just the parting of the loved things is painful. Those who do not have any attachment and do not despise anything are free from bondage.
Attachment gives rise to sorrow. Attachment gives rise to fear. One who is free from attachment doesn’t even know sorrows or fear.
Love gives rise to grief. Love gives rise to fear. One, who is free from Love doesn’t even know grief or fear.
Desire gives rise to sorrows. Desire gives rise to fear. One, who is liberated from desires doesn’t even know fear or sorrows.
Temptation gives rise to sorrows. Temptation gives rise to fear. One, who is liberated from temptations doesn’t even know fear or sorrows.
One who is virtuous and knowledgeable is the true judge and is really truthful. He executes his duties sincerely and is loved by the world.
Only he can progress on the path of Nirvana whose mind is awakened to attain Nirvana, is contented and whose thoughts are not swayed because of attachment and malevolence.
The man who has done good deeds is welcomed by the same virtuous deeds at the time of need.
ANGER
Men should renounce anger and arrogance should be left forever. All kinds of bondage should be won over.
Sorrows do not ever engulf the men who do not go near the things because of their name or form and do not address things, as “mine”.
I regard only those as true charioteers who are able to stop someone who moves like a chariot and controls him. Others are just holding the reins; without any control.
A human being should control an angry person through love. A man who is not a sage like person should be won over with the qualities of a sage.
Speak the truth and don’t get overpowered by anger. If someone asks for anything, give him whatever little you have. Through truth, control over anger and generosity, you can be near the Gods.
A mendicant who doesn’t harass anybody and has control over his body will attain Nirvana. After realization of Nirvana, he gets liberated from sorrows forever.
One, who is not negligent, practices the religion day and night and strives to attain Nirvana is capable of destroying all the perversions of the mind.
People talk ill for the person who keeps silence and also for the person who is talkative. Even for a person who talks less, people castigate. In the whole world, there is no one who is not talked ill of.

There is no one, there wasn’t one and there will not be anyone who was perpetually praised or castigated.

Be alert of the physical anger, renounce the sins committed by the body, have control over your body and lead a virtuous life.

Be alert of the anger of the tongue, keep control over your tongue. Renounce the sins committed by the tongue. Increase your virtues through your tongue.

Be alert of mental anger and keep control over your mind. Renounce the sins committed by the mind and lead a virtuous life with your mind.

Only he is wise and has control over the self, who restrains his body, tongue and mind.
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