Why choose Buddhism?--2

Why choose Buddhism?--2

Bhikkhu Dhammavaro

The Triple Gem

The Triple Gem is the three major Buddhist symbols, it is for all who have declared the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha to be their refuge, their reliance, their vehicle, their safe haven, their guide along this spiritual path, and their spiritual food; they have to rely on these three until they reach enlightenment. As Buddhist we have to learn what the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha are, otherwise, we are lost, without guidance, without direction, going about blindly, and will not be able to realize its aims or its benefits, or reap its fruit. "Those who have joyous confidence in the highest, the highest fruit will be theirs" (AN IV.34). The highest objects of a Buddhist's reverence and devotion are the Triple Gem and the refuge to them.

Sakyamuni Buddha

The Sakyamuni Buddha was born to a human king Sudhodana and queen Mahamaya in a small Himalayan kingdom of Kapilavastu, like any human, he lived his childhood life, went to school, then got married, and had a son, but his spiritual quest about human existence and sufferings led him to seek for the answer outside his royal garden, upon seeing with his own eyes the immense sufferings mankind endure, he eventually renounced the royal life and wandered about in the countries as a yellow robe mendicant seeking for the answer. After six years of extreme ascetic training which almost killed him, and through his own meditative concentration and contemplation he has realized the four Noble Truths, which is the essence of his teaching, it is about the universal truth of sufferings and the eradication of them. Due to the tremendous compassion the Buddha has shown on mankind that Buddha said to his attendant: "Ananda! It is owing to my being a good friend to the living beings that those who have been subject to birth (and death) are freed from it." (S. III, 18, XLV, 2). Then after his realization he set about to teach his realization to the world.

The solution he advocates is to remove our individual negative defilements through our own effort and not relied on a superhuman or external superpower. He has never claimed any connection with a creator God. When thinking of the Buddha we should recall to mind the ten qualities he possess: He indeed is the Blessed One (Bhagavā): the Holy One (Araham), fully enlightened by himself (Sammā sambuddho), endowed with clear vision (Vijjā carana) and virtuous conduct (Sampanno), sublime (Sugato), the knower of the worlds (Lokavidu), the incomparable leader of men to be tamed (Anuttarro purisa damma sārathi), the teacher of gods and men (Satthā deva manussānam), He is enlightened (Buddho).

A Buddha has perfected the ten virtues (parami) i.e., generosity (dana), morality (sila), renunciation (nekkhamma), discernment (pañña), effort (viriya), patience (khanti), truthfulness (sacca), determination (adhitthana), loving kindness (metta), and equanimity (upekkha). These ten perfections a Buddha has to cultivate through many lifetimes over long eon of time.

The sages of the past used the term ‘Buddha-ratana,’ comparing the Buddha to a precious jewel. Although there are many different types of precious jewels in the world: there are rubies, sapphires; diamonds, gemstones etc, which are expensive. The jewel of the Buddha is supreme; this jewel brings to the world and its living beings the relief of sufferings which are of immense magnitude, leading them away from sickness, away from danger, away from agony, away from distress, away from various mental agonies, away from birth, away from dying. He shows us the holy life, the life of purity and the way to purify it, the way to freedom and liberation; therefore the Buddha is a priceless jewel!

As a reverence to him we practice homage to an external artifact, the statue of the Buddha or images made to represent him, this has a very long religious history dating back to the Buddha’s lifetime, even though different countries which have embraced Buddhism have made Buddha statues resembling their people, this is understandable. We pay our respect to the Buddha statue as those to the real Buddha; and are contrary to some who have no understanding of us and making unfounded claim and false accusation that Buddhists are worshiping the wooden idol, or worshiping the Demon, people who said these are indeed very rude and ignorant.

The Buddha is revered not because he was a personality of such a name, such a race, or such a social statue; he is revered not as a celestial deity, but as the embodiment of his Enlightenment.

It is beneficial to recollect the immense qualities of the Buddha, the Blessed One said: “When a noble disciple contemplates upon the Enlightened One, at that time his mind is not enwrapped in lust, or in hatred, or in delusion. At such a time his mind is rightly directed towards the Perfect One (Tathagata). And with a rightly directed mind the noble disciple gains enthusiasm for the goal, enthusiasm for the Dhamma, gains the delight derived from the Dhamma. In him thus delighted, joy arises; to one who is joyful, body and mind become calm; calmed in body and mind, he feels at ease; and if at ease, the mind finds concentration. Such a one is called a noble disciple who among humanity gone wrong, has attained to what is right; who among a humanity beset by troubles, dwells free of troubles.”(AN VI.10)

Lust is the five sensual objects which we are bombarded with daily, by cultivating this contemplation, our mind may be purified. Meditation on the quality of the Buddha and visualizing the Buddha, it leads to joy (piti), joy again produces calm (passadhi), calm leads to elation (sukha), and elation leads to concentration (samadhi). Therefore devotional meditation on the Buddha helps to attain mental concentration which forms the basis of liberating insight.

The Sakyamuni Buddha taught for 45 years around the Indian subcontinent and finally passed away and entered Maha-parinibbana at Kusinara, his life was celebrated with three auspicious days which were his birth, his enlightenment, and his Mahaparinibbana which coincide on the same day of the full moon day in May each year. This is known as the day of Wesak.