Who is the Buddha?
2007-07-03 04:36 PM | Posted by Tejvan Pettinger | Permanent Link | Buddhism
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5 votes)
The Buddha
In Asia, the Buddha is widely revered as an enlightened being, who both attained Nirvana and offered a path of liberation to others. In the West, the principles and practices of Buddhism have gained increasing acceptance as people look for a way to overcome the limitations and suffering of modern life. Who exactly was the Buddha? Why does the Buddha retain such great affection and inspiration, 2,500 years after his birth?
The Buddha was not born as an enlightened being. He was born as a Prince, Prince Siddhartha. As a young man, Prince Siddhartha received every privilege and worldly comfort that a man could aspire to. His father, wished to protect the young prince from every possible sign of suffering and death. Thus Siddhartha was brought up in Palatial comfort, shielded from the misery and suffering of the world. As a young man, he married a beautiful wife and together they had a son. However, there came a point in Buddha's life when he felt curious about the outside world; he had a strong desire to see life outside the palace. Thus, in disguise, Siddhartha left the palace and wondered around the streets of the Kingdom. To the great distress of Siddhartha, he came across many experiences, which previously had been shielded from his view. In his wanderings around the streets, at first hand he witnessed death, suffering, illness and old age. This disturbed and worried Siddharta; his comfortable world view had been turned upside down.
However, on his way back to the palace, Siddharta came across a yogi in meditation. This intrigued the young prince and he demanded to speak to the yogi. However, much to the shock of Siddharta, the yogi showed no inclination to speak to Siddharta. Even when the yogi was offered a pot of money, the yogi remained motionless absorbed in his own meditation. Prince Siddharta started to see something most inspiring and illumining in the yogi. He realised that this yogi was gaining a joy and happiness that was not of this world. Deep inside Siddharta, he felt a compelling desire to seek for the hidden meaning of life. Thus, Siddharta resolved to leave the comfort of his palace; he left his own wife and son to go and meditate as a sannyasin (wandering monk) in the forest.
For many years Siddharta performed austerities and spent long hours in meditation, desperately seeking to gain illumination. In his desire to achieve perfection he underwent great austerities and fasting. However, no matter how much he fasted, illumination remained beyond his grasp. At one point his body become so weak with fasting that he could barely walk. It was at this point that he realised that taking austerities to the extreme was not helping him in any way. Thus he resolved to follow a middle path, avoiding extremes of fasting and feasting. With his physical health renewed, Siddharta was able to renew his meditation with new inspiration and vigour. On one day Siddhartta resolved to sit in meditation, until he gained enlightenment. Thus seated under a tree, later to be named the famous Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya, Siddhartta meditated with great intensity. On the verge of enlightenment, Siddharta was tested with innumerable inner challenges; he was tempted by various forces who sought to prevent him from achieving enlightenment. However, Siddharta was so committed to attaining the goal of liberation that he was able to detach himself from these inner forces and he finally attained enlightenment or nirvana. This enlightenment was a profound state of consciousness, in which he became one with the universal consciousness. Siddharta was no longer identified with his physical body and ego. Siddhartta had become the Buddha.
The Buddha taught that this state of consciousness was far beyond mental description; in essence the consciousness of Nirvana is indescribable bliss. On attaining this consciousness the Buddha resolved to teach suffering humanity a path to liberation. Thus he spent the remaining years of his life in teaching others on the path of meditation and yoga. The Buddha's many teachings were written down, and these teachings form the basis of Buddhism which remains even to this day.
"..The world stood before the Buddha with it's ignorance, and the Buddha, the Enlightened One, gave man Truth. The world offered its age old suffering to the Buddha's heart and the Buddha, Lord of Compassion, showed man the Dharma."
- Sri Chinmoy
From: Introduction to "Siddharta Becomes the Buddha", a play by Sri Chinmoy
Thought of the Day on Lord Buddha
Thought of the Day on Buddhism
Buddhism and Lord Buddha at Write Spirit.net
Photo Credit: Trishatur, Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries
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