Man today is acquiring various types of knowledge. Among these he is learning how to live and act like lions and other animals. What is the meaning of knowledge (jnana)? It is not mere acquaintance with numerous books. Even the acquisition of information about all the objects in the animate and inanimate is not knowledge. True knowledge is awareness of the relationship between the individual and collective (Samashti) and their oneness.
Men today do not recognize the nature their humanness. How can they recognize their inherent divinity? It is only when man is aware of his humanness that he will be competent to recognize his divinity. How then, is man to reach humanness? What is the means? Buddha undertook various inquiries to discover the Divine and came to the conclusion that it is only through mastery over his senses he can achieve this. Man has to make the right use of his senses for sacred purposes to realize his divinity.
True ideal is to give practical knowledge of dharma to others. One should be a hero in practice, not merely in preaching. This was the ideal of Buddha. All the Avatars and noble souls led their lives in the most exemplary manner and helped people experience divinity. Buddha said, ‘O man. you don’t need to search for God anywhere. You are God yourself.’ (SSS Vol.32 Part I, pp. 214-215)
When Buddha sat under the Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya, after the illumination that revealed to him the Four Noble Truths, gangs of disbelievers gathered around him and poured ridicule and abuse on him. His disciples were enraged; they prayed to the Buddha, ‘Lord, Give us leave; we shall beat this insolence and .ignorance out of these traducers.’ But, Buddha only smiled at their anger. He said, ‘Dear ones, know you not how much joy they derive from this exercise? You derive joy worshipping me. They derive joy pelting me with abuse. You pour reverence; they pour ridicule, and receive equal satisfaction. Control yourselves; do not hate any one, that is the teaching. This is the ancient ordinance.’ (SSS Vol.12), 14-1-1973
Hence, Buddha declared that the first requisite is samyag darshanam (having the right vision). The implication of this statement is that, having been bestowed with the great gift of eyes, man should use them for seeing sacred objects and holy beings. But, on the contrary, by using his eyes to look at un-sacred objects and evil persons, man fills himself with bad thoughts and becomes a prey to evil tendencies. What one sees influences the feelings in the heart. The state of the heart determines the nature of one’s thoughts. The thoughts influence one’s life.
Hence to lead a good life the first requisite is a pure vision. Man has to cultivate sacred outlook. As a result of looking at cruel, ugly, and wicked scenes man leads an animal existence.
The very first inquiry one should make is to ascertain what is pure, edifying, and godly that he should see. Whatever he sees leaves its imprint on man. Few realize the effects of this. Human life today is racked by anxiety, misery, unrest and troubles of various kinds. The root cause of all this is that man is witnessing what is repulsive, wicked and demeaning. For transforming one’s life, the first requisite is a proper vision. The eye (netra) is comparable to a spiritual text (Shastra) and one’s vision (drishti) determines one’s views of the cosmos (srishti). Right vision confers double promotion. There are forty lakh light rays in the human eye. But their radiance is destroyed on account of wrong vision. When you look at wrong things, you waste the enormous power of radiance of the eyes. There are thirty lakh taste buds on the tongue. Hence to acquire the highest knowledge one has to purify the vision. This means one should avoid seeing what is obnoxious. One should strive to see only that which is sacred and pure. What man sees is like seeds sown in the heart. Evil scenes give rise to evil thoughts. Good scenes evoke good thoughts. When sacred scenes are implanted in the heart there will be no room for bad feelings or thoughts to grow in the heart.
This was the first lesson Buddha taught. Buddha wandered all over the country in search of spiritual peace and liberation. After many years of inquiry he came to the conclusion that the secret of spiritual wisdom was not to be got from scholars or by study. He realized that spiritual understanding could only come from mastery of the senses.
From developing sacred vision, man should proceed to samyag vachanam (sacred speech). Buddha declared that only sacred thoughts could lead to sacred speech. Buddha declared that the tongue should not be used recklessly to utter whatever one thinks. The tongue has been given to speak the truth, to expatiate on what is sacred and pure. The tongue has not been given to man to pamper the palate with delicious sweets. It is not given for talking as one likes. It is not to be used for causing displeasure to others. Nor is it to be used for indulging in falsehood. The tongue has been given to man to speak the truth, to be sweet to others, to praise the Divine and enjoy the bliss derived from such sacred speech.
There are people who devote their entire time to reading all kinds of books, without trying to put into practice what they learn from such reading. What is the use of such reading? Buddha spoke out against scholarship unrelated to the good life. He carried out a great deal of study and met many great men. He listened to many discourses. He realized that true knowledge could not be got by these means. He realized that a pure, unsullied consciousness confers the highest knowledge. True knowledge is derived from a pure inner consciousness (antahkarana).
Samyag karma and samyag sadhana
Buddha emphasized goodness in action (samyag-karma). The mark of good action is harmony in thought, word, and deed. When there is no such harmony, the action belies what is said or thought.
Buddha went on to declare that good action is conducive to good spiritual progress (samyag-sadhana). Good deeds constitute genuine spirituality. Mere formal worship or ritualistic practices do not constitute spiritual striving. These religious practices are good in a way. But they do not constitute spiritual sadhana. True spirituality consists in the unity of thought, word and deed in all their purity and sacredness. Buddha declared that when spiritual striving of this nature has been completed, there is samyag-jivanam (leading a pure life).
This is how the five organs of perception (panchendriyas) should be used to achieve the supreme goal of life. Good vision, good thoughts, good speech, good deeds and good spiritual endeavour are the prerequisites for a good life (samyag jivanam). In this context, the meaning of spiritual striving should be properly understood. Essentially spiritual striving calls for the shedding of all bad qualities and the cultivation of good thoughts. Spiritual sadhana means cultivating good thoughts and undertaking good deeds.
To achieve happiness, man embarks on acquiring various kinds of knowledge and pursues various occupations. He seeks happiness through marriage and having children and building a mansion for his residence. But is he happy thereby? No.
In his last moments, Buddha summoned his stepbrother Ananda to impart to him his final message. Ananda was the son of Gautami (Buddha’s stepmother). Placing his palm on the head of his younger brother, Buddha said: ‘My dear child! I came to the world to teach (the Truth). If anyone asks, ‘Where is God?’ the answer is: ‘He is everywhere’. Truth is God. Speak the Truth. Do not harm anyone. Recognize that the highest dharma is nonviolence ahimsa).’
What is dharma? Is it celibacy or the duties of a householder or a renunciant (Sannyasi)? These are transient obligations, which have to be observed as incidental duties in the journey of life. The Supreme duty is refraining from causing harm to anyone. This truth is proclaimed in the scriptures in the exhortation: ‘Speak the truth. Speak what is pleasing (Satyam bruyat; priyam bruyat.)’ Thus, pleasing speech is declared as a supreme duty.
Buddha told Ananda that this truth was learnt by him from his own experience. He said, ‘When I left the palace, my father (the King) was told that I was doing a great wrong in renouncing the family. My parents, kinsmen and others tried to put pressure on me to return to the ties of family life. These wrong efforts on their side made me more determined to pursue the spiritual path. In the quest for spiritual peace several ordeals have to be overcome. Today I have found the Truth about life. What is it? The sanctification of the five senses is the way to Truth. If the senses are polluted, of what avail are spiritual exercises? When the water in a tank is polluted, all taps will only give polluted water. Your heart is the tank. Your vision and thoughts are impure. Your speech is foul. When the heart is polluted in this manner, the senses are bound to be sullied.’
Buddha was once asked: ‘Who is the richest man in the world?’ Buddha replied: ‘He who has much satisfaction (with what he has) is the richest man.’ To the question, ‘Who is the poorest man?’ Buddha replied: ‘He who has many desires.’ A Maharaja, who was listening to Buddha’s sermons on contentment and renunciation, wished to earn the approbation of Buddha.
Buddha used to keep with him always a rattle-drum. His disciples once asked him: ‘Master! Why are you always keeping this rattle-drum by your side?’ Buddha replied: ‘I shall play on this drum the day a person who has made the greatest sacrifice approaches me.’ Everyone was eager to know who this person would be. Such persons are often the forgotten men of history.
Wishing to attain this distinction, a Maharaja loaded his elephants with considerable treasure and went to Buddha. He hoped to offer the treasure to Buddha and earn his praise.
Buddha shows what true sacrifice means
On the way, an old woman greeted the Maharaja and pleaded: ‘I am hungry. Will you give me some food?’ The Maharaja took out a pomegranate fruit from his palanquin and gave it to the old woman. The old woman came to Buddha with the fruit. By then, the Maharaja had also come to Buddha and was eagerly waiting to see when Buddha would sound the rattle-drum. For a long time Buddha did not use it. The Maharaja stayed on.
The old woman approached Buddha staggering on her legs, and offered him the pomegranate fruit. Buddha took it immediately and sounded the little drum. The Maharaja asked Buddha: ‘I offered so much wealth to you. You did not sound the drum. But you rattled it after receiving a small fruit. Is this a great sacrifice.
Buddha replied: ‘Maharaja! In sacrifice, it is not quantity that counts. It is the quality of sacrifice that matters. It is natural for a Maharaja to offer gold. But what great sacrifice is made when a hungry old women offers the pomegranate fruit to the Guru despite her hunger. She did not care even for her life and gave the fruit. What greater sacrifice can there be? It is not sacrifice to offer what is superfluous for you. True sacrifice means giving up that which is most dear to you, that which you value most.’ (SSS Vol.21), 26 Jun 1988
There used to be a village-chief who did not like Buddha’s way of life. He used to look upon him as a lazy person who was gathering round him young men and making them lead an idle life. Buddha who was aware of the man’s attitude, went to his house one day with his disciples and begged for alms ‘Bhavati! Bhikshaam Dehi’ (Oh blessed one! offer me alms). The headman, who had espied Buddha approaching the house and begging for alms, shouted: ‘You lazy fellow! You don’t deserve any alms. Get out! You have been wasting your time.’ The headman went on abusing Buddha, calling him all kinds of names. Buddha was amused and was smiling.
After exhausting his abuses, the headman calmed down and asked Buddha, ‘Sir! I have a doubt. Will you clear it?’ Buddha said, ‘What is your doubt? Speak out.’ The headman asked how Buddha had remained unaffected by all the abuse he had levelled against the latter. Buddha said, ‘I came to you begging for food. Supposing you had brought the food and I had refused to take it, what would you have done with the food?’ The man replied, ‘I would have taken it back.’
Buddha then said, ‘Now, instead of food, you gave me all your abuse. I refused to receive it. What happens to it? It goes back to you. I have no connection with it.’ The headman learnt a good lesson. (SSS Vol.25), 15 Mar 1992
Once, Buddha entered a village along with his disciples. A lady approached him and requested him to have food in her house. Buddha blessed her and accepted her invitation. Seeing this, many villagers, including the village headman, warned Buddha, saying, ‘O Buddha, you are one of wisdom and have renounced everything. She is not a woman of good character. It is not proper for you to have food in her house.’ Buddha smiled and asked the village headman to come forward. Buddha, holding the right hand of the headman, asked him to clap. The headman said, it was not possible for him to clap since one of his hands was in Buddha’s hold. Buddha said, ‘True, it is possible to clap only when two hands come together. Likewise, this lady cannot turn bad by herself unless there are men of bad character in the village. The men of this village are the root cause of her bad character.’ The villagers realized their folly, fell at Buddha’s feet and sought his forgiveness. Through his teachings, Buddha instilled sacredness and wisdom in people. Buddha’s teachings are highly sacred, with profound inner meaning. (SSS Vol.32 Part I, p. 214)