Understanding the Buddha’s greatness

By Amal HEWAVISSENTI

The Buddha is really human being. It is a cardinal error to visualise him as a man of abnormal height and unusually complex features. He had a natural birth and a normal life even though he was an extra ordinary man viewed within the framework of his supreme enlightenment. He elevated himself to a heroic stature through the remarkable power of his mind and pleasing traits.

His practical lessons for life have a profound, though often subliminal influence on our emotions, thinking and actions. In short, the Buddha took up long periods of superhuman effort to complete his self-training and thereby taught the people how to train the mind. Thus, his surprising journey to Buddhahood has proved that he was prepared to undergo any suffering for the benefit of the people who are otherwise in trouble.

He got the drift of the real nature of life without support from the supernatural but by developing his mind. The Buddha demonstrated that any person who develops determination and courage is blessed with the natural capacity to conquer any crisis.

Miracles

We should rather appreciate his command of any situation and understanding the nature of life than to appreciate the records of his miracles. He was the perfect example of all the good qualities and the moral code that he played up almost 2600 years ago. In his eventful life of forty five years as a great teacher, the Buddha translated most of his teachings into practice and became no slave to any human weakness. The Buddha's voice has always underpinned the dignity of man and has continued to spell out the rule that man generates his own destiny and nothing but his initiative is held responsible for his success or failure. His way of thinking belongs to the future. In most instances, he acknowledged that he was not for rescuing people but for guiding them to deliver themselves. Therefore, the Buddha advised us not to depend on others for our own happiness but to develop. Our self-confidence to achieve it.

The riddle mongers of the Buddha's days often presented questions that were far too narrow to be answered by him. They frequently attempted to ambush the Buddha into unguarded answers for philosophical questions. On such occasions, he remained non committal because he had far too much to express on such questions and because he knew very well that such explanations would possibly throw the hearer into confusion. For instance he maintained restraint in the expression of ideas about the limitless universe in response to questions posed by Ananda Thera.

Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore poetically represents the Buddha's early morning duty:

May my heart lend its ear to every cry of pain,
As the lotus bares its heart
To drink the morning sun
Let not the fierce sun dry one tear of pain,
Before I wipe it off from the sufferer's eyes,
But let each burning human tear,
Drop on my heart and there remain,
Nor ever be brushed off until the pain,
that caused it is removed.”

Interestingly the Buddha's ideas to mould our lives are invariably vivacious and thought-provoking. His inviting style of explaining things readily guarantees one's understanding of complex themes – even concepts beyond the bounds of one's capacity to grasp. Rulers, multi-millionaires, ministers and people of dignity showed immense respect for him and visited him for daily guidance. The Buddha, on the other had, exploited his uniquely persuasive voice to correct murderers, thieves, gangsters, cobblers and many others plunged in the mire of poverty and ignorance.

The Buddha stands like the pillar of wisdom and Buddhism begins where science ends. In this way the Buddha was a religious teacher and a thinker who encouraged people to think freely without relying on complex religious theories which blind people to their real needs. Once He said to Ananda Thera,

”Ananda, those who hold opposite views from mine are often governed by an impulse to level abusive speech at me. As an elephant in the battlefield endures the arrows shot from a bow, so I shall endure abusive speech. Most people are indeed, ill-natured..” He always placed emphasis on developing one's ability to control oneself in most situations which involve anger and passion. This is the Buddha's historic statement about the value of self control. “though someone may conquer a million men in the battlefield, the one who has total control over himself is the noblest victor”.

Greed for power

He has aptly pointed out the disastrous effect of greed for power and luxury. He said, “Entirely moved by selfish greed, Kings fight with Kings, princes with princes, priests with priests and citizens with citizens.

In the same way, mother quarrels with son, son with father and brother quarrels with sister and friends quarrel with friends. The definite aftermath is deadly pain and perhaps, death.

The Buddha always stressed on acting honestly in accordance with one's words. He quoted a beautiful example to illustrate his point.

Like a beautiful flower of vibrant colours but without fragrance, the beautiful words spoken by a person who does not act to his words, are empty and meaningless.

On the question as to the existence of gods, the Buddha offered a double-edged explanation. Once a disciple of the Buddha asked whether there is any evidence to prove the existence of Gods.

He asked whether there is any evidence to disprove the existence of Gods. Some of his most dramatic expressions on life are as follows:

”Brooks make so much noice

While the great rivers flow in silence.”

People blame others for their silence.

And they blame those who talk much or in moderation.

There is no one in this world who is not blamed. There never was, never will be, nor is there now anyone who is wholly blamed or wholly praised.”

Four types of people

”There are four types of people in this world.

They are : those who go from darkness to darkness, those who go from light to darkness, those who go from darkness to light, and those who go from light to light.

And people have different motivations.

One may work for his own good but not for the good of others.

One may work for the good of others but not for his own good.

One may work neither for his own good nor for the good of others.

One may work for his own good as well as for the good of others.”