Essays

Buddha Purnima falls on May 26. A homage to the prince of Lumbini.

"An unexamined life is not worth living," said a philosopher. Every significant contribution to enduring human thought in any field—philosophy, religion, social reform or science—has been made in the final by exceptional individuals, the flower of mankind, are fitted with a restless passion to lift humanity to higher levels of thought and action.

Their only concern, prompted by love and compassion, is to raise society above 'the storm and strife of this world'. In addition to leaving their footprints on the sands of time, they cut across the barriers of time and space and leave an imprint on the minds and hearts of a countless number of people for generations.

The Buddha belongs to this category of great souls. He is known by many names: Siddhartha (one who accomplishes or fulfils his purpose), Tathagata (the Perfect One), Bodhisattva (the Enlightend One), Sakhya Muni (the ascetic of the Sakhya clan), Shramana Gautama (Gautama, the ascetic) and Jina (the Conqueror).

The story of Siddartha is the story of a prince turning a mendicant, the heir to the throne becoming a world teacher. He underwent a complete transformation on seeing human suffering. His enquiry into the cause and origin of suffering was the beginning of introspection, culminating in deeper wisdom.

Lumbini, the place of his birth, Sarnath (near Varanasi), where he delivered first sermon, and Kushinara, where he shed his body, are sanctified by their association with the Buddha. He enunciated the Four Truths—the existence of sorrow, its cause, cessation, and conquest.

His Panch Sheela or the five rules of conduct are abstinence from injury, stealing, wrongful indulgence,falsehood and intoxicants and his Eightfold Path: rightunderstanding, right thought, right speech, right action,right living, right effort, right mindfulness and rightcontemplation, constitute the cornerstone of Buddha'sethical teaching.

The Buddha laid emphasis on ethical conduct and purity. In his moral doctrine, love has a central place. According to him, sin springs from ignorance, and this can be overcome by good conduct and deeds. Love, sympathy, enlightenment and calmness of spirit should be the governing regulatory moral principles.

He recommended the Middle Path, the avoidance of extreme self-indulgence and extreme self-mortification. "One is the life of pleasure, from which one who leads a religious life must abstain; it is base, ignoble, and unspiritual. The other is a life of mortification; it is gloomy, unworthy, unreal."

The Buddha is not just a historical personality, limited within the framework of time and space, but a living experience. His teaching, are relevant and valid in a universe steeped in hatred, violence, suspicion and intolerance.