The Gautam Buddha, the light of Asia and the founder of Buddhism was born in a royal family in 563-BC on the vaisakha purnima day at Lumbinivana. Buddha relinguished the world early in life. The sights of disease, old age and dcath impressed the young prince with the idea that the world was full of suffering and the life a care-free mendicant suggested to him a possible way of escape. As an ascetic, he was restless in search of the real source of all suffering and of the means of complete deliverance. He sought light from many religious teachers and learned scholars of the day and practiced great austerities but noting satisfied him. With an iron will and a mind free from all disturbing thoughts and passions, he endeavored to unravel, through continued intense meditations, the mystery of the World's miseries, till at last his ambitions was crowded with success. Siddhartha become the enlightened. The message of his enlightment laid the foundations of both buddhistic religion and philosophy which, in course of time, spread far and wide and embraced by the people almost all over the world.
The Buddha's teaching
It is different to say what exactly the teachings of Buddha who preached only orally. A fairly good account of his teachings can be taken. His main teachings may be said to be three fold the four noble truth- The noble eightfold path and the doctrine of dependent originations. Let's read about his teachings:
The four noble truths
1. Suffering: - human life is full of misery and pain. Even the so-called pleasures are really fraught with pain. There is always fear least we may lose the so-called pleasure and their loss involves pain. Indulgence also results in pain. That there is suffering in this world isa fact of common experience. Poverty, disease, old age, death, selfishness, meanness, agreed, anger, hatred, quarrels, conflicts, exploitation are rampant in this world. That is full of suffering none can deny.
2. Cause of suffering:-
Nothing comes out of nothing- ex-niholo nihil fit. Everything has a cause. The existence of every event depends upon its cause and condition. Everything in this world is conditional, relative limited. Suffering being a fact, it must have a cause; it must depend on some conditions.
3. Cessation of suffering:
Everything arises depending on some causes and conditions. Therefore if there Cause and conditions are removed effect must also cease. The cause being removed, the effect ceases to exist. Everything being conditional and relative is necessarily momentary and what is momentary must perish. That which is born must die, production implies destruction.
4. Way to lead cessation of suffering:-
There is an ethical and spiritual path by following which misery may be removed and tion htained this is the eight-fold path. In noble eight fold path consists of eight steps libera which are- i) right faith 11) Kight resolve i11) right speech iv) Right action v) right living vi) right afford vii) Right thought Vii) Right concentration.
Ta sum up the essential points of the eightfold path, it may be noted first that the path, consists three main things- conduct, concentration and knowledge harmoniously cultivated. In the eight-fold of ne starts with right faith a mere intellectual apprehension of the fourfold truth. The mind is not vet nuroed of the previous wrong 1deas and the passions or wTong emotions arising therefrom, moreover, old habits of speaking thinking and acting also continue still. The eight steps resolve the old personality reneated contemplation of what is true and good, training of the will and emotions accordingly, through steadfast determination and passionless behavior gradually achieve the harmonious personality which thought, will and emotions are all thoroughly cultured and purified in the light of truth.
The Buddha's Ahimsa
The Buddha clearly enunciated the morality of ahimsa. He says "May all beings be happy and secure ,may they be happy minded" Let no one deceive another, let him despise another in any place, let him not out of anger or resentment wish harm to another." Let a man overcome anger by love, let him conquer evil by good. For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time, hatred ceases by love.Returning good for good is very noble, but returning good for evil is nobler still, "Good men melt with compassion even for one who has wronged the harm", With pure thoughts and fullness of love it will do to others what I do for myself. Hatred is conquered by love. The wrong does cannot affect the purity of a virtuous person but he offends himself and degrades his character. If a man offends a harmless, pure and innocent person, the evil falls back upon that fool, like a light dust thrown up against the wind.
Evil should be conquered by good, do not speak harshly, to anybody, those who are spoken to will answer thee in the same way. Angry speech is painful, blows from blows will touch thee. Anger and resentment should be conquered by love, violence begets violence, it should be pacified by love.
Buddha calls a true Brahman who does not offend anyone by body, word or thought, who find no fault with other beings, whether feeble or strong, who does not kill or cause slaughter, who is tolerant with the intolerant, mind with fault-finders, passionless with the passionate, who has shaken of hated, pride and envy." Aggression should not be met by aggression. Violence should be resisted with non-violence.
There is no shark like hatred. The fields are damaged by weeds, mankind is damaged by hatred. Let us live happily then not hating those who hate us. Love is the cementing factor among mankind. Hatred is the disintegrating force among them. Bind men to men with golden ties of love. Do not separate them by hatred and ill-wil1.
Reference Books
1. Chatterjee, Satischandra and Dutta Dhirendramohan. An introduction to Indian Philosophy
6th Ed. Calcutta: University ofb Calcutta, 1960
2. Sharma Chandradhar- A critical Survey of Indian Philosophy
3. Sinha, J, Introduction to Indian Philosophy
