By Prof. Manika Debi Barua

Endowed with all the extraordinary qualities of head and heart, Gautama Buddha was born in a Vesak full-moon day in 623 B.C in the Lumbini Garden of Tarai in Nepal as the son of Queen Mahamaya and King Suddhadana of Kapilavastu. Gautama Buddha’s birth and flowering in this earthly world to preach the Doctrine of Truth Sublime is the most auspicious, the most glorious and the most longed for moment in the history of mankind. The story of Buddha and his Doctrine Supreme is the story of a great revolution on the stage of spiritual perfection and highest wisdom with far-reaching consequences. The Path Glorious that leads men to deliverance from the chords of pangs and sufferings, innumerable sorrows and fleeting happiness was discovered by Gautama Buddha.

The thoughts of inevitable sufferings hidden beneath the bright and colorful surface of life stirred Gautama to the core. He reflected on the impermanence of things, on the universal facts of sickness, old age and death, the pain of separation from the one who is loved, of loving what cannot be attained and what is not desired. Recognition of the misery inherent in existence was made more serious by his sharing the common belief that life with all its suffering is continually repeated in countless rebirths. A problem posed itself: Is there a way of release from suffering? By seeking can one realize ultimate deliverance and release?

In this way in his twenty-ninth year Gautama decided to renounce all that was near and dear to him and set out for the fulfilment of his mission. After long six years’ strenuous exercise of both body and mind in deep meditation Gautama, the man eradicated all defilements and began comprehending things as they were and attained perfect enlightenment, ‘Sammasambodhi’ in his 35^th year of life. He became the Buddha – the Wise Supreme, the Enlightened. Being enlightened himself he came forward to enrich others and made up his mind to give the new message of Truth to the world. He left the seat of Enlightenment and gave his first sermon to his five pupils and thus laid the foundation of ‘Dhamma Chakra’, the Wheel of Law in motion and inspired them to work for the welfare of the many. With this end in view he exhorted his earliest sixty disciples to proclaim the Noble Teachings with such inspiring words:

“Go ye, O Bhikkhus and wander forth for the gain of the many, out of compassion for the world; for the good, for the gain, for the welfare of men. Proclaim O Bhikkhus the Doctrine Glorious, preach ye, a life of holiness, perfection and purity.” From then onwards Buddhism emerged with a missionary zeal and gave a new impulse to all walks of life, philosophical, ethical, social, cultural, linguistic, literary and religious; and within a few centuries of its great advent influenced and inspired the entire world. Thus Buddhism became the first world missionary religion. The Buddha conquered the hearts of millions not by force or by means of sword but by his soothing message of peace, infinite love and compassion.

After enlightenment, the new insight and conviction is that the root of suffering is craving, craving for sense gratifications, for existence or for what is non-existent. If suffering is truly to cease it must be by doing away with just this craving and attachment to things and conditions.

The Buddha declared: All things are born of activities and everything is in a state of continual transformation or flux. There is neither creation nor destruction; there is neither beginning nor end. Yet nothing happens without cause and reason. This chair of causation or causal nexus? Which is found everywhere in experience, is known in Pǡli as ‘Paticca-Samutppada’, the Dependent Origination. Whether the theory exists or not, that the world is eternal or temporal, finite or infinite – yet certainly there exists decay, there exists death, sorrow, lamentation, pain and despair, the extinction of which, attainable even in this present life, is made known by the Enlightened.

Thus the great Truths as emphasized by the Enlightened one, constitute the essence of Buddhism, that is:

1. i) ‘All things and phenomena of the world change constantly;’
2. ii) ‘Nothing has an ego’- this means things and phenomena in the universe exist maintaining an interrelationship with one another or that they have no independent being; and

iii) Finally ‘Nirvana is quiescence’ – that the ultimate freedom consists in getting rid of greed, lust and self-delusions.

Added to this is the truth that ‘All is suffering’ expresses the basic philosophy of Buddhism. The four Noble Truths as proclaimed by the Buddha are:

1. Everything in this life is ultimately unsatisfactory and inseparable from suffering;
2. The cause of this state of non-satisfaction is egoistic desire, based on ignorance of the true nature of things;

• The elimination of this cause will bring the cessation of suffering; and

1. The Noble Eightfold Path assists in removing the cause of sorrow.

Each of these is a landmark in thought. The first asserts the reality of suffering, which in its formal aspect emphasizes the reality of this world which is revealed by experience and reason. The soundest illustration Buddha gives for his case is the existing world. Here anything that touches deepest is suffering. One can deny pleasure, call it a surface thing but who could refuse to accept suffering or tragedy as the quintessence of life?

The Buddha teaches that the ‘self’ considered to be a fixed, unchanging, eternal soul, has no reality. The central core of every being is not an unchanging soul, but a life-current, an ever changing stream of existence. The ‘Self’ considered to be an eternal soul with interests of its own is a delusion and is the cause of suffering and a barrier to enlightenment.

The elimination of this cause will bring the cessation of suffering. To avoid suffering and obtain true happiness one must extinguish the greedy desires, teaches Buddha, the world Honored One. It is pointed out that self-centered desires for gain through attachments create illusions and these cause in men failure and anger which result in dissatisfaction and sufferings. Sufferings arise because there are greedy desires, the root of all evil in human thought and action. Hence the famous parable:

“The cause of all suffering

Is rooted in desire

If desire be extinguished

Suffering has no foothold.”

Thus the Buddhist goal is the removal of evil on desire for self by the eradication of every selfish inclination.

The Noble Eightfold Path consisting of (1) Right Views, (2) Right Thoughts, (3) Right Speech, (4) Right Action, (5) Right Livelihood, (6) Right Effort, (7) Right Mindfulness and (8) Right concentration, as proclaimed by the Buddha, is an exacting moral and psychological self-discipline-fully carried out by those who renounce the world and enter the monastic community. For the lay Buddhists there are the five moral precepts, known as the Panchǡ Silǡ, which pledges them not to (1) take life, (2) Steal, (3) indulge in sensuality; (4) lie and (5) become intoxicated by drinks or drugs. These are other helpful advices and instances numerous for each and every individual like master/servant, parent/child, husband/wife and relatives/friends also in his everyday life to be a good human being.

Gautama, the man became the Buddha, the Wise Supreme after attaining enlightenment but not a deva or a god; he did never claim himself to be worshipped as a god. On the other hand, He asserted, “He honors me most who practices my teachings most.” The Buddhists do not worship him as the all-powerful omnipotent being. He is held in utmost reverence only as a Guide, a Teacher but not as a savior. Thus Buddhism teaches ‘Self Reliance.’ Nothing can be more modern and more dignified than the message of Buddha; the last words, the great words of Buddha to his disciples:’ Be a lamp unto thyself. Hold fast to Truth. Seek no other refuge. Be diligent and work out thy own Salvation.’ He has imbued mankind with the message that man’s power is unlimited-the source of such strength and energy is his own thoughts and actions. The Buddha’s Doctrine teaches man that he is the builder of his destiny; that he is the sole master of his own self; that he is made on unmade by himself alone. “The divinity that shapes our ends is in ourselves, it is our very self,” caritas games Allen in his essay, ‘As a Man thinketh’ echoing the Buddha’s Teaching that ‘Man is manacled only by himself: thought and action are the gaolers of Destiny – they imprison being base-they liberate being pure and noble, honest and unselfish.”

It is clearly stated that it is man’s ‘Kamma’ (volition actions) either good or bad that will determine his future destiny. “What thou soweth, so much thou shalt reap.” This is an inevitable truth in any line of action for all classes of people in all places for all times.

The Buddha’s Doctrine does not demand blind belief and blind devotion but advocates personal investigation, analysis and examination and a firm conviction resulting from these. The Buddha advised: “…After observation and analysis when it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.” These lines give scope to one’s careful understanding, insight and discernment for the Buddhist monks and the laymen the Buddha’s towering personality and spirit of sacrifice set an example of profound compassion and limitless unselfish devotion to the highest welfare of others. It teaches a way to serenity and poise of spirit, liberation from all desires that bind hearts to perishing things and help one to be a perfect man.

For all intents and purposes, nothing can be more precise, more clear and methodical than the principles laid down by the Buddha in the ‘Mangala Sutta,’ which are practicable in any phase by priests and laymen alike. Sacred scriptures record the vivid accounts how he had travelled in his life time from place of place preaching the subline message of Truth, Love and Peace to the people of all walks of life, irrespective of caste creed and color, rich or poor high or low, king or subject. He taught his disciples and followers Just as a mother would protect her only child even at the risk of her own life so should one practice loving kindness”. The message of Ahimsa or Non Violence’ is the outcome of Buddha’s all-pervading love and a profound understanding of the universal need for peaceful co-existence. These self-discipline and devotion to the welfare of others derive ultimately from the spirit of infinite compassion which, full recognition of the universality of suffering does bring.

Now it is clear that the two major values which Buddhism emphasizes are the idea of personal discipline to gain freedom from craving and the other is the idea of unselfish devotion to the good of others for the sake of their deliverance from ill. The Buddha’s Doctrine primarily aims at attaining absolute freedom; freedom from all evils and impurities of the mind; from all chains and ties physically, spiritually and socially. This is ‘Nirvana’-a transcendental state of emancipation or the state of everlasting bliss or Peace Supreme, which may be realized in this very life when the three Noble Qualities namely, supreme Wisdom, Perfect Purity of the Mind and Universal Compassion are manifested. “The one who abides in loving kindness, is pleased with the Buddha’s Teaching, attains to that state of Peace and Happiness, the stilling of conditioned things”- Dhammapada. One who attains Nirvana is never more reborn into this world. When Nirvana is reached, the three forces of egoism, namely greed, temptation, ill will and delusion and all other impurities of the mind are extinguished to effect liberation from the texture of life and death. So Nirvana is the final deliverance.

What is most significant is that while it remained theoretically true that the way to Nirvana or Buddha-hood is open to all, it is recognized practically that the high goal is for most persons one that is far off. Through all circumstances and however, the idea of Buddha’s infinite compassion has become a constant factor. Because of the human, catholic spirit, Buddha’s Teachings have become a great life force in today’s world. The world of today is inclined to give rise to constant hostility, conflict, cruelty, hatred and injustice with least regard for the values of life. It is the Buddha’s message of peaceful co-existence; of all pervading love, understanding, forgiveness; the message of unity and good will among all beings the present world surely needs to save mankind from self-inflicted annihilation. Here mention may be made to the rich tribute to the Buddha by Prof. Rhys David in his own words: “I have examined every one of the religious systems of the world and in none of them have I found anything to surpass in beauty and comprehensiveness the Noble Eightfold Path and the four Noble Truths of the Buddha.”

A more harmonious and peaceful world may be created by promoting the principles of equality, mutual trust and respect for other’s rights and opinions set forth by the Buddha and hence the world may be made to be a better place for living by mankind.

The writer Prof. Manika Debi Barua is an Executive Member of the Bangladesh ABCP National Chapter, Dhaka, Bangladesh.