Gautam Buddha showed us the way to generate the energy of understanding and love, so that we can have a happy life, says Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh
The birth of Siddharth was quite easy. His mother Queen Mahamaya was on her way to her maternal home to give birth there. Half the way there she and her ladies-in-waiting stopped to enjoy a break in the Lumbini Park. As she took a walk among the blooming Ashoka trees in the park, she felt Siddharth coming. She grasped one of the branches of the Ashoka tree and right away gave birth to him in the standing position. It was a happy moment for all.
In contrast, the birth of Rahula, Siddharth’s son, was a difficult one. It took a long time and Yashodhara had a difficult time before the baby was delivered. There was fear that both the mother and son would not survive. At the time of conception of Rahula, Siddharth was not happy, even though he had all the conditions to enjoy the life of a prince. He was aware of the suffering in himself, in his mother and father, in the royal family, in his country. He was not convinced that as a king and politician he could remove the suffering either from himself, his family or his country. The unrest in Siddharth was very clear. He had a lot of confusion and anguish and no peace and joy in himself. He was trying to find a way out of this and the idea of leaving home to become a monk was very strong in him. That was perhaps one reason why the birth of Rahula was so difficult – his anxiety and tension entering into both Yashodhara and their unborn child.
Siddharth left not long after the birth of Rahula. He spent many years searching for the way, learning from many teachers and finally attained Enlightenment by himself. Siddharth was doing that for all of us – his mother, father, his family, his country. Mankind was so lucky because Siddharth had succeeded. He had found a way to deal with the suffering inside himself, in his family, his society. He had found a way to release the tension in his body, a way to calm down his painful feelings and emotions. He had found a way to understand the deep roots of suffering in himself and in other people, and to restore communication and bring about a reconciliation with his beloved ones. Most of all, he has found a way to touch the nature of no birth and no death in himself and in reality. He has done that not only for himself but for all of us in the human race and other species as well, because when the human race suffers, other species also suffer.
Gautam Buddha’s discovery is a giant stride for spirituality. He not only realised that happiness is possible but showed us the way to cultivate and generate the energy of understanding and love, so that we can have a happy life. One week of practice of Buddha’s teaching on living happily in the present moment can transform our life and restore communication and happiness between us and other people. but today we do not profit from the wisdom and teachings of the Buddha as our ancestors did in the past. Buddhism has undergone many transformations in order to serve mankind but today not many of us are able to go on the path undertaken by our teacher, the Buddha, even though it could save mankind and our mother earth.
(Buddha Purnima celebration at Sanskriti Kendra, Ayanagar, Delhi on May 5th from 5.45pm - 9pm. All are welcome. Ahimsa.trust@gmail.com www.ahimsatrust.org)
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