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On a full moon day in the month of May (Visakha) 2600 years ago was born a Prince
named Siddhattha. His birth took place at Lumbini (modern Rumindei in Nepal), where
his mother Mahahmaya, the chief queen-consort of King Suddhodana of Kapilavatthu,
rested with her royal retinue, on her way to her parental home in Devadaha. In the
picture Queen Mahamaya stands under a flowering sala tree holding on to one of its
branches.
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Manifold was the variety of all the sensuous delights within the palace,
the music and song that filled the palace halls by night and day; the beauty and grace
of its dancing girls; the fragrance or subtle perfumes; the finest silks and priceless
gems for jewellery and adornment; and rare delicacies and foods for the royal table.
And yet, day after day, seated amidst all this luxury the Prince remains unmoved.
Ever in thoughtful mood, with a far-away look in his beautiful eyes he muses on the
fleeting nature of life's so called pleasures and its doubtful delights.
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All King Suddhodana's efforts to protect his son from the four sights of old-age,
disease, death and a recluse are of no avail. On a certain occasion, on his way to
the royal pleasure gardens the Prince is confronted by each one of these very sights,
and is filled with doubts and deep misgiving. Soon after this he meets a wandering
ascetic. impressed by the sombre garb and quiet demeanour of the homeless recluse
the Prince looks long and hard at him, and then, makes up his mind to leave the palace
for a life of homelessness.
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On the day of the Esala full-moon (July) the Crown Prince receives the news brought
from the palace, of the birth of a son to his wife, the beautiful Princess Yasodhara.
Alarmed at this fresh development, this new fetter to bind him closer to the world,
the Prince decides to leave the palace that very night. For the sake of his father,
his queen, his son, for the sake of all mankind, he would leave the world to seek
a way to save the world from all suffering. This is the Great Renunciation.
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For six long years the ascetic Cotama, as Prince Siddhattha was now known, wanders
along the highways and byways of India. He goes to AIara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta
two of its greatest religious teachers, who teach him everything from their store
of knowledge and wisdom. But the ascetic Gotama is not satisfied, for their teachings
do not lead to the cessation of suffering. With unrelenting energy he undergoes rigorous
ascetic discipline, both bodily and mental, seeking a way to the cessation of suffering
through further suffering. In the end he becomes lean and emaciated and a mere skeleton.
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Discarding both extremes of luxurious living and self mortification, the Bodhisatta
Prince chooses the Path of Moderation (Middle Way) based on the practice of virtue
(sila), concentration of the mind (samddhi), and the intensive analysis of all psycho-physical
phenoinena that finally leads to full understanding of things as they really are (panna).
Seated under the Bodhi-tree at Buddhagaya He attains Samma Sambodhi and becomes the
Supreme Buddha.
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Having realized the Four Noble Truths - the Noble Truth of Suffering; the Cause of
Suffering; the Cessation of Suffering; and the Path lead-ing to the Cessation or Suffering-by
himself, the Buddha now decides to teach them to the five ascetics who had earlier
served him at Uruvela, in Buddhagaya. At the end of this First Discourse, which is
known as the "Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta" and given to the five ascetics who were
now living at Isipatana in Benares, the oldest of them, Kondanna realises the first
path and fruition of the Stream-winner (Sotapanna), or one who goes against the stream
of Samsara (the recurring cycle of life and death).
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The Buddha stays on at Isipatana for the rainy season. However, before that, within
the first week of His giving of the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta, all five ascetics
reach the highest fruition of Sainthood and thus become the first five Arahant disciples
of the Buddha. Before the rainy season is over fifty five others have followed suit.
The Buddha now exhorts His sixty disciples:- "Go forth ye bhikkhus, for the welfare
of the many, for the happiness of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the
good, weIfare and happiness of gods and men." Accordingly the disciples set forth
to spread the new teaching.
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The Buddha teaches that 'all conditioned things are in a state of flux or change,
and thus impermanent. The ever changing nature of both mind and matter proves the
insubstantiality of life, and the instability of existence.
Knowing this, Khema the consort of King Bimbisara avoided going to see the Buddha;
for being very beautiful, she was afraid the Buddha would disparage her self-conscious
awareness of her loveliness. As she went into His presence one day, the Buddha creates
the illusion of a beautiful young woman before her, who gradually grows old before
her very eyes and collapses at the feet of the Master. Alarmed and ashamed she realises
the impermanence of the human body.
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According to the Buddha, whatever is impermanent is subject to suffering,
and the world rests on this basic factor of suffering (Dukkha), However, having accepted
this fact He goes on to teach man how to gain his release from all suffering. The
tragic story of Patacara who loses her whole family within a matter of a single day
and a night, points out only too well how suffering besets the unsuspecting worldling.
After listening to the Buddha she gains peace and sanctity.
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When a thing is impermanent, as all conditioned things are, and thus susceptible
to change, there can be no overlord or Self. Helpless in arranging things according
to its wishes there can be no soul as master over mind and body. The Buddha explains
the soul-lessness of beings to the five bhikkhus at Isipatana in Bendres, in the discourse
on soul-lessness (Anattalakkhana Sutta).
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At times referred to as the Buddha's Charter of Free Inquiry, this discourse
was given by the Buddha to the Brahmin Kalamas at Kesaputta. 2500 years ago, preaching
against blind belief The Buddha gave prominence to and encouraged the spirit of free
inquiry and independence of thought and action, subject to sound judgment. He trained
his disciples in the art of questioning as well as in the finer points of debate and
discussion. Pointing out the dangers of haphazard thinking the Buddha teaches the
Kalamas the art of reasoning for the sole purpose of arriving at true understanding
of the Buddha's teaching of the Four Noble Truths.
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Sunita was a scavenger born into a so called outcaste community. On meeting the Buddha
on His alms-round one day, the humble youth prostrated himself before the Master in
adoration. Asking for ordination he is taken to the temple where he soon becomes worthy
of the highest obeisance of both deva and brahma gods. Thus the Buddha teaches that
a man becomes neither a Brahmin nor a low-caste by birth, but by deeds alone.
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It was the Buddha who first gave women her rightful place in a society which
had earlier ostracised her even to the extent of treating the birth of a girl as an
inauspicious event. Knowing that being a woman was no bar to her attaining the highest
fruition of Sainthood, the Buddha permitted the ordiiiation of women as Bhikkhunis.
Further, the establishment of a Bhikkhuni Sasana (Order of Nuns) by the Buddha was
the first of its kind in the history of the world. In the picture, The Ven.Ananda,
who has interceded on behalf of the Sakyan ladies including the step-mother Mahapajapati
Gotami, stands by their side.
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In the time of the Buddha it was common for both men and women to enter into services
in rich house-holds due to their extreme poverty. In fact this traffic in human slaves
was very common at the time. The state of slavery that existed at the time is well
illustrated by the story of the slave girl Rajjumala who worked for a very wicked
mistress who mis-treated her without any mercy even for the slightest fault. Here
the Buddha admonishes both servant and mistress and teaching them the Doctrine, bestows
permanent peace on both of them.
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In spite of the fact that the study and practice of medicine and surgical science
had advanced to a great extent by the Buddha's time, hardly any attention was paid
to nursing or caring for the sick.
Putigatta Tissa Thera was a monk who was stricken by a skin disease which spread covering
his whole body with a mass of ulcerating matter. Lying unattended by the fellow monks
his condition worsened. The Buddha going to the stricken monk who now lay dangerously
ill, bathed him in warm water with the help of Ananda Thera, and cleaned his robes.
Having made him comfortable the Buddha expounds the Teaching to him, explaining the
true nature of the human body. Enlightened by the discourse the Thera becomes an Arahant.
The Buddha then addresses the other monks on the ennobling task of caring for the
sick. Accepting the compassionate exhortation of the Master and following His noble
example, the laity started to build wards for sick monks in all large monasteries.
Later King Dhammasoka built hospitals not only for the public but also for sick animals.
Hence the honour for the establishment of the first hospitals should be given to the
Buddhists.
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The Buddha speaking on the mind, has also spoken on mental disorders and on the treatment
of psychalogical ailments. The Buddha has traced sorrow as one of the chief causes
leading to the arising of mental disturbances. On the death of her only son, Kisa
Gotami loses control of her senses and in her madness goes in search of medicine for
her dead child. Failing all else she appeals to the Buddha, who realising that nothing
would convince her until her mental equilibrium has been restored, sends her on an
errand to get Him a few mustard seeds from a house where there has been no death.
Unable to accomplish the Master's request, she comes to the conclusion that death
is inevitable and that her only son too had succumbed to it.
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In the Buddha's time there were various animal sacrifices taking place in India. Innocent
animals were killed as offerings on sacrificial altars to appease the gods, for man's
happiness both here and in the hereafter. The Buddha however, showed man that it was
impossible to obtain happiness for oneself by causing suffering to others, and that
the followers of the Buddha if they were so, should avoid making animal sacrifices.
At that time the King of Kosala had seen sixteen terrifying dreams in a single night,
and was in great fear. To avert the evil influence of these dreams a great animal
sacrifice with the killing of thousands or animals was arranged in accordance with
the advice given by the Brahmins. Hearing of this, the Buddha advised the King against
such a sacrifice, thus saving the lives of all those doomed creatures. From that day
to this, no taking of life however small is involved in any ceremony of the Buddha's
followers.
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Many who are not familiar with the Buddha's Teaching classify it as a religion for
the next world, or for a future life. They are mistaken in this, because eighty percent
of the objectives included in the Buddha's Teaching are for the present. According
to the Buddha all except one of the five blessings that accrue to the virtuous are
available in this life itself, ten of the eleven benefits obtainable through the development
of Metta (loving-kindness) are immediate. One who leads a good life in this world
is certain to be happy in the next. The Buddha emphasises this in His Teachings.
Thus the Buddha who taught the way to the cessation of suffering also pointed out
the path to a highly satisfactory way of life on Earth. One aspect of this mundane
progress refers to an economic system based on Buddhist principles with the objective
of economic development together with the elimination of poverty. The Buddha defines
righteous employment as engagement in agriculture, trade, dairy farming, defence services,
government services and professional services. He prohibited the trade in weapons,
slaves, liquoir, poisons, narcotics and the rearing of animals for slaughter.
A book on Buddhist Economics has been published by the Buddhit Information Centre,
where it is available.
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It is a method of teaching that is based on the mental development of the individual.
The primary object of Buddhist Education is to produce a cultured disciplined and
educated society. With that object in view the first university to be established
in the world was at Nalanda in India. It is reported that over ten thousand well disciplined,
cultured and law abiding students had their education there. In addition to the numerous
lecture halls found there, classes were also held in the open air under the cooling
shade of trees.
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Certain statutes regarding the administration of justice were set up by the Buddha
for the benefit of bhikkhus, in order to facilitate the dispensation of moral justice
according to sound judgment, whenever the occasion arose. By this act the Buddha ensured
that the spirit of moral justice which enables us to interpret laws correctly, unlike
the imperfect expression of certain aspects of our present day legal administration.
At the time of the Buddha and even later, there were kings who took advantage of,
and made use of these laws to supplement their own. The judicial procedure adopted
by the Buddha is clearly illustrated in the case of the Arahant Theri Kumara, Kassapa's
mothers, who unaware of her pregnant condition, with her husband's consent left her
home and entered the Bhikkhuni order. Later, finding her in an advanced state of pregnancy,
the bhikkhuni was charged with a serious allegation of misconduct and summoned before
a religious court of appeal.
The Buddha ordered Upali Thera, foremost among His Arahant disciples in knowledge
of Vinaya matters to preside, to try the innocent victim and to deliver judgment on
her. The audience consisted of bhikkhus, bhikkhunis and laymen, including the lay-woman
Visakha. She screened the victim from the presence of the Buddha and the rest, after
careful examination and intimate questioning declared that she was quite innocent.
The Arahant Upali on hearing the evidence absolved the bhikkhuni of any transgression.
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In the Buddha's Teaching the highest emphasis is laid on the law of cause and effect,
or the conditionality of all mundane phenomena. Greed, hatred and delusion are the
chief causes that lead to unsatisfactoriness in the world. If one seeks to escape
from this state of dissatisfaction one should try to get rid of the underlying craving
and anger or hatred due to ignorance of the true nature of things.
War is diametrically opposed to peace. Conflict is due to the various malignant motives
stagnating in the minds of men. The control of such thoughts as greed, jealousy, hate
and so on will certainly lead to peace. Permanent peace will only come when one has
completely eradicated these mental defilements. Wars wil cease and peaceful dialogue
between individuals will lead to a world of peaceful and harmonious living.
Petty squabbles arose between the farmers on both sides of the river Rohini which
served as the boundary between the Sakyan and the Koliyan kingdoms, as each side tried
to divert as much water as possible to their fields. Finally this led to a major confrontation
of the two armies.
The Buddha arriving on the scene exhorted them on the calamitous results of war and
the advantage of arriving at a peaceful settlement. Thus war wss averted and peace
restored. It should be mentioned that the Buddha has been the only religious teacher
to have visited a battle-front in person and acted as a true mediator in averting
war.
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The Buddha was born as a prince under a tree, gained Supreme Enlightenment under
a tree and wandered about India for 45 years giving His Teaching to the world, and
finally passed away at the age of eighty at Kusinara, under a tree.
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