Vesak thoughts

More than 2600 years ago, Prince Siddhartha, later to become Gautama Buddha, was born to a world where people believed in all kinds of superstitions and tried various methods for emancipation, some of which were extreme. Prince Siddhartha too, having seen the vagaries of life and nature, sought such emancipation. He too tried the very extreme methods to achieve this goal, but failed.

Then, he opted for the Middle Path, which was neither extremely excruciating nor ultra luxurious, and attained Enlightenment. Today, we celebrate these momentous events in the life of this extraordinary human being.

Yes, the Buddha was a human being who accomplished an extraordinary task. We may not see the living Buddha today, but we are fortunate enough to listen to His words, which hold true to this day. But the crux of the matter is, how many of us are still listening to His immortal words and how many are actually following Him ?

The best of all paths is the Eightfold Path. The best of all truths are the Four Noble Truths. Non-attachment is the best of all states. The best of all men is the Seeing One (the Buddha). (The Dhammapada, Maggavagga)

This is the truth that all Buddhists have to realise. Unfortunately, most Buddhists have been veering away from the words of the Buddha. The temple used to be the focal point of the village - it should once again be. City dwellers too must get closer to their places of worship. The close village-temple link helped to create a just society.

Sri Lanka has gone through a very difficult 30 years. It is only three years ago that terrorism was vanquished, restoring peace. There is a lot more to be done. Today, Buddhist shrines all parts of the country including those in the North and the East are freely accessible to all devotees. The Buddha’s words can heal the wounds of conflict and reaffirm the significance of peace everywhere in this nation.

Hate is not overcome by hate; by Love (Metta) alone is hate appeased. This is an eternal law. (The Dhammapada, Yamakavagga). Thus, the Buddha’s eternal words will help us in forging national reconciliation. Thus Vesak is most appropriate for spreading the message of peace and reconciliation. Today, the Nation is at a crossroads, having opted for unity and peace instead of discord and rancour. We have the Herculean task of rebuilding the Nation.

The Buddha Dhamma offers ample guidance for such a process of healing and rebuilding of trust among all our peoples. Indeed, His message of peace resonates to this day, for His words are immortal and timeless. Buddhism being a philosophy, anyone can follow His words, not just Buddhists.

Values

Many of us have forgotten the Middle Path the Buddha advocated. The Buddha espoused how lay persons can ideally lead their lives in the Singalovada Sutta, following the tenets of Buddhism and moral values.

He made it clear that inner peace or cleansing the mind was the first step. “The mind is hard to check. It is swift and wanders at will. To control it is good. A controlled mind is conducive to happiness.” (Chitta Vagga, The Dhammapada).

There are many values that our society has lost sight of in the pursuit of material wealth. This is not surprising in a highly commercialised world, where money is regarded as ‘everything’. In fact, the Vesak festival itself is commercialised to such an extent that many have forgotten its very purpose and foundation. We see the glitter and glamour in the illuminations and the pandals but fail to turn the light inwards to our inner selves with a view to purifying our thoughts, words and deeds.

We should see beyond the decorations and strive to understand the Buddha Dhamma and how it relates to our day-to-day lives.

The Buddha exhorted that affinity towards material things leads to constant suffering through Samsara. The Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path espoused by the Buddha point the way towards a permanent end to this suffering - Nibbana, the State of Supreme Bliss. “Do not follow a life of evil; do not live heedlessly; do not have false views; do not value worldly things. In this way one can get rid of suffering.” (Lokavagga, The Dhammapada).It would be wrong to assume that Buddhism is a very complicated philosophy that offers nothing for our lay lives. The Buddha had plenty of advice to offer for lay persons who want to lead to pious lives in their Samsaric journey. He made it clear that inner peace or cleansing the mind was the first step in this endeavour. “The mind is hard to check. It is swift and wanders at will. To control it is good. A controlled mind is conducive to happiness.” (Chitta Vagga, The Dhammapada). Thus thoughts of peace and compassion should emanate from the mind at all times and a Nation that collectively engages in this exercise will see peace and unity.

Unity

Vesak has always been, and always will be, a time for religious and communal unity. There should be no room for incidents such as the one that happened in Dambulla several weeks ago. Religious amity is essential for a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country like Sri Lanka. We know that it is not only Buddhists who take part in Vesak activities. It is truly a national event where the whole country comes together as one. Many Vesak dansalas, pandals and decorations are put up by organisations headed by non-Buddhists. Singers from all communities join hands to sing devotional songs for Vesak.

In fact, some of the most well-known Buddhist songs, played repeatedly on radio stations during Vesak, have been performed by non-Buddhists. Such religious and communal unity is vital to the development of our country and Vesak is an occasion which reinforces these bonds. This is in accordance with the teachings of the Enlightened One, who advised His followers to respect other religions and their views.

Vesak, the Holiest Day for Buddhists, gives them another opportunity to begin life anew by adhering firmly to the Dhamma. “He who practices the Dhamma abides in happiness with mind pacified; the wise man ever delights in the Dhamma.” (Pandithavagga, The Dhammapada). The Dhamma has shown us how to lead fulfilled, pious lives without contaminating our minds with evil thoughts. Our Nation too is making a new start after three decades of bloodshed. Now, more than ever, there is a need to heal the wounds of conflict through love and compassion. There certainly is no better way than following the eternal words of the Buddha to achieve this noble objective.