Being a Buddhist

We, Buddhist, a lot of time do not understand who our teacher is. Especially Buddhist born to a tradition has no idea as to what it is like being Buddhist. Therefore this article comes into effect. Please note that this article goes hand in hand with the Sinhala blog ‘Budu Rashmiya’ by author Thanuja Jayasundara. Even thought there are many blogs and web sites online, we need to be very careful in terms of choosing them. Mr. Jayasundara appears to be someone who does his research for his articles.

It is pretty sad to start off to see that a lot of us have very small knowledge about the Gautama Buddha. Though the Buddhism is spreading in western countries rapidly, it seems to be that they only get the teachings of the Buddha forgetting that it is important to look into the teacher who is the Buddha as well in order to understand the teachings. But first let us have a look at Sri Lanka and see as to how a lot of us in the society see the Gautama Buddha as. If you are being asked as to what in your words the Gautama Buddha is, you might come up with the followings.

01. He is our teacher
02. He is the one who discovered the Dhamma and his teachings are in the Tripitaka.
03. He came up with the Four noble Truths that can take us to Nibbana once understood.
04. He was born in India and we (Sri lanka) got Buddhism through Thera Mahinda.
05. His birth, enlightenment and the passing away occurred on a Vesak full moon poya day.
06. He reminds us the five precepts

Some might recall famous monks in Sri Lanka while thinking of the Five precepts.

Though some of you might have similar as mentioned above, we also come across with interpretations from philosophers about the Gautama Buddha. Some of them as follow.

‘The Buddha's Greatness I cannot myself feel either in the matter of wisdom or in the matter of virtue Christ stands quite as high as some other people known to history- I think I should put Buddha above him in those respects.

-Bertrand Russell, “Why I am not a Christian”

Embodiment of Virtues

‘Buddha was the embodiment of all the virtues he preached. During his successful and eventful ministry of 45 years he translated all his words in to action; an in no place did he give vent to any human frailty, or any base passion. The Buddha's moral code is the most perfect which the world has ever known.’
-Prof. Max Muller, German Scholar

Blossom of The Human Tree

‘This is the Blossom on our human tree Which opens in many a myriad years but opened, fills the world with wisdom's scent and love's dropped honey ‘
-Sir Edwin Arnold "Light of Asia”

Most Noble of Mankind

‘If you desire to see the most noble of mankind, look at the king in beggar's clothing’s; it is he whose sanctity is great among men'
-Abdul Atahiya, A Muslim Poet

Homage To Buddha

‘Lord Buddha could be very easily singled out as the person known to man who received homage from the great number of mankind.’
-Prof. Saunders, Literary Secretary Y.M.C.A India, Burma, Ceylon

Philosophic Genius

‘The Buddha was a pioneer as a lover of men' and a philosophic genius rolled into a single vigorous and radiant personality. He had things to say that no man or woman, after 2500 years of bustling and hustling and chattering round the forting of knowledge' can afford to ignore. Grater perhaps than his wisdom was the example he set.’
-Moni Bagghee “Our Buddha”

Cool Head and Loving Heart

‘The most striking thing about the Buddha is a unique combination of a cool scientific head and profound sympathy of a warm and loving heart. The world today turns more and more towards the Buddha' for he alone represents the conscience of Humanity.
"Moni Bagghee' Our Buddha"

The Buddha is like a physician

‘The Buddha is like a physician. just as a doctor must known the diagnosis of the different kinds of illness' their causes' the antidotes and remedies, and must be able to apply them, so also the Buddha as has taught the Four Holy Truths which indicate the range of suffering, its origin, its cessation and the way which lead to its cessation’.
-Dr. Edward Conze, ‘Buddhism’

Buddha is the Way

“I feel more and more that Sakyamuni is the nearest in Character and effect to him who is the Way' The Truth" and the Life.”
- Bishop Milman

Sectarianism

‘Most neophytes of some other religions are controlled by there Guru and are forbidden to read the scriptures' doctrines' magazines, booklets and tracts of other religions. This very rarely happens within Buddhism.’
-Phra Khanthipalo, “Tolerance"

The above mentioned quotations were used in academic worlds to answer the question. But it appears to be that a majority of monks in present time will not have any explanations apart from explaining the five precepts. I am not denying the fact that the taking on five precepts is wrong. It is a very good conduct to follow but that is not an explanation of the Gautama Buddha. In fact five precepts is not the only teachings of the Thatagata.

Certainly, adherence to five precepts needs to be practised as the first step to Nibbana, but if we take a look at people like ‘Angulimala” who became Arahat (attain Nibbana) he was never a practitioner of Five precepts. It is a fact to consider that in the present society it is very difficult to have adherence to the five precepts, concentrating to the five precepts has a high risk of people being away from the Dhamma. Our monks need to reconsider this as an important issue. If someone is saying that five precepts is the only way out, this is being said without any knowledge of the ‘Name and form’ (Namarupa) in Depended Origination (Patticcasamupada) It is against to the point to think that human mind has something stable or permanent every time. It keeps on changing. It is important to notice that Sila is only one aspect for Nibbana.

Rather than looking at outer explanations to look into the Buddhahood, Let us see what the Gautama Buddha has disclosed about himself in the next article.

Please note that this is a translation from the Sinhala blog ‘Budu Sashmiya’ published by Thanuja Jayasundara.

May all being be well!.