Sunday, March 8, 2020

OUR TEACHING PHENOMENA FROM LORD GAUTAM BUDHHA

Sutta Pitaka consists of Buddha’s teachings in the form stories. Buddhist philosophy strongly highlights that the world is ever changing and transient in nature so nothing is permanent and eternal. Along with this, the entire world is soulless. Sorrows are part of human existence and life. All human beings have originated from the planet earth and then they bear children for the continuity of life.
Gautama Buddha or Siddhartha Gautama Buddha is known as ‘Buddha’ which means ‘awakened being’ or ‘enlightened being’. Base of Buddhism is the teachings of Gautama Buddha. He was born in a royal Hindu family in Shakya Clan and his birthday is celebrated as ‘Buddha Poornima’. Place of Gautama Buddha’s birth is not clear as it may be the present day Nepal, Odisha or Uttar Pradesh. He was destined to become either a great king or a great holy man. As his father wanted him to be great king so he kept Gautama Buddha away from the sufferings of life. But by the age of 29 he left his palace to find his true self. On the way he saw almost everyone suffering from one or other thing. He was depressed and tried to overcome all these by living a life of an ascetic. He during his journey to find answers had found that meditation is the only way to awaken oneself. Gautama then sat under the popular pipal tree that is known as the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India and arose only after he found the truth. His mediation continued for 49 days and after that he got enlightenment. Gautama then found the cause of sufferings and ways to end these.
Teachings of Gautama Buddha are the principles of life that had been given by him after attaining the enlightenment.
The Four Noble Truths
Suffering is common – Everyone suffers
Cause of Suffering – Self, greed, desires and ignorance
End of Suffering – Renunciation of greed and ignorance
Path to end Suffering – Correct way of living and following the eight fold path of life which is – Right Knowledge, Right Attitude, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Means of Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Awareness, and Right Meditation.
In the state of Nirvana the soul reunites to its pure state and stop wandering in incarnations and karma.
The Supreme Power that controls the universe has no form or name.
Strong characters are built by doing good deeds and kind thoughts.
Before criticizing anyone it is better to see what you are doing.
Always do good and do not waste time and effort on things that lead to harm.
Be aware of your words and deeds.
The Five Percepts of life are the most important rules of life and these are – respect for life so no killing, respect for the property of others so no stealing, respect for pure nature so no sexual misconduct, respect for honesty so no lying and respect for a clear mind so no intoxicants.
Death is not the end of life. Energy changes into matter and matter again into energy like pale leaf fell on the ground mixes with soil, seed fell on earth to give rise to new plant and so on.
Three poisons i.e. greed, hatred and stupidity keep us in the wheel of life and death.
Be tolerant of all other religions. One should respect every spiritual person and this is a very good deed. It is just like lighting one candle from that of other. Now there won’t be the light of one candle but two candles which will illuminate you and your life.

No comments:

Finding funds: On COP28 and the ‘loss and damage’ fund....

A healthy loss and damage (L&D) fund, a three-decade-old demand, is a fundamental expression of climate justice. The L&D fund is a c...