 In this piece let us attempt to see something different – something through the lens of an observer-observed, subject-object perspective. I have covered and explored the entangled relationship between the two – in the light of Buddhist thoughts (Gautama Buddha – The Tathagata) and modern science – as revealed in Quantum Mechanics (see The Quantum World; The Power of Mind).
Let us do it in the format of a conversation between the observer (Humphreys) and the observed (Visakha). The naming of these two is to remember and honor – and to orient ourselves to some historic contexts related to Buddha Dharma development. The names are only intended to honor them – in the format of a story – and have nothing to do with the actual description of their characters. A brief of their life is outlined below. Visakha, born in an aristocratic family – was a female lay disciple of the Buddha. She devoted her whole life to promote the Dharma. To facilitate Buddha’s teaching and meditation in a beautiful garden, she founded the Migaramata Monastery in Shravasti. Christmas Humphreys (1901 – 1983) was a renowned British judge and a Buddhist scholar who devoted his life to promote Buddha Dharma in the West (see a short introduction of him in Meditation for True Happiness). According to the common notion of subject-object characterization – the subject observes the object, not the other way around. In this piece, let us see the roles differently. The roles in the personalities of the subject-object – are not in one-way observation or lecturing mode – rather they are in an exploratory mode of understanding each other – learning from each-other’s thought processes. The purpose is to explore some questions that often come into people’s mind. They range from different aspects of the Buddha Dharma – to its development and propagation beyond. It is built upon some articles – posted earlier on this Website (see links in Widecanvas Home Page) – as well as shown in Website Links and Profile. . . . Humphreys decided to take a day off to relax and enjoy time in a quiet valley of grassland and bushes beside a tranquil lake. It was a day of brilliant sunshine with light breeze touching everything – generating little fluttery sound in the bushes. Buds of springtime wild flowers were in full blossom, giving the place a lively look of colorful mosaic of flowers and green foliage. The lake was full of ripples with ducks, duckling, geese and goslings freely swimming and diving. A pathway passes by the place where he sat, as if it emerged from nowhere from a distant mountain of thick conifer forest. Sitting on a bench, Humphreys ate lunch and had a sip of water when he caught the sight of someone at a distance calmly walking towards the place. He got fascinated by some sort of a glow of light emanating from the person. As the image appeared close, he noticed Visakha – a shaved head middle-aged woman wearing a flowing orange robe. A prayer loop hangs from her hand – with her fingers flipping each bead as she was walking. Humphreys stood from his bench and greeted her by bowing. Visakha smiled and responded with Namaskara Mudra at her heart and bowed. . . . 1. Staying Calm Humphreys: "Hello madam, I could not help but noticing you calmly walking by. Surprised to see a shining glow emanating from you. Your calm and humble posture with a smile is so contagious that people feel safe and connected to you – as I did. I am very delighted to meet you – and curious to know who you are." Visakha: "That is so sweet of you. I am a simple follower of the Buddha, a nun. I don’t know about the glow, but perhaps you are in a calm state of mind to observe such a thing. I was doing walking Metta meditation trying to connect myself with all that belong to the Life System – the beauty and wonders of Nature. Trying to realize how interconnected we all are – trying to listen to their songs of life, joy, sorrow, anger and hope – all that define us." Humphreys: "Ah I know now why such a glow appears in a person – and yes, one has to be in the right mood to see it. What is Metta, by the way?" Visakha: "Metta in Pali and Maitrey in Sanskrit language – is one of the Four Sublimities the Buddha taught. Metta is universal love or loving kindness to all – irrespective of who we are – all plants and living beings. It blooms when a nonviolence frame of mind takes root in a person. It is also one of the Paramitas – the Ten Perfections to Bodhi, the Buddha mastered on his way to Buddhahood. With such a set of calm mind – all negative emotions melt away – by opening the door to true friendship. The other three of the Sublimities are: Karuna or Compassion, Mudita or Joy and Upekka or Equanimity." Humphreys: "Wow! This set of calm mind is very powerful – the power of a different kind. We hear about Buddhist meditation, it is so common nowadays. May I ask, whether you are happy being a simple Buddhist nun." Visakha looked at Humphreys and both laughed. "You meant if I have achieved Nirvana, the eternal bliss, no I have not." She smiled: "I am happy and peaceful the way I am – no complains, no regrets, no blaming, no cursing. Like yourself, many wonder about such questions – for them having many gadgets, power, privilege, possessions are the answers to everything. For us, staying calm and temptation free in a sublime state of mind in meditation discipline are the answers. Nirvana will come, when I am totally ready for it – it may or may not in this lifetime." Humphreys vowed respecting Visakha’s wisdom and peaceful conviction, then changed the conversation and said: "If I may, can I offer you something." So saying, he took an apple from his pocket and offered. Visakha: "Such a kind gesture of you to offer. But, I can only accept if you have enough for yourself." Humphreys took the other apple from his pocket to convince Vishaka. Vishaka looked beyond into the horizon doing Namaskara from forehead, through the nose to her heart. And she did accept the offer with folded hands. Visakha: "I do not have anything to offer you in return. But, we monks and nuns usually bless the donors by offering certain gifts of words to make them happy." Humphreys was delighted. That was exactly what he was hoping for, saying: "That sounds very good. That is what I need – the gift of some kind words – a healthy food for my mind." . . . 2. Neither Aggressive Nor Passive They walked to a bench and sat. Humphreys: "I have few questions in my mind. We see Buddhist monks and nuns very rarely. There are perhaps many Buddhists in the world than what we know, but it is hard to recognize them as such. Because, Buddhists do not have name, dress or food codes – not even have designated regular prayer congregation days like we do – except monks and nuns who have shaved head and dress in a certain ancient way. Perhaps, that is the reason why Buddhist population is so underestimated in the prevalent method of generating statistics." Visakha: "You have observed right. We are not loud like others. Our emphasis is on mind - saying, for example, that an evil or unwholesome mind cannot be changed by remaining faithful to compliance of codes - unless the mind is pure. Because of such absence, perhaps general establishment and media tend not to see us, even ignore us. Perhaps such seats of power do not consider us important for vote-counts – for their political power. We are non-dogmatic and tolerant – not rigid like others. You can say that the Dharma is wide-perspective Relativist; as opposed to the Absolutist singular perspective view of others. That is how the Buddha wanted it." Humphreys: "I agree with you about politics. But, ignore you! Buddhism is not weak. Is it?" Visakha: "On the contrary, Buddha Dharma is very powerful – but perhaps not in the conventional understanding of the term, which is primarily assessed in fire power or power of the sword. We are neither aggressive nor passive – we cultivate and depend on our own strength without seeking help from imaginary beings. That does not mean we are aloof from the society – the Dharma says that when one is wholesome – it translates to the family, to society, to the state. And, in doing so, we pursue the Middle Way – with the Buddha’s blessing in our mind. We value happiness, stability and harmony more than anything else. From childhood, we are taught to remain calm, and to be respectful to others. I reckon this way of Buddhist life may give an impression of weakness in some people’s mind. But, let us not forget that the Dharma gave birth to some earliest universities in the world, with the Buddha laying the foundation of systematic scientific way of thinking for the first time in history. Everything he taught was not merely a line or series of lines – but was justified in numerous scriptural texts." Humphreys: "That is so refreshing to hear. It is disappointing for us that we are ignorant of Buddha’s wisdom. I remember from my old days, only half a page was written on Buddhism in high school text books – even then they were described as part of Hinduism. While such a bias was there, other religions got wide coverage." Humphreys continued: "I noticed that you continue to use Buddha Dharma while talking. Let us use that term – the Dharma. Yes, the Dharma is neither ‘pessimistic’ nor ‘escapist’. In the West, we are often not respectful to terms akin to other cultures, are we not? Instead we tend to impose our own definitions on others – giving the impression of a dictatorial tone." Visakha: "I am glad that you have realized the sensitiveness. About the school text, I do not know about it, as I did not go to school here. But, heard similar stories from others. The Dharma was born as a quest for wisdom and happiness in the midst of Sanatana Dharma practices, which came to be known as Hinduism (a conglomerate of many different beliefs and worships) at a later time. The Dharma was a revolution – with the Buddha’s enlightened message – telling all to have confidence in their own abilities to find peace and happiness in life. In many ways it transformed the post-Buddha Sanatana Dharma – which included and adopted many Buddhist terms and ideas – labeling them as part of Hinduism. So, there is no ground to assume that the Dharma is part of Hinduism." Humphreys: "Hmm! I can imagine during the time of the Buddha – many people must have been angered by the Buddha saying something totally different, that has never been heard before. Even now, people react very angrily and hatefully when someone tells something different than their faith. The Buddha was able to get over all such obstacles – by his charismatic way of saying to stay calm – essentially telling all to empty the mind of inclinations and prejudices before moving on – by his love and compassion for all living beings. His deep confidence and authority in the universality of Truths he discovered must have been his great strength and power." Visakha: "Very Well said! You see, the Dharma came under attack in multiple times in history. Yet, it prevailed with Buddhist Dynasties ruling over the Indian subcontinent for about 2 millennia in one way or another. Unlike others, Buddhist dynasties did not destroy and eradicate other faiths during their rule – but this tolerant stand of the Dharma was not honored by others. In China also there were some ups and downs, but the Dharma was dominant in shaping Chinese way-of-living and culture. Chinese people do not see contradictions – in visiting different faith temples in one go, from one to the other – for that matter in other countries of East Asia. It is not like the Western concept of religious rigidity. Chinese believe that the Second Emperor’s dream of the Buddha image – was an auspicious sign that the Buddha wanted to come to China to bless the Chinese society. And they did accept and honored him in a profound way – including transmitting the Dharma to Japan, Korea and other places. There are no instances in history, where monks and pilgrimage travelers were sent to the west to look for and bring back original Buddhist texts for the benefit of Chinese society. And it is because of these dedicated traveling monks – of their detailed travel records – that we know now the extent of the Dharma – and the existence of so many temples and monasteries all over Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent." Humphreys: "Ah, no wonder, China’s long lasting civilization and prosperity are so awe inspiring around the world. Do you think the internal and external pressures in China can hurt the cause of the Dharma?" Visakha: "Nearly two millennia of the Dharma in China as the dominant religion – is more than long enough to make the Dharma the national identity of China – for that matter of Japan and Korea. So much so that people identify the Dharma as Chinese, Japanese or Korean Buddhism – as well as the Dharma in Tibet and beyond as Tibetan Buddhism. In fact, it was the Chinese, Japanese and Korean Diaspora who brought the Dharma to the West in the early periods of immigration. Denying one’s tradition, glorious past, culture and identity – is like denying oneself. I can only hope that calmness prevails – and that such denials under internal and external pressures – would not happen." Humphreys: "Thank you, that is an impressive answer. I concur with you, unlike others, that rode on the power of conquests, the Dharma propagation was mostly diffusive in nature – it was the people, monks and traders – who took the Dharma with them to distant lands and cultures. Adoption and adaptation by the seats of power – followed the popular appeal. Adaptation is important, as the Buddha said, 'Be a Light Unto Yourself'. On the pressure question, yes, if such denial happens – there would be nothing left in the nation’s identity, culture and glory. Would it not? I am curious to know why attacks on the Dharma were there in the past." Visakha: "I do not have definite answers. There could be multiple factors – weaknesses of Buddhist leaders vis-à-vis rising strengths of other powers is just one of them. The uniqueness and straightforwardness of the Dharma relying on the kaleidoscope of transience and interdependence that we all experience – was perhaps too much beyond the norm of conventional religions that depend on worshipping imaginary beings. Therefore, it is not unlikely that the Dharma caused ire in priestly class interests of other religions. Also, one needs to realize that sometimes the Truth of Sublimities is taken over by quick fixes of greed, ignorance, arrogance, anger and hatred. We, the Buddhist communities must also be honest with ourselves – in examining our institutional and organizational structures – in identification of weaknesses – to find ways to augment and reinforce our strengths." Humphreys: "I totally agree. Perhaps, faiths and religions are not as strong as they used to be – people just use them as a label. This labeling of oneself to certain faiths – without understanding and following the core values can be very unhealthy and dangerous." Visakha: "I Agree. I earnestly believe that true believers of any religion are very sweet and humble – and all such true believers of different faiths are close friends." Humphreys: "Can you briefly outline the implications of the two universal Dharma Laws the Buddha discovered." Visakha smiled: "There are many implications, if one deeply thinks about them. Let me try to touch upon two of them. The implications of both the laws become clearer in considerations of long-term sustainability perspectives. The first law (symbolized as an incomplete circle) saying that nothing is permanent in this world – implies the rationale for and the necessity of scaling and resilience as the wheel of time rolls on. Anything or anyone that contradicts this law – and do not respond to what it implies – could be in trouble in one way or another in the long run. The second law (symbolized as an eternal knot) saying that nothing exists on its own accord, all are interdependent – implies that for achieving societal peace and harmony – a collaborative effort is necessary – in order to bring everyone to the same plane of righteousness and progress. Otherwise, things will likely to veer towards the wrong direction – because those who are left out – will bring down things eventually. The law of interdependence with the rationale for collaborativeness further implies that - within each individual, there is an element of imperfection. This realization must make us humble and conceit-free." . . . 3. Prayer and Devotion Humphreys: "I noticed when I offered the apple; you looked into the horizon with your folded hand moving from forehead level to the heart. What does that mean?" Visakha: "We do that while praying to Buddha as well as looking beyond everything. The three areas of touch are – forehead cherishing wisdom, breathing area of nose cherishing life and positive energy, and the level of heart cherishing Metta and compassion. And while greeting and receiving we humbly do so with Namaskara mudra at the level our heart - this is one of 12 hand gestures in the Dharma." Humphreys: "When you say, you are praying, what does that mean? Because my understanding is that the Dharma does not have God, gods or goddesses like many of us do." Visakha: "When talking about different religions, we should do so with respect. All people look for happiness, comfort and hope – and strengthen these aspirations by believing in something spiritual, whatever that is. Devotion appeals differently to different people – some are taken over more by it than others. All religions have some form of devotional aspects in their scripture." Humphreys: "Yes, that whatever is called religion. I could not agree more, we all need to respect one another. But, unquestioning devotion has been and is being exploited by some for profit and corruption. Some devotional zealotry even goes to the extent of believing that past atrocities – like slavery, colonization, and prejudices – and somewhat different modern preferential social treatments, but executed in similar veins – are the acts and dictations of God, gods and goddesses. Therefore to these over-zealous trusting individuals – one must not question such atrocities, but oblige and live by them." Visakha: "I agree, unquestioning devotion opens the door to unscrupulous elements to creep in – who take advantage of, and cheat trusting individuals. One should also realize that - devotion gave birth to many festivals and fairs of joyous celebration in different cultures - with its beneficial elements of giving a boost to peoples' well-being and cultural cohesion. At the same time, the trend nowadays is that - some young people have begun to question their faith, customs and traditions – which in my opinion is a good sign to filtration of such practices. It is important for them to make the right choice – by not drifting into many unwholesome influences, distractions and lures – that are out there. Many customs and traditions were formulated by our ancestors for the good of harmonious living. They have served the purpose of time. Now things are changing rapidly." Humphreys: "I am so glad to hear that from a Buddhist nun." Vishaka: "Buddhist nuns and monks are, in many ways, different from other priestly classes. Because we do not work as an intermediary between humans and supernatural beings, nor do we put pressure on lay people to pray and obey in order to avoid punishment. True, we perform certain rituals to rise to the occasions on popular demand. But our role is to impart Buddha’s wisdom and compassion – which among others, include chanting of Mahamangala Sutta (well-being), Metta Sutta (loving kindness) and Sigalovada Sutta (righteous way of life). None of these Suttas have any element to worship supernatural beings – they all focus on how to remain wholesome in life’s pursuits." Visakha continued: "Coming back to your question, when I said praying, I was actually paying homage and taking refuge in the teachings of the Buddha. We do not have any supernatural beings in our vocabulary that can dictate and provide salvation to us when prayed. Although references are there to many gods, goddesses and demons in different planes of existence, but who are also subjected to Natural Laws of Impermanence and Interdependence. In modern times, they are often interpreted as invisible energy fields – multiples, positive and negative. Subjected to such laws, they are also unhappy like every other creatures – oftentimes succumbing to unwholesome practices, convictions and influences. Myths and folklores in different cultures are a testimony to that. Fictionalized in many exaggerations and creative colors by priestly class to invoke devotion – the practices gave birth to many religions. The compassionate Buddha says that, these beings wherever they are – also need help to liberate themselves from the difficulties of life – miseries and suffering. And the Buddha invites all to listen to the Saccha Bachana – the Words of Truth he delivered – to open their own wisdom eye." . . . 4. The Dharma in Kaleidoscope Humphreys: "I wonder how the Dharma nearly disappeared from parts of Europe, Central and West Asia, all the way to major parts of India." Visakha: "Let us talk about it in the spirit of historical context. Things have changed; now there are hardly any countries in the world that do not honor multi-cultures. All of us, should have an open mind to appreciate it – because it is healthy and beneficial. Only things that are needed, more than anything else, are: mutual respect and understanding, tolerance and not trying to infringe on other religions in attempts to convert under any pretext." Humphreys smiled: "Wow! You are so careful. Yes, apart from one’s thoughtful volitional choice – conversions that results from high emotional attachments, coercion or force should not be encouraged. Hope all of us would pursue this kind of mental attitude toward one another. The world is a very big place for many to co-exist together in true tolerance, peace and harmony. Is it not?" Visakha: "It is. It would even be bigger if staying calm define us – if we let wisdom, love and compassion govern our thought processes and actions. Coming back to your question, I think what was a gain for Christianity during the Crusades was a loss to the Dharma. Because, after losing the Crusades, battle-hardened Muslim invaders turned their attention to the East. Buddhist dynasties were overwhelmed by the encounter, and conquests resulted in the destruction of Buddhist institutions including many earliest universities. Fear of life, torture and persecution spread like wildfire and led to mass conversions. High concentration of Muslim populations in previously held Buddhist majority regions is a testimony to that." Humphreys: "Perhaps Muslims learned it from Christian rulers. Because, wherever Christianity went, in Europe and in most colonies around the world, they totally wiped out the existing traditional cultures and beliefs, converting people en-masse. Greek and Roman traditions extending all the way to Egypt are considered by the West as the foundation of their civilization – but they never condemn or regret what was done to those cultures and beliefs. Nor, they ever appreciate and recognize the enrichment of their culture by Eastern thoughts and infusions." Humphreys continued: "Why do you think, Buddhists were the targets of conversion, while Hindus perhaps escaped the wrath." Visakha: "Both were impacted. But, Muslims were more familiar with the Dharma. They developed more antagonism towards it, when they faced resistance to their invasion before coming to the door steps of India. It is also said that high caste Hindus cooperated to spare them of conversion – instead led the invaders toward Buddhists. Hindu Brahmins always had anger toward the Dharma, because the Buddha condemned the Hindu caste-based discriminatory system – and ordained low castes into the Sangha. The ordination also included women, which was, and still is unthinkable to the Brahminic priestly class. To be in line with one God belief, they even invented the concept of ‘Ishwara’ – as part of Hinduism." Humphreys: "Ah that explains why the Dharma adherents were targeted. It is also possible that during the invasion, there were no powerful Buddhist dynasties for protection. Therefore, Buddhist populace was very vulnerable – and just succumbed to the threat. But, this vulnerability is no excuse to wipe out the Dharma." Humphreys continued: "I think, not including women in priestly class is also the norm in Islam. It is only in Christianity where women were allowed – seems like borrowing this and other ideals including the teaching of Love and Compassion - and the idea of monastic communities from the Dharma." Visakha: "Role of woman is highly lauded in the Dharma. Apart from what we talked about – there was an instance where the Buddha assured a lamenting king that a princess might prove more worthy than a prince. The 15-year reign of Empress Wu Zetian (624 – 705 CE) during the illustrious Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 CE) – the only one Empress in the Chinese Dynastic history – was made possible by the active support of Buddhist monks – while Taoist and Confucius clergies vehemently opposed such a move. In the Filial Piety Sutra – he said, a mother’s love and care are some of the key factors in a person’s life and happiness. A child’s smile and happy face on the lap of a mother – is the most precious thing in the world – nothing compares to it." Humphreys: "I remember reading somewhere that British Magistrates working in Southeast Asia – noted in their official diaries – that they were surprised by the work habits and status of women in Buddhist majority countries. They were surprised because they did not see as such – in Muslim and Hindu majority countries, even not so much in Europe. They also commented about Chinese women who were subjected to low status in Confucius teaching. These observations indicate that Buddhist monastic communities remained engaged with lay people to contribute to improving their life." . . . 5. The Ways Humphreys continued: "Can you tell me how the beliefs of many gods and goddesses in many ancient cultures gave birth to one God in some religions. I am not talking about the term 'God' people use as kind of a phrase to mean all different things in everyday conversations." Visakha: "I am not an expert on this to clearly answer your question. Here are my thoughts. First, one has to realize that the existence of one or multiple supernatural beings lies in people’s mind – if one believes, it is there. If one does not believe, nothing is there. It is somewhat similar like the various media platforms, if one reads or sees things presented there – it is with him or her. If one does not do so, nothing is there. And, those who do so, are affected by the contents – those who do not, remain free from such effects." Humphreys: "Hmm, the delusion and the parallel you described have made things so clear." Visakha continued: "All major religions that survived the wheel of time – have originated in Asia. To that extent Asia was like a fountain of spirituality and philosophy. One can distinguish three regions – the West Asia, the Middle South Asia, and East Asia. Of these, the Middle South Asia and East Asia were the lands of abundance in relative terms. The West Asia, on the other hand was the lands of arid climate." Humphreys: "I know now, where you are heading. Please continue." Visakha: "In all cultures, the so-called Shamanic beliefs were the earliest of all religions. Fear, superstition, and magic – were the bases of these beliefs that relied upon folklores and myths. And for obedience, profit and compliance – the priestly class riding on the wagon of ruling seats of governance - institutionalized different imaginary beings on to the citadel of power. These beings were portrayed as gods and goddesses who could cause havoc when angry and upset – and can bestow favor when worshipped. These grass-root beliefs metamorphosed into Greek-Roman beliefs in southern Europe, Hinduism in India, Taoism in China and Shinto belief system in Japan – again highly dependent on the power of imaginary beings. These religions, in proper sense of the word, do not have a single founder – except perhaps Taoism. There appeared a necessity in history to see things differently – and birth of the Buddha in India – happened out of that necessity. This tells us that the Dharma was the first in history to chart a new and different way of spirituality and social living for the benefit of mankind." Humphreys: "Yes, a rational and enlightened way - yet very practical and relevant in everyday life. And the concept of one God?" Visakha: "The prevailing social structure in the arid regions were mostly of poverty and tribalism – again with the prevalence of widespread Shamanic beliefs. Catering to many gods and goddesses was too confusing to them, and tribal societies were vulnerable to fragmentation with prevalence of so many supernatural beings controlling their lives. So, to bind tribals to one nation, the leaders focused on one supernatural being that only works for them – thus the idea of one tribal-nation God was born. Judaism led the way – and later religions in that region – Christianity and Islam basically adopted that concept, defining their own God. Thus, the first standardization of spirituality, if you will, was born there – by prescribing rigid codes of compliance for their religious way of life. The later offshoot of Christianity – the Protestant movement in Britain further standardized the belief." Humphreys: "Wow! It is such a reasonable explanation. We never thought in that line. So, this idea of one God and the compliance codification of practices in West Asia resulted from a sense of insecurity, is it not? The resulting concept was described as the Covenant between those cultures and God. The priestly ruling class was institutionalized as Lord Shepherd – and the status of people was reduced to that of docile lambs or sheep. It is interesting, while Christianity sees humans as Sinners, the Buddha said something different – that humans have all the powers to rise above – like the Lotus that grow out of mud onto the air and to sunshine." Humphreys continued: "Also, it is hard not to notice that some words like ‘blasphemy’, ‘infidel’ and ‘idolatry’ do not exist in the religions originated in the lands of abundance. These words – resulted from insecurity – are like a veil putting a lid on people's freedom of thinking. They are basically saying ‘you are either with us or against us’ – thus posing a challenge and threat to people who have reasons to disagree. I can imagine that such terms appeared in the scriptures of these religions – to prevent people drifting toward the Shamanic practices. Countless innocent people were victimized and killed just because of those terms. Scriptures of these religions are termed as ‘Holy’. This word is not used by our system for the beliefs – that are born in the lands of abundance. In your opinion, why was that?" Visakha: "Reference to ‘Holy’ says that every word in the scripture is sacred and must not be questioned, but be obeyed. If someone questions, he or she may be accused of ‘blasphemy’. In Buddha Dharma, we refer to our scripture ‘Tripitaka’ as ‘Pabitra’ or Pure. We revere it as sacred too, but there are also rooms to respectfully debate the teaching in order to understand it better – to clarify and interpret it in accordance with changes in space and time. You must have noticed that ideas and principles are understood differently by different people – it all depends on one’s intellect – and on open or closed mind set. Therefore questioning, debates and discussions are very important for clarification and enlightenment. The Dharma in East Asia and in Tibet, Himalayan countries and North Asia – has gone through cultural adaptation according to their needs. They differ in some aspects from the earlier teachings that prevail in South and Southeast Asia – although core teachings are not different. Perhaps the Dharma in the Western countries may also see cultural adaptation of some sort in the future." Humphreys: "Ah it makes sense. Does it not? Regrettably our establishment is not respectful enough and does not use ‘Pabitra’ to refer to Buddhist scripture. The Dharma is not rigid, but has the fundamental elements of Natural Laws of Impermanence and Dependent-origination that define everything." . . . 6. NIRVANA and The Truths Humphreys continued: "Where does Nirvana stand on this?" Visakha: "Before answering what Nirvana is, let me briefly elaborate the prayer loop I am using – because it has significance to understanding Nirvana. The door to achieving Nirvana opens up when all temptations arising through the processes of Five Aggregates are controlled to an elimination level at which they flower into a sublime abode of Metta – encompassing all living beings and the environment in loving sprinkle. One’s temptation arises from 6 senses: seeing, listening, smelling, touching, tasting and mental processes – with their many qualifications and attributes – the 3 arising: unpleasant, pleasant, and neutral, from 2 sources: external, and internal in the 3 states of processes: past, present, and future. When one multiplies these 4 sets of numbers, it gives rise to a total of 108 different temptations. This description of the processes to achieving Nirvana – the eternal bliss – has given rise to 108 as the sacred number in popular Dharma. This is the reason why meditation and prayer loops are usually adorned with 108 beads." Humphreys: "Ah yes, defining mind as the sixth sense is unique in the Buddha’s teaching." Visakha continued: "When one is able to empty the mind of all these temptations for good, one is totally liberated and reaches a state of eternal sublime bliss, called Nirvana. It’s a rarely achievable stage where reversibility of processes becomes irreversible – by conquering the Samsara Wheel. At Nirvana – there is no cause, no arising, no birth, no decaying, no demise and no rebirth – everything is in complete balance without residuals – in the eternal tranquility of universal unity. One can imagine Nirvana like a rarely existing expanse of stilled tranquil clear water in perfect equilibrium – as opposed to the ubiquitous prevalence of agitated water of action-reaction – sometimes covered with moss and dirt – in continuous motion searching for ways to reach equilibrium. The intertwined duality of the opposites – the Yin-Yang – the Wabi-Sabi – is the Dharma characteristic depiction of the nature of things - imperfection, asymmetry and incompletion – the universal driver of all existence – in transience, unhappiness and emptiness." Humphreys: "Thank you, such a clear explanation - how the Duality in all existence melts into the tranquility of Unity in Nirvana! What are the Five Aggregates?" Visakha: "The Dharma says that our thought processes, speech or talks, actions and reactions happen through a very systematic process – the processes of Five Aggregates. The five, from arising to fruition, are: matter, feeling, perception, volition and consciousness. Matter consists of the elements of solidity, fluidity, heat, wind, and the 5 body senses." Humphreys: "Very clear! I have those questions in my mind for long." While talking, both walked to a bench closed to the lake. Humphreys initiated another conversation: "Unlike others, Buddha gave power to individuals for their own liberation." Visakha: "You are right. The Four Noble Truths are very clear on that. The First Truth says that, for all different reasons including Natural causes, the reality of unhappiness, sorrow or suffering is a prevailing impression in human mind. That life’s experiences are scarred with many episodes of difficult times – and this experience is ubiquitous – irrespective of who we are – rich, poor, young, old, etc. etc. Because of this ubiquitous experience as identified in the First Truth - the Dharma is developed as a quest for happiness. The second says, the cause of this reality can be traced to ignorance. This Second Truth is the reason why the Dharma stresses so much on the light of Wisdom to overcome the darkness of ignorance. The Third Truth says that humans must be confident that they have all the strengths and capabilities to liberate themselves from the cobweb of unhappiness. No references to or worshipping God, gods or goddesses for one’s salvation are made. This Truth is one more rationale for the Buddha to declare the non-existence of any pre-ordained rigid soul in an individual. In the presence of such a rigid soul – an individual loses freedom and confidence that he or she has the capability – for example, to transform oneself from evil pursuits to good ones. In ancient Sanatana Dharma Hinduism practices – the concept of a rigid divine soul was used to establish - the caste-based discrimination - the superiority of Brahmins and inferiority of Dalits. The Fourth Truth lays down the Way to liberation – the Right or the Middle Way." Humphreys: "Can you elaborate Buddha’s discovery of the Middle Way, please. I have heard about the Noble Eightfold Path – as the Wheel of Dharma or the Wheel to Happiness. And all post-Buddha religions have 8 as a sacred number – indicating the influence of the Dharma far beyond its borders – far beyond than most of us know, or are told. It was perhaps the legacy of global Buddhist emissary pursuits of Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, the Great." Visakha: "The Middle Way – the Eight Interconnected Virtues leading to happiness can be grouped into three. The first as a way to achieving the Purity in View consists of: (1) Right Thought and (2) Right Understanding. The second as a way to achieving the Purity in Morality consists of: (3) Right Speech, (4) Right Action/Reaction and (5) Right Livelihood. The third as a way to achieving the Purity of Mind consists of: (6) Right Diligence, (7) Right Mindfulness, and (8) Right Meditation. As you see, the Way is a lucid direction to achieve harmony of mind and body." Humphreys: "Ah the Way of life is fully dependent on one’s conduct – without references to worshipping any supernatural being. Buddha used Right for each of the Virtues, which perhaps gave birth to the word, Righteousness. What are the reasons for that?" Visakha: "Right or perfect is stressed each time for at least two reasons. Right is emphasized as a necessity to deeply view things as they are – by maintaining the exact balance with neither being too tight nor too lax. Thus Right is interpreted as the Middle Way – as a way of balance, symmetry, stability and harmony. Right also means to traverse the Path in the right direction to become peaceful, happy and joyous – and to let others enjoy the same." Humphreys: "Enlightenment leads to all these aspects. Does it not?" Vishaka: "Yes. Enlightenment has seven elements. That’s why 7 is considered a sacred number in popular Dharma." Humphreys: "What are these seven?" Vishaka: They are: "energy, investigation, equanimity, mindfulness, meditative concentration, joy and tranquility. Achieving enlightenment or Bodhi requires one to be calm to go beyond – utterly beyond in investigative zeal with energy. Mindfulness and meditative concentration are part of this process that must be conducted in joyful pursuit – only then the tranquility of Enlightenment is blessed. Note that joy is very important – because in a calm joyous mood, mind opens up to grasp things as they really are." . . . 7. Meditation Humphreys: "Buddha laid emphasis on mind – as the forerunner of everything one does. We are only learning now what the Buddha said more 2.5 millennia ago – the mind-and-matter mutual nourishment and interdependence – in everything that we do – everything that defines us. Therefore training the mind through the systematic pursuits of meditation has become the central focus of the Dharma." Visakha: "You have touched upon a very crucial theme of the Dharma – it’s unlike any other faith. Buddha said, apart from Natural causes, a significant part of unhappiness has its root in our thought processes or mind. Therefore mindfulness and meditation are stressed so much in the Noble Eightfold Path. The benefits that one accrues from meditation practice are immeasurable." Humphreys: "Can you elaborate on meditation, please. You were on Metta meditation while walking." Visakha: "The purpose of meditation is to train the mind to be happy and let others become happy. A simple way to understand it is like this: as we cleanse our body to remain healthy – so do we need to keep our mind clean by emptying it – from unhealthy elements of unwholesome mental formations, delusion, and bad distraction and influences. Such requirements ask for mind training meditation pursuits to achieve a clean pure state of mind. What are achieved, can be identified as consisting of three: Emptying, Relaxation and Nourishment that lead the mind-and-body towards a mutually nourishing peaceful state of life. The pusuits have 3 stages. It starts with ‘Parikamma’ or preparatory stage – like freeing oneself from daily contingencies to totally immerse into the process. The ‘Upacara’ stage follows after that when Samma Sati or mindfulness is exercised by emptying the mind of all distractions and hindrances. This practice benefits the meditation practitioner’s life in multiple ways – he or she becomes relaxed because the mind is calmed – and starts to see things as they are. In the third stage, the ‘Appana’ the practitioner becomes one with the object of meditation. At this stage, the practitioner has two options to choose – the purpose of these two is to be happy." Humphreys: "What are these two options?" Visakha: "One is Samatha – or the Let Go Meditation. This type lets one to totally relax by freeing himself or herself from all sorts of attachments – including the emotional baggages that pull one down like arrogance, anger, hatred, jealousy and greed. Meditation by immersing into the four heavenly states of Metta, Karuna, Mudita and Upekka – belong to this group. The other is Vipassana – or the Why Meditation – letting one to be happy by knowing the Truths. In this type, meditative concentration is focused on an object to know the truth for its existence. The object can be any of Buddha’s teachings – we talked about, for example, the Four Noble Truths, Laws of Impermanence and Interdependence, Nirvana, etc." Humphreys: "I can imagine that such concentration is very useful not only in meditation perspective – but also in any investigation and research – like Einstein termed it as the mind experiment. In these two general types of meditation – where does Chan or Zen practice fit?" Visakha: "Chan and Zen represent an integration of these two types we talked about. They are very popular – and are a cultural adaptation that comes with the creation of different calm and disciplinary environment to facilitate meditation. The beauty and tranquility of Green and Rock Zen gardens in Japan is some of the awe inspiring environments. It also comes with the artistic design of different regular-use artifacts and tea ceremony – making Zen as a way of day-to-day life. Everything: like eating, talking, listening, working is done with the Zen spirit of mindful attention. Emptiness is one of the popular themes in Zen meditation. The Chan meditation also gave birth to the Martial Arts techniques at the Fabled Shaolin Monastery. This technique develops as an intuition out of total meditative concentration – that enables the practitioner to make fast and agile responses to aggression – to deter predators and rogues without using any weapon." Humphreys: "The reality of Emptiness attracts people widely in all walks of life. What is the easy explanation of this reality?" Visakha: "Emptiness or Sunyata is a logical conclusion of the Law of Dependent-origination. In simple terms – it says that if all are interdependent, each entity by itself is Empty of Essence. It establishes the Buddha’s teaching – about the absence of desirable degree of happiness, and the absence of any pre-ordained soul as part of divinity in all of us. In the Dharma, soul is seen as the Bodhi – something wholesome – cumulative, transient and transformative. Bodhi is characterized by the six: tranquility, wisdom, malleability, wieldiness, proficiency and integrity. If one interprets it further together with the Law of Impermanence, one soon realizes that – space and time, the definition and entanglement of the two – also cannot exist independent of each other." Humphreys: "I have read that the concept of Sunyata gave birth to number ‘zero’ under the auspices of and works at the Nalanda University. Also an indication of Impermanence or incompleteness, what are the implications of the reality Emptiness?" Visakha: "Understanding the reality of Emptiness – makes one calm and patient, humble, keeping balance in the attachment of things, and in realization of the fluidity of our opinions and judgments as demonstrated by the observer-observed relationship. Bamboo is symbolized as the reality of Emptiness in the Dharma – it is hollow, empty, yet strong and upright. Its strength and stability is ensured by the interlinks of knots. One of the favorite places of the Buddha’s rainy season meditation retreat was the Bamboo Groove Monastery in Rajgir, Magadha." . . . 8. Bodhisattva Ideal and The Lotus Connection Humphreys: "How Bodhisattva ideal took root in Northern and Eastern school of the Dharma." Visakha: "There are two aspects that define these schools of the Dharma. First, aspects of Buddha’s teaching – such as wisdom and compassion are manifested in the persons of some legendary enlightened monks of the past dating back to the Buddha’s time – who had been the champions of those aspects of Dharma. The compassion manifestation also took the form of a female image in some sects of popular Dharma. Such visualizations are considered important to remind Buddhists of their importance. In Bodhisattva ideal, again many legendary monks of the past dating back to the Buddha’s time – who were very advanced enlightened practitioner of the Dharma are honored. They devoted their life to impart the Dharma to others to help them find liberation. This ideal has led to the custom of taking Bodhisattva vow by many monks and nuns. Apart from this, as you know, the Dhammakaya of Shakyamuni Buddha is believed to live in Sukhavati - the highest realm in Buddhist cosmology - as the Amitabha Buddha." Humphreys: "Yes, the belief in Amitabha Buddha has given birth to the Pure Land Sect of the Dharma. The Arahant and Bodhisattva ideal is similar like Sainthood in Christianity." Visakha: "The buzzword among the Buddhist communities now is: one Buddha, one Dharma – many traditions. This theme is being promoted in many annual Buddhist conferences and congregations across the globe." They started walking as Humphreys continued: "I am so fortunate to meet you and learned a lot about the Dharma. You made many things so clear – the compatibility and complementarity of the Dharma teaching. The Dharma taught by the Buddha more than 2.5 millennia ago – is still very relevant today – and the Truths have a timeless appeal. The Dharma will never become old. I have a final question on Lotus flower and its metaphorical importance in the Dharma. This flower has so much historical significance in many cultures. Yet, in the West, we always refer to it as ‘water lily’ – disregarding the Lotus name (this name is common, while local names in different languages differ. For Example, Padma in Pali and Sanskrit; and Pema in Himalayan languages; Lianhua in Chinese; Rotasu in Japanese; and Loteoseu in Korean; at least three countries – Sri Lanka, Vietnam and India – have enshrined Lotus as their national flower; Bangladesh's national flower is Shapla - a close cousin of Lotus) – as it is known and has such religious significance in large populations on the planet." Visakha continued: "You are so kind again. I too, feel very fortunate and learned a lot from you. We rarely come across highly knowledgeable people like you. As the Buddha said, the Dharma can best be realized by experience – it’s Ehipassiko, come and see for yourself Dharma. Teaching and discussion can only help somewhat – experience is the best teacher." She smiled: "About Lotus, yes, its significance is huge in the Dharma. Lotus flower had been used by the Buddha as a metaphor for Enlightenment. Like the Lotus plant growing in the mud surfaces on to the air and sunshine in full bloom – so is the potential for any one to bloom to find his or her own Bodhi. The process to enlightenment is like reaching the Lotus core of Mani or Jewel." Humphreys: "There are many varieties of Lotus plants. Are there not?" Visakha: "Yes, there are. Among some 200 varieties, the two most familiar ones are: in one, the flower juts out of water on a long stem surround by pad leaves, in the other the flower with the pad floats slightly above the waterline. There are also different color varieties." Humphreys: "Since its sanctity status declared by the Buddha – it has been used by all religions in the lands of abundance. One can say that Lotus connects all the peoples of Middle South Asia, Southeast Asia, Himalayan countries and East Asia – all the way to southern Russia and Mongolia. Among the many outstanding Buddhist architectural masterpieces around the world – standing, rediscovered from ruins and rehabilitated as the world heritage sites - the 2nd century BCE Ajanta Caves in India, the Bagan in Myanmar, the Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, the ancient capital of 13 Chinese Dynasties - is Borobudur in Java Indonesia – that stands out as one of the greatest – in grandeur and magnificence." Visakha: "You have said it right. Statues, temple architecture, frescoes and wall carving – all have the Lotus motif in them – including in Mogul monuments in India." She smiled: "Yes, we, the large population on the face of planet Earth are connected by one single flower – the beautiful Lotus. Like the Buddha did at the closing of each of his teaching arrangement, let us finish by saying: Sabbe Sattva Shukinu Bhavantu – let all sentient beings be happy." . . . So, after exploring each other’s thought processes, Visakha and Humphreys parted – taking with them pleasant memories of enlightened discussions that will enrich their abilities to see things from wide perspectives. Visakha invited Humphreys to visit her modest nunnery sometime, to experience the Dharma in action – where meditation retreats are offered to interested individuals. Humphreys gladly accepted the offer and promised to go to the retreat sometime. . . . This is the 4th piece of the annual series I have posted on the Buddha Days. The Days, like today on 5 May 2023, mark the celebration, remembering and honoring Shakyamuni Buddha – His auspicious Birth, the Enlightenment, and the MahapariNirvana. A beautiful image of the lotus flower field with blossoms and buds adorns this piece (image credit: anon). The previous posted pieces on the Buddha Days were in: 16 May 2022 The Tathagata; 26 May 2021 the Enlightenment and 7 May 2020 Revisiting the Jataka Morals. On the eve of Vesak – the Buddha Day celebration, the current UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (1949 - ) wrote . . . let us seize this moment of spiritual renewal, and honour Buddha’s wisdom by coming together as one, in solidarity, and shaping a better, more peaceful world for all people . . . Finally, I like to finish it with a remarkable few lines of wisdom from Ven. Nichidatsu Fujii (1885 – 1985) – the famous founder of World Peace Pagodas around the world: Civilisation is neither to have electric lights, nor airplanes, not to produce nuclear bombs. Civilisation is not to kill human beings, not to destroy things, nor to make war; Civilisation is to hold mutual affection and to respect each other. . . . Happy Vesak the Buddha Day!!! On this Auspicious Full-Moon Day on 5 May 2023 – let Metta touch everyone’s heart to bring Peace and Harmony across the Globe. Have a joyous life in Appamada – in conscientiousness, heedfulness and diligence – whenever – wherever – whatever . . . . . - by Dr. Dilip K. Barua, 5 May 2023
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 Cl Hold it There
Hold it there - to prepare to stay calm – to readying the forerunning mind By steadying, and emptying it – of what could be inclinations and prejudices Of what could be the negative emotions of anger, hatred and jealousy Of what could be the facets of high emotional attachments Before setting the motion to turn on the thought processes Before launching the processes of saying, writing or doing things Before perceiving, interacting and decision making To help you see things deeply in the clarity of true perspectives In the light of wisdom, unselfishness and the sweetness of sublimities. To help you understand the damaging effects of clinging to The habit of seeing things through someone else lens Because, in doing so you will be living his or her life – not yours Do realize that such dependence – if the lens is dirty and ill-motivated Distracts and drags one down. Do take care to avoid being trapped into the lingering effects of Unwholesome mental formations: Delusion, restlessness, greed, conceit, envy, miserliness Worriedness and sadness, laziness or sloth, lethargicness, and doubt. Hold it there – to be in the relaxed pure state of mind To understand the dynamics of observer-observed – subject-object relationship To be calm – to not make hasty opinion and judgment of others, To learn from – by reflecting on the rise and fall – and the birth and demise of: Life’s processes traversing all different phases from the start to where you are Life’s phases in the expanse of the traversed canvas Life’s steps and the left footprints. To realize that what you are at present – is what you have been in the past Conditioned by TIME and the society where you live in So understand, and be mindful at every step to create pleasant tomorrow To chart future directions By being conscientious, heedful and diligent By being creative to generate new steps to take By taking note of consequences of footprints they likely to cause. See the light of wisdom that you are in different time What was in the past – may mean different to different people Examine traditions and customs passed down through generations To filter and learn that some proudly withstood the tests of time Those that are the sources of inspiration and strength, Deeply understand the truths – that transcend time and space The Natural laws that govern everything – the Systems of Fluid, Solid and Life The ever presence of transience in the rise and fall of propagating energy The interdependence of everything that happens – in the tangled ball of cause-effect. That we all strive to find equilibrium – the symmetry, stability and happiness That the efforts bear fruit when Mutual respect and dignity define things In the harmony of mind-and-matter fluxes – in us and around us In the cradle of patience, love, compassion and joy. Do not hesitate to question to clearly understand That – some, while served the purpose at one time Maybe out of date – unprogressive and a hindrance Could have been brutal – even heinously cruel to some Critically examine them to filter and identify the ones That are too rigid in the kaleidoscope of time and space Be open and brave to change To the right direction of forward looking endeavors, It may be unpalatable in the beginning – but wholesome in the long run. Take it easy and do not over-stretch yourself to frustration and despair If the pursuits to perfection – to achieving equilibrium Do not produce immediate results to your liking Because, despite all out efforts – more often than not We are influenced by the surrounding – that we do not have control over We tend to succumb to temptation – to unwholesome view of things, Realize the fact that The systems of Fluid, Solid and Life are a process rather than an end The intertwined Duality of all existence - the Yin-Yang, the Wabi-Sabi The universal driver of all existence - in Transience, Unhappiness and Emptiness So, everything and everyone in transience and interdependence Could only be near to perfect Could be far from producing the zero residual Unless one has achieved the tranquility and unity of NIRVANA. So, do seek to find happiness and joy in each step of the pursuits By overcoming the lures of incessant craving - by letting things go By finding the right balance This state of mind – in turn, does translate to harmonious living. Hold it There Hold it there – to remain calm to deeply realize If you are lucky to sit on the bench of power and privilege Holding other people’s strings in your hand Note that you shoulder the responsibility to serve them Not as a master but as a friend Not as an arrogant fool but as a competent help. See the light of wisdom to appreciate that your position Is built upon the foundation of trust, You may have earned it But in many ways, it is the societal help that took you where you are Feel grateful and humble to reciprocate And act respectfully and responsibly to honor the trust Feel accountable if betrayal of trusts has occurred. Do understand that as you want to be successful – so do others As you want to be supported and protected – so do others That we are all different – and process things and respond differently So be fair to not deprive others of their aspiration. If you have the role to manage and lead It is important to inspire all in the spirit of warmth and hope By being aware of things that happen around By acting compassionately toward all you serve and lead In honest efforts of integrating people – rather than fragmenting them, Shallow and light-headed actions and reactions – must not define your behavior, Your integrity or lack of it Defines how successful or unsuccessful things will be. Hold it There – to Realize in Calmness Hold it there – to realize in calmness The necessity of harmony in personal joy and family deference The necessity of maintaining harmony in Nature and the Environment With all lives giving energy to the system and getting from it, Realize that greed and craving take one in the downward spiral of despair That money has both healing and destroying power That everything has to be balanced That an attachment without being attached is the way to go To ensure the freedom of mind and Spirit To ensure peace and happiness in the simplicity of things. That, Health is the most precious gain and contentment the greatest wealth Loving kindness makes the poorest house the richest home There are no spells better than loving kindness and compassion Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today. And that, all trembles at violence, life is dear to all As we love our life, so do all creatures – so be compassionate to all sentient beings Be respectful to others—it benefits all—more than one knows it, Because, one way or another – we are all related All have the true weapon of virtues inside them to confront and change others Often a small thing has the power to cause great change. And, be aware, trusts are easily broken by a dishonest and vain person Do not get swayed by bullying—be courageous to stand up and use the power of truth, Trust that, determination wins admiration and respect A rose by any other name smells as sweet, When one overcomes jealousy and greed The attained peace of mind is blissful irrespective of loss or gain. And that, the sincere efforts of virtuousness are rewarded in ways no one thinks possible The best of all triumphs is conquering oneself It lets one to live in the abode of four heavenly states of mind: Love, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity. That, there is no crime like hatred Appease a hateful person with non-hatred And, unwholesome deeds bring shame – their damaging consequences are dreadful Unwholesome deeds like animal sacrifice follow one like a shadow to usher in misery Wholesomeness and righteousness are the most powerful of all Even animals understand the virtue of gratitude, while humans fail. It is wise not to be angry at things one does not understand and have no control over Good or bad luck does not depend on jewellery, but on what one does. And, be vigilant, deceptions could come from apparently trustworthy individuals Hospitality and gratitude do not work one way – they must be reciprocated Do not judge people by their outward appearance A rogue by any other name remains as harmful Poor indeed is a wealthy person who is unfair and shares nothing with others A betrayer is trusted by none, sometimes not even by his or her mother In the arena of interdependence, each entity by itself amounts to Emptiness of essence. Hold it There – to Realize in Calmness Hold it there – to realize in calmness The necessity of harmony in social cooperation and world peace The necessity of good governance, and that Passionate desire drives people to act foolish Be aware of temptation—do not underestimate its enslaving capacity Do not be fooled by trickery of the greedy—that comes with all different colors and lures The greedy loses all senses of seeing things as they are, Even fails to heed to the sound advice of impending dangers. A foolish friend can often be more dangerous than a wise enemy Even the wise makes grave mistakes—when power and greed overtake them Do not depend on foretells and speculations—when you know what actions to take There are many things one can learn from people of all walks of life Giving up power is more difficult than gaining and holding on to power Attachment to power and wealth makes it difficult for one to be happy. That, all things have to be measured, overdoing brings one’s downfall Do not promise more than you can deliver Do not fool yourself by getting puffed up by flattery The powerful must rise above prejudice to ensure justice for all To a great leader, the safety of his or her followers is paramount When lost one can still win the heart of others by respecting and admiring the winner There is safety in unity—and danger in conflict One must be courageous to let peaceful means win conflicts Give a chance to friendship--it has the power to bring enemies together Explore alternative ways to win a war without violence and fighting. There it is – something in the poetic frame of advocating for the common well-being – of all of us who share the same energy of the Sun and the same resources of mother Earth – irrespective of who we are in the widecanvas of multiple cultures and creeds. This something represents my attempt to synthesize some of the materials – portrayed in the formats of essays, poems, story-telling, master-disciple dialogues and Koans – presented in several articles of WIDECANVAS (links in Widecanvas Home Page). The premises they represent are worth paying attention to – if common human aspiration for longterm sustainable peace and harmony are really meant – by politicians, media and various seats of power in their rhetorical outpourings. What have been laid out in this piece – may turn out to be soft and weak (not suitable for the real world, hey!) to some. Well, it’s all about perspectives, isn’t it? To an impatient individual glued on narrow perspectives – selfishness, conflict, fight and betrayal of trust are the answers to prevail. If one looks back, time and again one comes to realize how untrue this notion is. This notion is the root cause of personal, societal and world problems – as has been in the past – so in present times – as will be in the future. What have been laid out relying on the words of wisdom of many – may appear soft, or perhaps even weak from outside – but they are the sources of inner strength and power – like the power of water in motion. Before finishing, I like to highlight a remarkable quote from Dr. BR Ambedkar’s (1891 – 1956, the Architect of independent India constitution) final speech to the Indian Constituent Assembly on 25th November 1949 . . . On the 26th January 1950, we are going to enter into a life of contradictions. In politics we will have equality and in social and economic life we will have inequality. In politics we will be recognising the principle of one man one vote one value. In our social and economic life, we shall, by reason of our social and economic structure, continue to deny the principle of one man one value. How long shall we continue to live this life of contradictions? How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life? If we continue to deny it for long, we will do so only by putting our political democracy in peril . . . A remark like this, 2 years after India’s independence – shows how the vision seen by Gandhi to emancipate all Indian sub-continental peoples from the colonial rule, from socioeconomic hardships – was far from real. Dr. Ambedkar’s view of prevailing contradictions really defines all modern democracies around the world, or other governing systems – that sustain asymmetry, and promote skewed equilibrium in social and economic life of peoples. Does his question ever bother political processes – or any seats of power around the world? . . . The Koan of this piece: How does one define the evil governing seats of power? That – pursuing whatever unfair means, misguidance and tactics – terming them as the required processes of politics to win and hold on to power – they must always ride the wheel turned by others. That, they can indulge in power play at the cost of people’s suffering – and must not be questioned for any of their incompetence and wrongdoings. . . . . . - by Dr. Dilip K. Barua, 26 January 2023  At Gandhi’s call all India blossomed forth to new greatness, just as once before, in earlier times, when Buddha proclaimed the truth of fellow feeling and compassion among all living creatures. These are the lines of tribute and connection seen by the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore (1861 – 1941) – between the two Giants India produced – Gautama Buddha (563 – 483 BCE) – The Tathagata, and MK Gandhi (1869 – 1948) – the Mahatma. And Gandhi did arouse the fervor in greatness – by translating the principle of nonviolence to free the Indian subcontinental peoples from the humiliating colonial rule of the British. Nearly two centuries of this rule – totally impoverished the subcontinent by destroying the local economy – implanting the seeds of discord, mistrust and animosity among peoples of different identities – and eroded the self-respect, confidence and dignity of them. True, some developments did take place – but they were all planned and implemented to lengthen and promote the colonial rule – at the cost of turning the peoples into servants and coolies – in actuality and in inflicting such mental degradations upon them. The continuation of this poignant degradation still lingers in the psyche of the subcontinental peoples. On this International Nonviolence Day, the 2nd of October, the birthday of Gandhi – I am delighted to pay homage to this iconic man of extraordinary courage and sacrifice. Standing on the footsteps of the Buddha and Mauryan Emperor Ashoka the Great (304 – 232 BCE), and the nonviolence tradition of another Indian religion, Jainism – his renouncement of violence is accomplished by living a simple life. The nonviolence tradition historically defines the greater Indian civilization that once shown the light of wisdom to the world – the sublime direction charted out by the Buddha – and its first proud implementation by none other than Emperor Ashoka[HG Wells (1866 – 1946) wrote in his Outline of History: Amid tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowed the columns of history . . . the name of Ashoka shines and shines almost alone, a star . . . ]. A remarkable tribute to the greatness of Emperor Ashoka is a Buddhist temple in Yinzhou Zheiiang, China. The temple – The Temple of King Ashoka – was first built in 282 CE during Western Jin Dynasty (265 – 317 CE). All subsequent dynasties contributed to expand, rebuild and renovate the temple. It is hailed as one of the five mountain Buddhist temples in China – and is a historic cultural heritage of modern China. Despite being called a half-naked-Fakir by the arrogant British (see a glimpse of it in Democracy and Larry the Cat) – one of many such affronts – to inflict humiliation and insults upon him – he had to do this to feel the pain and hardships of the millions of downtrodden population – to know their pulse better – to be one with them. Perhaps his life can best be described – in words what Alexander S Pushkin (1799 – 1837) wrote: . . . fearing no insult, asking for no crown; receive with indifference both flattery and slander, and do not argue with fool . . . In doing so, he transformed India and the world at large – with the renewed message and practice of nonviolence – a loving principle – so eternal that it has the power to transcend all artificial boundaries, discords and divisions crafted for utter selfish gains (see All-embracing Power of Sublimities). Imagine how great his following of the traditional nonviolence method was – he expressed no grudge against the British – instead built the mass movement to end the foreign occupation of colonial subjugation – to let the subcontinental peoples define their own destiny. By the time, he took the helm of independence movement – he was a transformed man – from his first-hand humiliating experience in South Africa and later in India – to the renouncement of violence. His aim was to exert forceful impetus to the establishment of just Social Order and Governance deserved by people – downtrodden in years of colonial oppression – which still persists in different parts of the world in different colors and pretexts (see How Long Does It Take). In his native land in the Indian Subcontinent – it was no easy task, because people reached their limit of tolerance of continued exploitation and humiliation. Armed freedom struggle already started in parts of the subcontinent – in the east in Bengal and in the west in Punjab. The primary struggle in the west was triggered by the most heinous Jallianwala Bagh Massacre at Amritsar in 1919 (it prompted worldwide condemnation with Tagore’s refusal to accept the Knighthood offered to him by the British Monarchy). During a showcase trial, in reply to a question by a prosecutor: what provision was made for the wounded, General Dyer arrogantly replied without showing any sign of remorse or apology: I was ready to help any who applied. Imagine, emergency response to save lives of unarmed men, women and children – severely wounded by bullets fired in his command – never crossed his cruel cowardly mind. Instead, the wounded were supposed to apply so that he could judge whether they qualify. In the east, angered by an unjust ruling, an 18-year old Bengali youth Khudiram Bose attempted to assault a British Judge – resulting in his hanging to death in 1908. This rebellion – later immortalized by a very sad melodious song of Lata Mangeshkar (1929 – 2022) – used to be sung by Bengali people of all ages. Perhaps this and the later episodes of colonial brutality, laid the foundation of the Bengal freedom struggle. It was led by Netaji SC Bose (1897 - 1945) with several episodes of uprising in Chattogram led by Masterda Surya Sen (1894 - 1934). The great impetus to the movement came during the 1943 Bengal Famine – when the then British PM Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965) infamously refused to release food stocks from the gov storage facilities. His decision let some 3 million people die of starvation. People tend to think that a democratically elected gov – with all the modern insinuations and misrepresentations in winning tantrums – is fair and righteous, but here is one example how an elected gov could take such a brutal decision. Perhaps, this represented one of a major high-profile example of the malicious Economic Warfare – as it is known today. His reply to the colonial hatred that unleashed many different facets of insults and brutalities – was not counter-hatred. Instead, the approach was formulated to follow the Buddha saying – the 5th verse of the DHAMMAPADA: Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a Law Eternal. . . . Gandhi’s translation of the nonviolence method to freedom struggle took many dimensions. Here is a brief on some major ones. (1) One was – and is widely practiced today all over the world is peaceful protest/march without provocation of any sort. (2) The second was non-cooperation movement – with his argument that if masses of an occupied colony resort to such a method – collapse of the occupying power is bound to happen. This movement generated another offshoot – that was to avoid using merchandise produced in the home country of the occupying power, as well as those products and services produced in the colony by colonial companies. This method is a way of applying a control valve on downstream consumption to put a dent on the upstream economic gains of the colonist. (3) As a third – Gandhi termed his protests against colonial injustices – as Satyagrah Andolan or the movement to pressure the ruling clique to release the truth of what have been really happening. (4) Finally, when he was disappointed with his own people, and in cases of stubbornness or stalemate with the gov – he went on to Anashan Darmagot or hunger strike until demands were met. One can imagine how much dedication and determination was required to go through such a life-threatening hardship and self-deprivation. I have visited Delhi twice before, this time in 2018, my travel together with my elder daughter Dipa to The Happy Dust of India – was to explore Delhi once again with the Mahatma in mind. On top of the list were Gandhi Smriti Museum (the image is in the museum, in front of a painting – with Gandhi on the blessing footsteps of the Buddha) and the Mahatma Cremation Center at Raj Ghat on the bank of the Jamuna River (the second image). Also included in the trip, were some other Delhi landmarks – the India Gate overlooking the Rashtapati Bhavan and the Vidhan Sabha; the Red Fort; the Lodi Gardens; the Buddha Jayanti Park (inaugurated in 1964 commemorating the celebration of the 2500th anniversary of the Buddha’s enlightenment); the Lotus Temple; the World Peace Pagoda; the excavated Buddha relic in old Delhi {said to have been restored by Burma with J Nehru (1889 – 1964) visiting the discovered relic; the restoration seems an incomplete venture – being looked after by mahant, instead of Buddhist monks}; and the Mahabodhi Society Buddhist Temple. It is at this temple, while inaugurating in 1939, the Mahatma said: It is my deliberate opinion that the essential part of the teachings of the Buddha now forms an integral part of Hinduism. It is impossible for Hindu India today to retrace her steps and go behind the great reformation that Gautama effected in Hinduism. By his immense sacrifice, by his great renunciation, and by the immaculate purity of his life he left an indelible impression upon Hinduism, and Hinduism owes an eternal debt of gratitude to that great teacher. Apart from the travel experience, drawing up of this piece relied upon several website articles, including a 1996 University of Idaho paper: Gandhi and Mahayana Buddhism, Journal of Oriental Studies, 35 (2). This, and returning back to Tagore’s vision – here are something more on Buddhist tradition of nonviolence. Nonviolence is the first precept of Buddhist Panchsila (see Symmetry, Stability and Harmony). It is one of the 10 Paramitas or the Pursuits to Perfection – the Metta Parami (see The Tathagata; Some Difficult Things) – the Buddha mastered on his journey to enlightenment – to Buddhahood. It forms an integral part of Kushala Mula leading to wholesome thoughts and deeds – the Buddha meticulously identified and defined (see details in Enlightenment, Emptiness and Nirvana). It is defined as the one belonging to Sublime Abode that has the power of a different kind – the power of bringing all together (see The All-embracing Power of Sublimities) by melting down conflicts into the strength of unity. . . . Political historians and media of modern India hardly have any ink to mention the name of Buddha in their narratives. It is only in Pundit J Nehru’s writing – in The Discovery of India and in the Glimpses of World History, and in Dr BR Ambedkar’s (1891—1956) outstanding works: a volume published by the Gov of Maharashtra, 1987: Writings and Speeches of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Vol 3, The Buddha and His Dhamma 1956 and Revolution and Counter Revolution in Ancient India – one can see how the Buddhist tradition, and the nearly two millennia of Buddhist rule shaped the Indian subcontinent. Buddha Dharma has all but existed in subtlety during the independence movement – in numerous ruins scattered all over the subcontinent [destoyed by two-pronged attacks, both by Hindu revivalists and Islamic invaders; only now, the Archaeological Department of India is discovering, excavating, restoring and protecting them as the country’s proud historical heritage sites; and for that matter, similar campaigns are also being implemented in Bangladesh and Pakistan] – and in some marginalized peoples who were basically absorbed by Hinduism as outcasts. . . .
In addition, there were Buddhist majority states/provinces – those in Ladakh and in northeastern India. They did not fill the political landscape during the independence movement – as they were sparsely populated, and local people were mostly ethnically different from the majority Hindu and Muslim population. But, the former glory of Buddhist legacy is being rediscovered in numerous efforts – as Gandhi, Nehru, Sardar Patel (1875 – 1950) and AK Azad (1888 – 1958) once did. Here are some more glimpses of sayings on how Gandhi was inspired by the Buddha:
. . . Sons of Ind, be up and doing, Let your course by none be stayed; Lo! the Dawn is in the East; By themselves are nations made! . . . No wonder, Gandhi’s method inspired so many world leaders – and will continue to be the guiding light for liberation of many oppressed peoples around the world. Let me begin with a remark by another Giant, Albert Einstein (1879 – 1955): . . . a role model for the generations to come . . . I believe that Gandhi’s views were the most enlightened of all the political men in our time . . . Some more visible names out of many outstanding individuals inspired by Gandhi are: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (1935 – ); Martin Luther King Jr (1929 - 1968); Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013); Will Durant (1885 - 1981); Ho Chi Minh (1890 - 1969); U Thant (1909 - 1974); KA Ghaffar Khan (1890 - 1988); and Aung San Suu Kyi (1945 – ). Most people do not know about another legacy of Gandhi. A Japanese Buddhist monk Nichidatsu Fujii (1885 – 1985; founder of Nippozan-Myohoji Buddhist Order) – addressed as Guruji by Gandhi – was inspired by him to build peace pagodas – to spread the Buddha’s message of Sublimities around the world. The monk took initiative to materialize Gandhi’s vision – as he went through the traumatic poignant experience after the horrific nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Today, some 80 peace pagodas dot different parts of the world – with 14 of them in South Asia: 7 in India, 4 in Sri Lanka, 2 in Nepal and 1 in Bangladesh. Gandhi’s true legacy lies in inviting the world – to learn from one of the most enlightening glorious traditions of the past. He was telling the world to realize the fact that pressing a trigger to kill people – as a way to resolve conflict is too easy – but at the colossal cost of adding more fuel to the fire rather than extinguishing it. He found the RIGHT ME – while traversing the Wheel of Life with his aim focused on: In a life’s journey, there is neither winning nor losing, there is only achievement. Unlike other subcontinental leaders who were basically following and comparing themselves (as if they were inferior) to that of colonial powers – Gandhi took the path of enlightening them and the world – pointing finger to have self-respect and dignity – to practice and utilize the power of simplicity, love and nonviolence. True, there were some controversies – but Gandhi’s sacrifice and courage surpass everything – he was the modern shining light that will continue to show directions to all peoples around the world. . . . Before finishing, it is important to highlight a different outpouring of violence. This menace appeared in our time in the age of cyberworld. With the rapid advance of this technology powered by Artificial Intelligence – it changed the way people communicate with one another – and the way businesses function. While it has contributed enormously to the human progress – it has also opened the door to a broad spectrum of hackers, criminals, terrorists, and state actors – with the user-platform vendors acting as the accomplice – to enter into people’s lives and livelihood with virtual impunity – remotely and surreptitiously. These malevolent actors – are not only impersonating law-abiding citizens, violating user-privacy, harassing and bullying them – but are also taking control of the victim’s computer – stealing personal information, trading them for profit and malicious motives. Denying and disrupting normally accessible services, often in the guise of adulterated advertisements – they inflict damages and harm the just causes of the victims. The targeted victims are mostly the marginalized sections of the population – but none are safe from this long-arm violence. Further, it has unleashed the darkness of Information Warfare – with unbelievable rapidity in proliferation of misinformation and disinformation – continuously stoking the evils of anger, animosity and hatred. One such manifestation is the evil politics of mass distraction – fooling and distracting people from the real problems affecting them and their livelihood. What was once considered as the irresponsible practice in the pages of Tabloid Newspaper – has now entered into the mainstream media – shaming the civilized behavior – hard-earned through many years of works by conscientious people around the world. These and many other aspects of this type of online violence are discussed in Artificial Intelligence – the Tool of No Limit. . . . Finally, I like to finish this piece with a saying of Gandhi: I am praying for the light that will dispel darkness. Let those who have living faith in non-violence, join me in the prayer. This saying proudly stands on a billboard in the Gandhi Smriti Museum. On his birth anniversary let us join this iconic leader in his call – by renouncing all kinds of violence for peace and harmony across the globe – by being conscientious, heedful and diligent – whenever – wherever – whatever. Let the light of wisdom transcend all malicious and sectarian thinking and boundaries. . . . . . - by Dr. Dilip K. Barua, 2 October 2022  1. A Blessed Birth More than two and a half millennia ago All Stars assembled on a Full-Moon day in May In the Sal-Bana Lumbini Garden on the foothills of the Himalayas To welcome the birth of someone rare and extraordinary On that auspicious day Queen Mahamaya took bath in a Lotus pond As she did, all Lotus buds blossomed into flower The sky became clear blue brightening the day As Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born to the Queen. Bright, curious and sweet The new-born smiled as if He had something to say And there it was All the Stars smiled back bestowing Ashirvada To the baby with Lotus petal showers. 2. Royal Life and the Great Renunciation The palace made everything smooth and enjoyable to raise the crown prince But, there was something different about this prince He was kind and sweet showing no sign of royal arrogance At young age He proved to the royal court That a wounded creature does not belong to the hunter But to the compassionate one who is kind to give it new life. He was strong and learned things quickly the palace had to offer Princess Yoshodara came into His life with Prince Rahula born to them But, Siddhartha felt like He was missing something He asked Channa, His Charioteer to take Him beyond the palace courtyard Seeing life outside changed His perspectives for ever His heart cried seeing the suffering of all different kinds His curiosity looked for answers what He saw But, disappointed He was – as the answers were nothing close to his satisfaction. He questioned, if happiness is cherished and held dearest by all Then why it is so flitting? What are the hindrances deluding people? He had to find the answer – the Truth He had to sacrifice the comfort, perk and privileges of the palace life He had to translate the love for His wife, son and family – to the love for many And there it was – an unwavering resolution was born. 3. The Journey to the Buddhahood He had to go beyond – utterly beyond what were commonly believed He had to mingle with common people to understand them better He had to listen to the songs of lives and Nature – to know them better In their emotional rise and fall – of joy, love, sadness, anger and despair In life’s phases – of birth, growth, youth, waning, demise and transformation. He had to prepare and perfect Himself to get the Jewel He was looking for And there it was – at age 29 Siddhartha began His journey to Buddhahood. Traveling corners of India and learning things from fellow people in similar pursuits Helped Him acquire some skills – but not the answers He was looking for. For the first time He realized dependence on imaginary beings For one’s salvation and happiness is just a deluded illusion That one has to be realistic to see things as they are And feel confident that one has all the strengths to find ways to be happy To be in peace and harmony. 4. The Perfections to Bodhi The six years of pursuits helped Him Mastering the practices of the Ten Perfections to Bodhi He needed The Dasa Paramita: The Dana Parami – Generosity, Altruism The Sila Parami – Morality, Integrity The Nekkhamma Parami – Let go, Non-attachment The Prajna Parami – Wisdom, Awakening The Virya Parami – Energy, Power The Khanti Parami – Patience, Tolerance The Dyana Parami – Meditation, Truthfulness The Adhittahana Parami – Determination, Skillful Means The Metta Parami – Loving Kindness, Non-violence The Upekkha Parami – Equanimity, Calmness And there it was – Siddhartha Gautama was ready His final awakening is about to change the world for ever. 5. Austerity Hinders In Bodhgaya - on the bank of a river Sitting under the shade and tranquility of a Bodhi tree He faced East in gratitude to His parents for giving Him the light to life In deep mediation He sat To unravel the Truth cloaked under the mysteries of delusion, His courage and resolution shook the world. But, continuous meditation made Him weak Shujata, a village girl seeing the calm practitioner offered rice pudding Siddhartha accepted a portion of the offer with humility He took a portion to make sure that the girl had enough for herself, Buddhist monastic communities follow this principle in earnest In Dana ceremonies – they encourage Dana-Citta devotees to offer What they can afford to share with the monks and temples. Bathing in the river and eating the pudding made Siddhartha fresh and strong, He realized that neglecting one’s health for unwavering pursuit Is a hindrance rather than a means That when body and mind are strong and in sync Ways to wisdom open up to Bodhi. 6. The Profound Discovery On a Full-Moon day in May at 35 years of age The perfect final awakening happened – the Anuttara Samma Sambodhi Siddhartha Gautama discovered a Way to Liberation – the Four Noble Truths That changed the world for ever. Laying out the Way began by saying to dispel the darkness of ignorance To see the brightness of the reality of things as they are: That mind is the forerunner and breeder of everything one does, Unique in the history of the world Mind is defined as the sixth sense that enjoys the freedom in spacetime To roam and give birth to consciousness together with the five body senses, That one must take ownership of it – to direct towards the Right direction To let all sentient beings become happy, That Transience describes all existence – defining the Fluidity of things That the rise and fall of Duality is a visible manifestation of Multiplicity within That nothing exists on its own accord – without depending on others That a healthy seed sown today – rebirths into a healthy tree tomorrow But, tomorrow’s health also depends on contemporaneous factors That a noble is defined by wholesome thoughts and deeds not by the lineage of birth. Understanding all these enlightens one to see The rationality of the Four Noble Truths Understanding all these enlightens one to see the reality of Emptiness In one’s impression of the cobweb of unhappiness in life In the non-existence of any permanency in the concept of soul. Enlightenment achieved – the Tathagata Buddha was born The Samsara Wheel was conquered The Reversibility of processes – transformed into the Tathagata Irreversibility Radiance of Nirvana – of eternal bliss glowed in Him Elevating the Shakyamuni to a rarely achievable stage The stage of completion without any residual The stage of ultimate symmetry of equilibrium and unity, peace and tranquility To a scale transcending human comprehension – transcending sectarian boundaries. Exalted and Grandeur – it was, The world affectionately began calling Him the Bagavan Buddha The Samma Sambuddha. As it happened, the Bodhi tree blossomed with fresh buds of leaves All Stars welcomed the discovery by singing in unison – Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu The Buddha touched the Earth in gratitude for witnessing the event And decided to teach what He discovered The non-dogmatic Way for the benefit of many – for the happiness of many. 7. The First Turning of the Wheel The Tathagata taught in Sarnath: The Path is the sublime Way to follow diligently – to do things Right: By being conscientious and heedful in everything one thinks and does To remain awake in calmness to view things as they really are By cleaning up the thought processes to purity To see the dynamics of the universe as they head to reach equilibrium. The Path is the sublime Way to follow diligently – to do things Right: To be awake in calmness to remain upright with moral values Watching out that talks and speeches are friendly and soothing to hear Watching out that opinions and judgments are not impaired Watching out that actions and reactions are harmonious Watching out to pursue a harmless livelihood. The Path is the sublime Way to follow diligently – to do things Right: To remain awake in calmness to strengthen one’s views and morality By making all efforts to sharpen and purify the mind By being mindful in what one thinks and does By meditating to relax and be happy – with letting things go By meditating to train and still the mind – to the softness of sublimity By meditating to find joy – diving deep into things and knowing the Truth, To derive strength and power To let pragmatism manage life’s contingencies in happiness and harmony. Thus the Yana was put in motion – by first turning the Wheel of Dhamma And there it was – the Noble Eightfold Path – the Wheel to Happiness was born. 8. The Way The Tathagata taught in Sarnath: This Way is for one to be happy and let others become happy By understanding that some Truths are so common That they define life and Nature – one must accept them to be happy. That, some others are simply the making of mind Giving birth to unwholesome thoughts and deeds In societal actions and reactions One must understand these mind processes – to purify them to be happy. It is the Middle Way – the Jewel lying within the Lotus core It is the Way of Eight radiating Dhamma spokes interlinked at the wheel rim The Wheel to Happiness – the wheel to prolong the happy experiences. It is the Way for simplicity, balance, symmetry and stability It is the Way for invoking friendly reciprocity from others It is the Way for harmonious living In personal joy, in relationship mutual-respect, in family deference In social cooperation, in peace for world harmony. This Way – is not speculative but based on universal laws This Way – is testable, and verifiable by experience This Way – is worthy to follow in one’s lifetime. It is the Way of the sublimities – Love, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity It is the Way to let the Bodhi sprout – to the brightness of the Truth It is the Way to be enlightened in supreme wisdom It is the Way – the Sabbe Sattva Hithaya, Sabbe Sattva Shukhaya Dhamma It is the Way to liberation – to the bliss of Nirvana, And there it was – the unfolding of the Buddha’s Way. 9. The Sambuddha Bagavan Buddha – the supremely compassionate One: World remembers You each year on a Full-Moon Day in April-May To pay homage and refresh our understanding of Your teaching Your meticulous identification and definitions Of what are wholesome and what are not In one’s thought processes and deeds – in one’s well-being, Lucidly highlighted in the beauty of 423 short versus in the DHAMMAPADA. Bagavan, we remember You: The Araham – the One who was totally free from defilements The Samma-Sambuddho – the One who discovered the Four Noble Truths The Vijja-Carano-Sampano – the One who practiced what He taught The Sugoto – the One who has chosen the right words at the right time and occasion The Lokovido – the One who deeply saw the dynamics of the six worlds The Anuttaro-Puriso-Dhamma-Sarati – the One who was a skilled leader The Satta-Deva-Manussanam – the One who was the teacher of gods and humans The Buddho – the One who was fully awakened and attained Nirvana The Bagava – the One who has developed special powers. Beloved Master, You traveled far and wide for 45 years To give impetus to the momentum You set in motion To help people to be happy by finding the Bodhi in them – the Truth. 10. World Celebrates the Buddha Day Bagavan Buddha: Your teaching reverberates in life’s experiences As did in the past – so does in present times – as will in the future That life was never smooth – never is – never will be Because most often we fail to see things as they really are, The systems of Fluid, Solid and Life – defining Nature and all sentient beings In the relativity of Dualities. Because most often we fail to act and react with harmony in mind Because everything that exists are transient and interdependent Because unbalanced clinging to them causes misery. Because seats of power most often fail to see things from a wider perspective, With their arrogance, myopic view and greed adding to prolong human suffering By enforcing governing actions, laws and strategies that are often not Conscientious, heedful and diligent - ennobling unsustainable practices and policies. Therefore You taught, one must understand all these To realize that collective happiness must be a human destiny For all entities to live harmoniously together – with mutual respect. You have shown us the dignified Way for the benefit of many You set an outstanding example – in the consistency of Your teaching and practices You brought to us the wisdom of Truth, warmth and hope. Your friendly teaching tells us to have self-respect and unite: All of us together – men and women of different social standing and upbringing All of us together – of different prerogatives and inclinations. The Teacher of all teachers: The Mahabodhi – Your Dhammakaya lives on To show all humanity the Light of wisdom through to the eternity To see the beauty in wisdom and happiness To find equilibrium and the Jewel lying within, It is up to us to understand and take advantage of Your teaching. Humanity vows to You in gratitude for showing the Light And we will continue to keep You in our heart and prayer for ever. There we have it. A 10-stanza narrative piece of poetry looking into what happened more than two and a half millennia ago. The time was an extraordinary epoch in ancient history – with the Buddha’s (Buddhist Calendar 624 - 544 BCE) discovery telling the world – to see things rationally and simply – for all things that happen in us and around us. For the first time – he gave the power to individuals for their liberation, peace, happiness and harmony – saying, be a light unto yourself. This is the 3rd piece I have posted on the Buddha Day marking the celebration, with the previous pieces in 2021 the Enlightenment and in 2020 Revisiting the Jataka Morals. The day on 16 May 2022 celebrating the Buddha Jayanti – also marks the opening and inauguration of the Gautam Buddha International Airport at the birthplace of the Tathagata in Lumbini, Nepal. I like to dedicate this piece to all humanity. Despite all the progresses humans made in science and technology – the world remained cruel as before (if not worse) – with social leaders and media bragging about who are superior to whom – who are wealthier and more powerful to whom – giving rise to immense mistrust – constantly adding fuel to conflicts. Happy Vesak the Buddha Day!!! On this Auspicious Full-Moon Day – let Metta touch everyone’s heart to bring Peace and Harmony across the Globe. Have a joyous life in Appamada – in conscientiousness, heedfulness and diligence – whenever – wherever – whatever . . . . . - by Dr. Dilip K. Barua, 16 May 2022  We were there In robes and prayer beads at Nalanda, Magadha At Mes Aynak and Bamiyan As Maya, Inca and Aztec in the Americas Building nations and civilizations, As First Nations People Living in harmony with Nature and the Environment Living with the sounds of water and wave in Oceania. On each way of living Our beliefs, customs and traditions were humiliated Forcing us to abandon the treasures of knowledge built by our ancestors. We were there as Dalits Carrying the heavy dirty loads centuries after centuries Only to be told gods and goddesses Are responsible for our misery and humiliation. We were there During the Crusades of Beliefs During the Wars decimating Europe and the world In concentration camps of the Holocaust In the miserability of Palestines In the turmoils of the West Asia and in corners of Africa In countless migrations from one burning fire to the next In the discriminatory Acts of Exclusions, head-tax and internment camps As pawns in experiments after experiments to devise ways to control and contain As serfs in agricultural fields never to enjoy what were grown As slaves in filthy crammed boat holes transported and traded like animals As muslin craftsmen with a finger cut to prevent weaving the finest fabric As indigo farmers trapped in never repayable loans. We were there In political earthquakes promising to change things In lofty words of democracy, equality and respect But in reality, lies after lies were repeated to make them popular and acceptable Using media, propaganda and advertisements as tools promoting mendacity By clever crafting and cooking up of things By crooked theories and twisted insinuation of Words and promises enough to fill the depths of world oceans. We were told it was just the way of doing business, But in reality, was nothing but a system designed to deprive The system of treachery, hatred, malpractice and corruption To build empires of wealth using our energy – taking every pie from our sweat. We were told to change and adapt We did But our changes meant nothing. We were there As plants and trees As multiplicity of creatures on land, water and air Living harmoniously together complementing one another Mercilessly we have been destroyed Letting the climate and our habitat to change beyond irreparable damage Our cries were laughed at We were told to give in, to yield to the way for development. On each occasion, utterly asymmetric Upslope events were created To let things implode and explode To take advantage of the chaos in amassing wealth and power To make us pay the price In countless instances – known and unknown, told and untold. On each time, the travesty of violence and brutality The hiding of wrongdoing in clouts of confidentiality Pretensions of ignorance that any wrongdoing ever occurred Defined our common fate. Our families were torn apart Our children were taken away to make them civilized Only to be violated and abused. Our tears continue to roll out Time after time From one place to another. We are here in present times Only to find that the strategy and tactic have changed But the goal remained the same. We have been targeted and used as scapegoats for failures of any sort Driven deliberately to the requirement to prove again and again To make us exhausted, lose confidence and self-respect. Stupid, idiot and what not are the reserved words to describe us All part of the clever ploys to prevent us from getting empowered. Harassment continues In managing things by plethora of spams and scams In victimizing innocents by armed and online terrorist acts All perpetrated by coward actors of different affiliations. We are told to change and adapt We did. Changes did occur but not to include us, Silently we endured, and are putting up with. Those who pretend to be our voice Are just another piece of the same show. Decimated and bruised, our dreams and aspirations are shattered Hopelessness drags us through the breaths of life Yet we continued to yearn for a shed of light For changes to come – that never come. Some of us reached the zenith of career and accomplishments The contributions made the world richer. We are told, our way of seeing things does not matter Our activities hacked, privacy infringed to inflict damages We generated lots of tax revenue But was left to nothing when we needed to enjoy the benefit of labor. We were told we are different Must need to change We did But nothing else changed to include us. Why do we have to change all the time Be the sacrificial goat Not an equal partner in fairness to all. We were told to be patient To expect change when time comes But that time never came – it never comes Our heart cries Humanity cries. How long, how long does it take to include us How long does it take not to play God How long does it take to be awake To be responsible – to feel accountable, To own the wrongdoing. How long does it take to realize the danger of luring the young to aggressiveness By incessantly promoting violence through movies and media outlets. How long does it take to realize the beauty in the balance of things In the harmony of multiplicity in Nature and everything else In the interdependence of Fluid, Solid and Life Systems on Earth. How long does it take to define respect and dignity for all Realizing that talent and intellect are no one’s monopoly. How long does it take to wipe out mistrust To have the rays of wisdom and empathy raise the spirit of conscience That lives within all of us. How long does it take to let the light shine brilliantly bright To dispel the darkness of ignorance To find ways to establish the tranquility of symmetry and stability To see the necessity of collectiveness in happiness. How long does it take to wipe out the tears of misery How long do we have to cry How long humanity has to cry. This poetry piece is dedicated to commemorate the International Days in 2021 – the days of Nonviolence and Human Rights. They remind us to respect, and define the dignified rights of all humans – in the nourishing cradle of Nature and the Environment – not in lofty insinuation of words, but in sincere real actions. Let violence – in whatever forms and pretexts it comes – be wiped out from the face of the Earth – in the spirit of mutual respect, collective trust and friendship. . . . . . - by Dr. Dilip K. Barua, 19 October 2021   Perhaps one word that captures the three most important elements of Buddhism – Enlightenment, Emptiness and Nirvana – is Tathagata. It has been used again and again to address and describe Shakyamuni Buddha (624 – 544 BCE) – as an embodiment of the nine attributes (see Some Difficult Things). The word – simply characterizes the one who has gone beyond and above the level of human comprehension – to attain Buddhahood by conquering what are essentially empty of substance – to something that is complete and meaningful – to the bliss of Nirvana. This began in his search for understanding the causes of unhappiness in life (see Happiness). From the beginning he realized the fundamental aspiration of human beings: happiness is something everyone cherishes and holds dearest of all. Therefore, to his curious mind the causes of the fleeting nature of something so precious must be explored.
It led him to arrive at the conclusion that ignorance is the root cause initiating the cobweb of unhappiness – and that humans have all the strengths and capabilities to find liberation from that vicious cobweb (the 3rd and the 4th Noble Truths; see Happiness). The Buddha humbly (Ehipassiko – come and see for yourself) invited all to realize that Bodhicitta is within each of us – with the potential for it to bloom like a Lotus – by following the Dharma he discovered and taught – that identified the causes of unhappiness and the Way to win over it. His teaching (soothing in the beginning, soothing in the middle and soothing in the end) is like a friend that remains with one no matter what – teaching all to lead a moral balanced life, be happy and let others become happy. To train and to make sure that his disciples have understood the Dharma – he let them deliver some of the Sutras – and when satisfied blessed by saying Tathastu. The Buddha’s journey to that process of perfection to Enlightenment – took him traveling through the corners of northern India living with and learning from people of all walks of life including those in similar pursuits – to his ultimate realization of the Truth. He was not satisfied with the prevailing definition of truth – taught to him within the palace doors – and by what was taught by gurus and ascetics with whom he learned things together. His fundamental age-old question was: if gods and goddesses exist and people worship and pray to them for help – then why suffering of all sorts. Where is harmony? Why animosity and fighting in every strata of the society? Where are these spiritual beings to help? Such queries led him to go beyond what were commonly believed. By going beyond, he abandoned the path of dependence on gods and goddesses for one’s and societal well-being and salvation. Instead, he focused on human mind – the breeder and forerunner of everything – saying that the solution must be approached by calming the mind to see things as they are. Thus by kindling the light of wisdom and compassion, darkness is dispelled and Enlightenment is attained on true nature of things. What is achieved, was described as Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi – the perfect awakening that has never been heard of – and excelled before. . . . The Buddha accomplished it by mastering the Ten Perfections of Wisdom (according to the Theravada Tradition: 1 – Dana-Parami [Generosity, Altruism]; 2 – Sila-Parami [Morality, Integrity]; 3 – Nekkhamma-Parami [Let-go, Non-attachment]; 4 – Prajna-Parami [Wisdom, Awakening]; 5 – Virya-Parami [Energy, Power]; 6 – Khanti-Parami [Patience, Tolerance]; 7 – Dyana-Parami [Meditation, Truthfulness]; 8 – Adhittahana-Parami [Determination, Skillful means]; 9 – Metta-Parami [Loving kindness, Non-violence]; and 10 – Upekkha-Parami [Equanimity, Calmness]. In Jataka Tales {see Revisiting the Jataka Morals – 2}, the perfections are outlined somewhat differently, but all such different elucidations convey the same meaning essentially). Thus he is often addressed as Samyak Sambuddha. . . . In the Heart Sutra, the Tathagata attribute of the Buddha is used as a six-word inspirational mantra for monks vowing to be a Bodhisattva: Gate – Gate – Paragate – Parasamgate – Bodhi – Svaha. It translates to: Go – Go – Go Beyond (expectations) – Go Utterly Beyond – Perfection is Blessed. This vow is indeed something helpful for anyone endeavoring to be successful. The Buddha’s query – to the precision of a scientific mind – is what was penned down later by Buddhist scholars at Nalanda University (world’s 2nd earliest university; 5th – 12th century CE) as a system of three elements in perfecting knowledge. It starts with curiosity and concept (anumana) – to analytical and intellectual reasoning to understand it (pratyaksa) – and ends with valid proofs (pramana) or verifications of the concept. In his Buddhahood process, anumana started with first seeing the miseries of life outside the palace courtyard – to pratyaksa while living with all walks of life in many corners of rural India – to perfecting his thoughts of liberation through pramana. The Buddha touched Earth as the witness of perfection to Buddhahood. Note that he did not ask any god or goddess to be the witness – but chose mother Earth in humility of gratitude – for it sustains and nourishes all living beings and the environment – the interdependent Systems of Fluid, Solid and Life (see Warming Climate and Entropy). . . . This piece is a tribute to the 2021 Vesak Full-moon Buddha Day on May 26th – and an attempt to consolidate some of my thoughts penned down earlier in different pieces of WIDECANVAS: The Power of Mind; Let there be Light - and there was Light; Heaven and Hell; Symmetry, Stability and Harmony; The All-embracing Power of Sublimities; Happiness – the Likeness of a Water Drop on Lotus Pad; Meditation for True Happiness; Revisiting the Jataka Morals – 1; Revisiting the Jataka Morals – 2; and Some Difficult Things. To commemorate the Vesak, I have selected a beautiful artistic portrayal (image credit: anon) of an open eight-petal lotus flower. Buddhism is simple and straightforward – but at the same time it is steeped in deep philosophical and intellectual sophistication, insights and rationality. Simple does not mean Buddha's Way is easy - rather it teaches and asks followers to practice the guidelines of discipline and mind training wholeheartedly - to achieve the sublime Purities of Morals, Views and Mind. It kept its door open for interested individuals to question, elaborate and do research on the Dharma. This is one of the reasons why Buddhist scripture (Pabitra or Pure TRIPITAKA, the three Baskets: the SUTRA PITAKA; the BINOY PITAKA; and the ABHIDHARMA PITAKA – the Volume of Philosophical and Intellectual Texts. Also includes the DHARMAPADA and other Self-standing SUTRAS and Compilations) is so voluminous – where the Dharma is applied to explore and examine all aspects of life and livelihood in freedom without any dogmatic barriers. That is how the Buddha wanted it – he wanted people to think about the rationality of the Dharma to open their own wisdom eye. Monastic culture and some of the world’s earliest universities prevalent in different corners of the Indian Subcontinent are a testimony to that. The high literacy rate during the colonial times in countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand (higher than the colonial master, Great Britain) – have been made possible by monks engaging with the communities – with the monasteries acting as a place of learning. . . . In my attempt to understand the Dharma beyond my early-age learning, I ventured into looking at it through the logical and scientific view of things – and as I went through it; Buddhism opened up with very interesting and thought-provoking principles and ideas – that are complementary to and in sync with modern science.
. . . Enlightenment We use this term often in our conversations – we commonly say: please enlighten or let me enlighten. In such cases, we refer to things we do not understand or when we ask for help to clarify or explain them. The same meaning applies in Buddhism – but in a deeper sense. It is like kindling the light of wisdom to dispel darkness – to final awakening or attaining the Buddhahood. This awakening is final liberation from the cobweb of Samsara to the bliss of Nirvana. Therefore Enlightenment conveys only a portion of the Buddhahood meaning while Tathagata captures it all. One feels darkness or lost at a certain time – when queries cannot be answered by conventional knowledge or wisdom. European historians assign a medieval period (~ 5th to 15th centuries) of their history to dark ages when questioning things beyond scripture was like a taboo. Societal enlightenment began in Europe only after lifting of that veil of darkness during the Renaissance. The savagery of slavery deliberately forbade slaves to become literate – and they were told to obey without asking questions. Thus darkness was used as a tool to exploit – to take advantage of – to deprive enlightenment. Buddhism identifies Seven Factors of Buddhahood (this is one of the reasons why number 7 is considered sacred in Buddhism). They can be grouped into Four. Here are some brief elaborations:
Emptiness or Sunyata The sound of Emptiness immediately brings a notion of hopelessness and despair in human mind. People say: they feel empty with the loss of loved ones or with unbearable break-ups. Or some may have a pessimist view of it: if things are empty, then why do this or do that? While these feelings and sayings are real, in Buddhism, the contrary is true – where Emptiness is described as a supermundane Truth – as something that requires deep understanding for hope and happiness in life. I will rely on Revisiting the Jataka Morals – 2 for this part of the piece. Emptiness has two perspectives – the first is related to the laws of Transience and Dependent-origination – the second is applied as a Method of Meditation. This second method is superbly worded in Zen Buddhism: empty the mind to see things as they are. This saying sees Emptiness as part of meditation practice – as emptying the mind of what are hindering it (see Meditation for True Happiness) from concentrating and becoming calm. . . . Let me attempt to elaborate the first perspective – because it is very interesting. Time is Empty – Space is Empty – and all entities by themselves are Empty of Essence, or are Sunya. Emptiness is not defined here as something meaningless – rather as something asymmetric with a residual (see Characterizing Wave Asymmetry), or is incomplete (delivered in the Perfection of Wisdom Discourse or The Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra). It is a logical conclusion of the two Universal Laws the Buddha proclaimed – the Law of Transience, and the Law of Dependent-origination. Buddha’s teaching stands on these Natural Laws to direct human efforts in the Right direction to fill-in the void of Emptiness – to True Happiness. Let us attempt to see more of it briefly – why the Buddha emphasized on this Supermundane Truth? One very important reason is to remain non-attached to things that are of no essence – to make sure that one does not fall into the trap of unhappiness in life. In other words, the Buddha was saying that to be happy – one must maintain the balance of attachments without the damaging effects of attachment. Time is Empty. In the TIME piece we have seen four perceptions of Time: the Arrow of Time (see its scientific basis in Entropy and Everything Else); in the realization of recurrence as in days and years; in the making of mind (. . . Short to the fast and restless – Long to the slow and steady . . .); and in the spacetime entanglement of realities (see Einstein’s Unruly Hair). By the time one attempts to hold on to time, it is gone – recurrence is not exactly the same – mind perception is not the same – spacetime is not the same – therefore any definition and perception of time at any moment is Empty of Essence. In time, everything is fluid in different scales – Nature is fluid (see The Fluidity of Nature), Society is in fluid motion (see Social Fluidity). The attachment to such an empty entity defining fluidity of things is bound to cause disappointments at some time – and ultimately to unhappiness. For example, if one constantly hangs on to his or her past failures or successes – things will not progress well. Or, if one has lofty dreams of the future – the reality of the present may get totally obscured misleading things. Space is Empty. The definition of Space is meaningful only in the presence of Form – and further, because of its entanglement with Time – Space by itself is Empty of Essence. When we try to define Space, we need to refer the Form it belongs to – and in the high-speed domain of EM, one also needs to refer it to Time and Mass. Interestingly Emptiness is found to be the fundamental truth – both in the minutest existence of matter and in the vastness of universe. Electrons move as a wave-particle Duality (see The Quantum World) of uncertain motions in the space around the concentrated mass of nucleus in an atom. In the vastness of space in the universe – stars, planets, satellites and other objects orbit around massive objects such as the Black Holes – in the gravitational spacetime lattice (see Einstein’s Unruly Hair). In both of them – the space or spacetime is real only in the context of heavy or concentrated masses – therefore by itself each is empty of essence. Together, the system of mass and space defines the interdependent fluxes of energy in search for equilibrium. Both space and time – the spacetime has the dynamics and scales different than humans – therefore any attachment to them is tantamount of unhappiness. All Entities by Themselves are Empty of Essence. All Natural and Social entities and their dynamics in space and time are defined by their interdependence. I have tried to explain it in the Revisting the Jataka Morals – 2 piece from my own work experience – from the physics of wave motion, or wave dynamics (see Ocean Waves; Linear Waves; Nonlinear Waves; Spectral Waves; and Transformation of Waves). We have seen there, that ocean waves are mostly visible in the dynamics of wave crest and trough, and all the irregularities associated with the processes of four inherent characteristics: (1) the wavy distortion of water mass is in response to transporting some gained energy; (2) the energy is imparted into the water mass through its interfaces with air, ground, or other masses of different densities; (3) as soon as the wave is born it is subjected to interactions giving birth to new frequencies, and becomes asymmetric and spectromatic; and (4) that a visible wave is in fact built by a multitude of waves of different frequencies, phases and amplitudes. Each of these 4 characteristics is a reality or the conventional truth – yet by itself none of them defines the wave form. This implies that a conventional truth is incomplete – and therefore, by itself is empty or empty of essence. . . . Further, the meaning of the absence of substance can be explained from two different viewpoints. The first one is rather obvious – that if everything is in flux of interdependence – the idea of the constancy of soul (Upanishadic Atma) cannot exist, and is thereby empty of essence. The second is the known fact of human experience – of the absence of desirable degrees of Happiness in human mind – such that it always eludes an individual’s aspiration – like a drop of water in the slippery lotus pad. The five most important and practical usefulness of the presence of Emptiness are:
Nirvana Nirvana, Nibbana or Nibbuti – literally means extinguishing the flame – of the engine of incessant craving – that rolls the wheel of Samsara. In death of the physical body or Rupakaya of a person who has attained Nirvana – the extinguishing is synonymous with Mahaparinirvana – when Mahabodhi or Dharmakaya (it is the highest Arupakaya realm of Wisdom and Compassion in Buddhist Cosmology) gets separated. The Shakyamuni Buddha was that person. The liberated Mahabodhi gets new light – radiating the message of symmetry, tranquility, wisdom and compassion in all Six Directions (or in Ten Directions: the first eight representing the Noble Eightfold Path – the next representing the Path toward Zenith or heavenly beings – and the other representing the Path toward Nadir or hellish beings - all transcending the spacetime of any conceivable domain. So, the Buddha’s Light is universal for emancipation of all – and active at present, as was in the past, so will be in the future – only one has to be aware of it – and work for to find it for himself or herself). In popular beliefs, the Dharmakaya lives in Sukhavati or Pure Land as the Buddha Amitabh. . . . Enlightenment paves the way to go beyond all temptations – to a stage where perfect equilibrium is reached at an extraordinary level that does not yield any residual. There is no cause, no arising, no birth, no decaying, no demise, and no rebirth – everything is in complete balance without residuals – in the eternal tranquility of universal unity. In Buddhism this eternal sublime stage is Nirvana. Any disturbance to offset that equilibrium has no effect – because the grinding wheel of Samsara was stopped. What was Sunya, incomplete or Empty of essence in Samsara – has now come to fruition, completion in Nirvana – endowed with the essence of a different kind – of the eternal peace, happiness and harmony. This radiant strength of Nirvana after Enlightenment led the Buddha to declare: I am Awake. The door to achieving Nirvana opens up when all temptations arising through the processes of Five Aggregates (see The Power of Mind) are controlled to an elimination level at which they flower into a sublime abode of Maitrey or Metta – encompassing all living beings and the environment in loving sprinkle. The 6 senses with their many qualifications and attributes – the 3 arising (painful/unpleasant, pleasant, neutral) from 2 sources (external, internal) in the 3 states of processes (past, present, future) – give rise to a total of 108 (108 = 6 x 3 x 2 x 3) different temptations. This description of the processes of achieving Nirvana – the eternal bliss has given rise to 108 as the sacred number in Buddhism. Therefore meditation and prayer loops are usually adorned with 108 beads. The karmic wheel without divine intervention – loaded with wholesome deeds in Pursuits to Perfection – diligently conducted in times (deeds that are accomplished in one’s lifetime, and others accomplished in reincarnated lives after lives) has come to a stop – yielding the joy of completion. What is achieved is irreversible – from the tiring equilibrium pursuits of reversibility. . . . In Nirvana, the asymmetry of processes has yielded to the Symmetry, Stability and Harmony. The Duality of the Opposites is Entangled – not to create disturbance – but to complement each other to sublime Unity. All visible and invisible beings and the environment complement one another – to the Sublimities of Love, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity. Famous British poet and journalist Edwin Arnold (1832 – 1904) wrote – in lines of poetic beauty in The Light of Asia: . . . Thus “finishing the Path”, free from Earth’s cheats: Released from all the Skandhas of the flesh; Broken from ties – from Upadanas – saved From whirling on the wheel; aroused and sane . . . Lifeless – to nameless quiet, nameless joy, Blessed NIRVANA – sinless, stirless rest – That change which never changes! Lo, the Dawn Sprang with Buddha’s Victory! lo, in the East Flamed the first fires of beauteous day, poured forth Through the fleeting folds of Night's black drapery. . . . A sentence in summary. The Tathagata attributes - Enlightenment, Emptiness and Nirvana are all part of the Noble Eightfold Path – the Wheel to Happiness – to triumph over the Samara wheel (often shown briefly as the three poisons – ignorance, greedy attachment and hatred - driving the wheel). . . . Let me stop at this with some notes on some popular practices of Buddhism. A Note on Chanting, Mantra and Prayers. All religions have this practice – presented often in soothing sounds of musical melodies and rhythms. A mantra is a gist of Truths concisely put together in a single line or in few syllables. The saying or singing of the mantra again and again in melodies and rhythms – lets the energy of the Truth permeate into one’s being. Apart from calming the practitioner’s mind in the spirit of devotion through the energy of sound – chanting, mantra and prayers also have the social benefits of bringing all devotees together. The congregations act as a way of infusing cohesion within the community – creating the beneficial environment of friendship and fellow-feeling. In addition to different Sutra chanting – some Buddhist mantras are very popular. In Tibetan Buddhism (now practiced widely by all Buddhists), the essence of the Noble Eightfold Path is chanted as a 6-syllable mantra: Om – MaNi – PadMe – Hum. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (1935 - ) interpreted it as: the practice of the Path – as an invisible union of method and wisdom – helps one to purify the body, speech and mind into an exalted state – like a jewel (MaNi) in the lotus (PadMe). Om is a sacred sound in Buddhism representing the birth of the universe and Samsara; and Hum represents the resolve of the praying person to follow the Path. The Shakyamuni Mantra is chanted 108 times as a devotional remembrance of the Shakyamuni Buddha’s triumph over 108 temptations. In Sanskrit, this auspicious mantra is chanted for blessing as: Om - Muni – Muni – Mahamuni – Shakyamuni – Svaha. The Lotus Sutra chanting has a similar 6-syllable mantra (the Nichiren {1222 – 1282} sect of Buddhism, the Soka Gakkai International): Nam – MyoHo – RenGe – Kyo. Nam or Namo – homage to the Buddha, his teaching; MyoHo – the jewel or Mani, the Way to liberation; RenGe – the Lotus representing the Law of Dependent-origination or Sunyata; Kyo – resolve of the chanting to follow the timeless teaching of the Buddha. Despite such popularity, mantra and chanting – must not come in the way of causing disturbance to Sati or mindfulness. Because mindfulness requires Ekaggata or steadfast quiet attention and concentration of the mind on the object of meditation. . . . Further, I like to delve into a question – a Buddhist is often asked (including myself) – mostly by people of religions originated in West Asia (see further in Something Different). The question that naturally comes to their mind is what the Buddhists do in times of despair, hopelessness, grief or in cases of high emotional distress. For them – these are the situations when they turn more to God and pray for solace, comfort and rescue – by looking up to the sky with two open hands asking for God’s blessing. What the Buddhists do? The Buddha did not pray to gods or goddesses (although there were many such Deva and Devi beliefs during the Buddha’s time in Sanatana Dharma – and still are in Hinduism) – neither does his teaching of the Middle Way have any reference to – or advice to pray to them. Instead, in each of his Sutra, the Buddha invites all visible and invisible beings (gods/goddesses, demons, etc) to assemble and listen to his Saccha Bachana – the Words of Truth. And he ends each Sutra by saying: Etena Saccha Bachana Aotute Joya Mangalam – let all be blessed with wholesomeness by listening to these Words of Truth. The Buddha even did not ask devotees to pray to him – although after Buddhahood all addressed him with respect and honor as the Bhagavan – like a grateful student does. After the Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana, different prayer services were developed at the First Buddhist Council to pay homage to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. The Buddha taught his followers to stay calm and reflect on the Transience and Dependent-origination of things – and to follow the light of the Way he taught – to win over episodes of high emotional distress – to True Happiness. Therefore being a Buddhist means cultivating the lotus of wisdom to seek for the jewels of personal and societal peace and happiness - by striving to find one's own inner strength. Joyously every little find in that pursuit is rewarding. . . . The Sutra-saying has been used by monks venturing out into foreign lands – to adopt local gods and goddesses (belonging mostly to ancient Shamanic beliefs) – as protectors and promoters of Buddha Dharma – thus giving them respectful status. Buddhism also inspired syncretization of aspects of rather poorly organized ancient beliefs like Daoism, Confucianism, Shintoism and Hinduism – to its ideals and customs. Even Christianity has elements developed in line with the Buddhist ideals (among many, the Bodhi tree; the Kalpa-taru or Kapruka – the tree of gifts and abundance erected during the Buddhist Dana Ceremony celebrations – transformed into Christmas tree in Christmas celebrations). This led Mongol Emperor, Mongke Khan (1209 – 1259) to say that: Buddhism is like the palm of the hand, the other religions being the fingers. And in Anagarika Dharmapala’s (1864 – 1933) Lecture at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, 1893: The World’s Debt to the Buddha. In the 1939 words of Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948): . . . an eternal debt of gratitude to that great teacher . . . English historian and writer HG Wells (1866 – 1946) wrote: Buddhism has done more for the advance of world civilization and true culture than any other influence in the chronicles of mankind. In Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986) tribute: . . . And how much He gave – How joyously He soared – Escaping from birth and death – From its tyranny and entangling wheel. Enlightenment attained – He gave to the world, as the flower gives – Its scent – The Truth. . . In Osho’s (1931 – 1990) words, in The Most Excellent Way: Gautama Buddha is like . . . the highest peak of the Himalayas . . . a rare phenomenon on this earth. The rarity is that Buddha is a scientist of the inner world . . . To be religious is simple, to be a scientist is simple – but to combine, to synthesize these two polarities is incredible. It is unbelievable, but it has happened . . . The approach of adaptation to and respect for other cultures – largely avoided clashes with local beliefs – and paved the way for Buddhism to make inroad into many cultures. Finally, in Dr BR Ambedkar (1891—1956) writings. . . If you study carefully, you will see that Buddhism is based on reason. There is an element of flexibility inherent in it, which is not found in any other religion . . . I firmly believe the Dhamma of the Buddha is the only true religion . . . I regard the Buddha’s Dhamma to be the best. No religion can be compared to it. If a modern man who knows science must have a religion, the only religion he can have is the Religion of the Buddha. This conviction has grown in me after thirty-five years of close study of all religions. And in Ven Anoma Mahinda’s words: . . . scientists, philosophers, and men of literature have proclaimed Him the ‘Greatest Man Ever Born’ . . . As an answer to the question, Buddhist monks often cite the story of Kisa Gautami. The story goes like this – once a grieving mother – Gautami came to Buddha to revive her dead infant. The compassionate Buddha moved by her grief, told her to stay calm and assured that he would be able to revive her child if she could bring a fistful of rice from families where no one ever died. The grieving mother thought that was easy. She went from door to door, but could not find the required rice. The experience opened her eyes about the reality of things and she understood what the Buddha wanted to teach her. After overcoming the grief – she came back to Buddha asking for his blessing and to accept her as a disciple. In welcoming her, the Buddha touched upon the necessity of earning punya or merit by doing kushala karma or wholesome deeds – to overcome the effects of lapses or wrongdoings in one’s life – and to be compassionate to oneself and others for harmonious living. Note the method of the Buddha – unlike other priests and gurus during his time – he did not ask Gautami for animal sacrifice and austerity – nor did he conduct puja rituals asking for the grace of gods/goddesses. Buddha’s message is clear – that an individual – only the individual himself or herself – has the power to ride over difficult times – helped and supported by friends and teachers (like the Buddha Dharma). Popular Buddhism sees the Buddha to the likeness of God – although not as a creator and ultimate arbiter – but more as an honorable friend and teacher. He is addressed as the Bhagavan Buddha – a supremely compassionate Tathagata who brought-in the light of wisdom for the benefits of all. Statues of the Shakyamuni Buddha adorn all temples, also in devotees’ home shrine – sometimes along with some of his disciples. Devotees pay homage to the Buddha by chanting prayers – similar to the likeness of devotees in other religions. . . . There are also other systems of visualizations. One such popular system is visualization of the Dharmakaya or Mahabodhi of historic Shakyamuni Buddha – believed to be living in Sukhavati or Pure Land (the highest realm in Buddhist Cosmology) as Buddha Amitabha or Buddha Vairocana. It is believed that Dharmakaya is there to show the brightness of light to all sentient beings. The Flower Garland Sutra described Dharmakaya as the Four Faces of the Unity (Sculptural depiction of the Four Faces - are portrayed in the shape of Buddha face). These Four are: the Duality (1 & 2) of the Opposites – its qualification: the Entanglement (3) of the Dualities, and the Complementarity (4) of the Dualities. This ancient Buddhist metaphysics is apparent in the findings of modern physics (see Einstein’s Unruly Hair and The Quantum World). The Buddha’s Godly characterization in a sense amounts to immortalization of the Buddha-Dharma – as a timeless teaching – as a guide for liberation after Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana. Buddhists pay tribute to Mahabodhi, especially during the Buddha Day celebration through festivals like Saga Dawa, sky-lantern, water-lantern joyful congregations and feeding the poor. Some other Buddha’s famous disciples (the likeness of Saints in Christianity) are also immortalized – differing in importance on grounds of cultural differences – among them, the two notables are: Avalokiteshvara and Manjushri who represent embodiments of Compassion and Wisdom, respectively. . . . The happy dust of the Indian Subcontinent that was once criss-crossed by the Buddha – marking some of the milestones of his life (e.g. Lumbini; Bodhgaya; Rajgir, Nalanda and Sarnath and Vaishali, Shravasti and Kushinagar) – are now very popular pilgrimage sites for devotees and all. While paying homage to these sacred sites, a reflection on Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s (1861 - 1941) many writings – in articles, poems and dance-drama on Buddhism – opens one’s wisdom eye. In one poem, The Delirium of Hatred he saw the vision for the Buddha’s brilliant radiance – to shine one more time for the sake of saving humanity drifting into the delirium of hatred and conflict: . . . All creatures are crying for a new birth of thine Oh, thou of boundless life Save them, rouse thine eternal voice of hope Let Love’s lotus with its inexhaustible treasure of honey Open its petals in thy light O Serene, O Free In thine immeasurable mercy and goodness Wipe away all dark stains from the heart of this earth . . . Happy Vesak the Buddha Day!!! On this Auspicious Full-moon Day – let Metta touch Everyone’s Heart to bring Peace and Harmony across the Globe . . . . . - by Dr. Dilip K. Barua, 26 May 2021  The title refers to some situations – an individual often faces that are difficult to overcome. The difficulties may or may not arise from an individual’s persona, trait or individuality – rather from a combination of factors having roots both in the person’s individuality and the surrounding. We have seen some glimpses of individuality (e.g. Six of them: greedy-natured, hate-natured, dull-natured, faithful-natured, intelligent-natured and ruminating-natured) in the context of meditation practices. The situations – in one form or another, in one degree or another – appear as a constraint, giving birth to conflict between one’s endeavor to do the right thing – and his or her strength or weakness to overcome the hindrances posed by the constraints. When I first came across them – a total of twenty – I was totally fascinated by the list – realizing how true they were. They were delivered by the Buddha - The Tathagata (563 – 483 BCE) in his Difficulty Sutra – apparently to teach monks that some difficulties are common – therefore nothing to be concerned about – rather one should try to understand the causes – and be courageous to overcome them with discipline, calmness and practice of the Dharma.
As we shall see, the delivered difficulties are not only applicable to monks, but also to all. They were compiled in the Sutra of 42 Chapters (The Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters translated by Dr. DT Suziki; 1870 – 1966; https://buddhasutra.com) in the Buddhist scripture – with the 12th Chapter describing the difficulties. Osho (1931 – 1990) elaborated and interpreted them in the chapter, ‘The Twenty Difficult Things’ in his book, The Buddha Said . . . (Osho, Watkins Publishing 2007). Thought of sharing 14 of them in this piece – with explanations and interpretations – in ways I understand them (included the image of a beautiful orchid as a metaphor of overcoming the difficulties ׀image credit: anon). In my attempt to elaborate I will try to focus on: (1) what are the nature of constraints; (2) why it is necessary to overcome the difficulties they pose; and (3) last but not least, the rationale behind the Buddha’s teaching of them. . . . Difficulty means it is not easy or straightforward to either understand and/or accomplish something. Some of it are so universal that they define life – in the form of a limitation. For example, when we were young we could not do or understand certain things – as we grow older we overcome those difficulties – but when aged new difficulties come upon us. In the context of energy balance (see Entropy and Everything Else) we have seen that all processes are characterized by reversibility or irreversibility. The Buddha was not talking about irreversible situations. He saw most of the difficulties as a stumbling block – not an obstacle – something reversible that can be overcome with due diligence and efforts. And the reasons for him to include them in the Sutra – are to draw attention to, to be aware of – to equip oneself to triumph over them. A difficulty has two elements – one relates to the person trying to overcome, the other relates to the situation he or she is trying to overcome. In line with the sublime qualities (see Sublimities) the Buddha taught that one should not feel contempt, but be patient and compassionate to the person (could be himself or herself, or others) struggling to overcome the difficulties. Similarly, one should not forget to feel joy for being successful in overcoming them. Thanks to the Buddha’s deliverance, some of the difficulties are common knowledge now. We echo the universality of the Buddha’s teaching with Jiddu Krishnamurti’s (1895 – 1986) tribute – who saw the Buddha (in his poetry book, The Immortal Friend; Boni & Liveright 1928) belonging to all humanity, not only to Buddhists (. . . Enlightenment attained – He gave to the world, as the flower gives – Its scent – The Truth . . .). Let me begin by explaining the nature of difficulty in terms of Relativity – the ability of a person trying to overcome versus the resistance of constraint. To a strong able person a certain resistance may appear easy – but the same resistance may appear difficult to overcome by a weak person. Difficulties are something we all face in one form or another, at one time or another – some of them are due to our own constraints – while others are explicitly conditioned by the environment/society where one lives in. Therefore I have grouped the situations of difficulties into three broad categories. (1) Intrinsic Premise: it includes those that arise from one’s personal inability – for example, one cannot always totally understand oneself to be a master of controlling things the way he or she likes it. (2) Extrinsic Premise: they stem from one’s position in a social stratum, and his or her mental framework. As well important, are the circumstances in which an individual is in – because they condition his or her behaviors. (3) Emotional Premise: it refers to those situations that are acted upon or are triggered by something or someone. The presented order of difficulties placed in these premises is not necessarily the same as described in the scripture. . . . Before going further, first let me try to present a simple example – of the relation between the ability of a person trying to overcome and the resistance posed by a constraint. Imagine a person, let us name him Pi, is on his journey to have a glimpse of things on his foot. Among other difficulties he might face, let us focus how he has managed to cross over the water bodies of different sizes. The first was a small fast flowing stream of chest-deep water. Pi crossed the stream by folding his clothes and belonging over his head, and carefully walked, to not get swayed by the stream. Next he came across a river that was not crossable by walking, nor by swimming. It was too wide and deep. Pi pondered over; there were no help around and no boat to use. He cut tree branches and shrubs to make a raft – and crossed the river floating on the raft. Next, he came across a bay. It was too big with waves and currents of all sizes. A raft will not work, and cutting a tree and digging a canoe will take very long time. Pi decided to walk along the bank with the hope to find help. His strategy paid off. He came across a small port where vessels were carrying goods and people, and he availed the opportunity. An analysis of the example would show that none of these three difficulties was insurmountable. At least 3 things equipped Pi to overcome them: (1) confidence and perseverance, (2) energy and effort, and (3) intelligence associated with strategic or critical thinking. . . . 1. Intrinsic Premise 1a. It is difficult to be thorough in learning and exhaustive in investigation. This situation defines the nature of things – that it is vast, beyond the capacity of one to be fully cognizant of it. One cannot say I have learned everything there is to be learned – and investigated everything there is to be investigated. Many giants in the history of mankind were humble and brave to say that – for them, the more one knows the more appear the unknowns. Although PS Laplace (1749 – 1827) convinced of the powerful deterministic paradigm of Newtonian (Isaac Newton, 1642 – 1727) physics – declared that determinism is sound and solid, and is the only method needed to solve any of world’s problems including social relations. Despite such a declaration, frontiers of science did not stop questioning conventional wisdom. Thus learning and investigation continue – and each of us in various capacities adds a little drop to the vast ocean – perhaps not so thorough not so exhaustive, but enough to address a certain problem. These are the rationale for the Buddha to include this constraint in the Sutra – that at a certain time, one has to face the reality that he or she cannot wait for everything to be known. Instead, while the quests must continue, one has to come to terms – to define workable solutions that are acceptable to manage things. 1b. It is difficult to be one in knowledge and practice. This situation arises from the fact that knowledge and practice do not always go hand in hand. There is a certain amount of paradigm shift between knowledge and practice – therefore reconciling both is not always easy. The processes of acquiring knowledge and the constraints of applying it into practice with prudence are not the same. In the context of solving a problem – we have briefly touched some aspects of it in Artificial Intelligence – the Tool of No Limit. The other contexts of this difficulty can be examined from at least two simple standpoints. (1) Personal limitation: one may know lot of things – but some often fail to put them into practice of convincingly sharing them with others in speaking, writing, working, etc. (2) Limitation of time and energy: both acquiring knowledge and actually practicing them demand time and energy. Often, it is either some of both – or most of one and a little of the other. In academic fields, we see some have theoretical expertise; others develop expertise in finding empirical evidence by working in the field. The other simple example is the split of Natural philosophy from philosophy in the 19th century – with further splits occurring across disciplines as the horizon of knowledge continues to expand. The rationale for the Buddha to include this in the Sutra is that – one should be aware of this difficulty as a reality – and be equipped to manage things efficiently. 1c. It is difficult not to express an opinion about others. This situation is so common that people do this without the slightest of thinking – even though some may manage to remain non-judgmental. Some of such common practices have very harmful effects on social harmony – because they give birth to misinformation, disinformation, gossips and misunderstandings. They are superficial or unreal – simply because knowing someone’s true nature – as well as of entities – is not something easy to master. Therefore one cannot say for certain that he or she is absolutely qualified to pass an opinion. This is one of the rationales for the Buddha to include it as one of the difficulties. That one should be aware of the harmful consequences before passing an unqualified opinion. There are also opinions – that are outright flattering – massaging the ego of a person or an entity. Such opinions may appear harmless – but in reality distort or mask the true nature of things. When the truth or reality gets masked by unqualified opinions – there appears double edged damages. On the one hand the flattered individual fails to see the corroding weaknesses of himself or herself – on the other, false premises may be relied upon to manage things – which may bring-in disastrous outcomes in the long run. 1d. It is difficult to gain an insight into the nature of being and to practice the Way. This difficulty is somewhat like 1b, but here the Buddha has drawn attention to insights depicted in the governing Natural laws (e.g. the Laws of Transience and Dependent-origination) – and practicing the Middle Way or the Noble Eightfold Path. To be able to incorporate laws and principles into practice – one needs patience, perseverance and energy – to deeply understand the true nature of being and reconciling it with the practicality of implementation. Many do not have such natural capabilities. Therefore, sometimes the Way is followed as a routine or ritual without examining and understanding the rationale behind it. The Buddha has drawn attention to this difficulty to make aware that it is important to overcome – because blind following of anything has its harmful consequences. The Buddha’s teaching tells one to be in sync with practice and understanding of the insights (used to develop the practice). 1e. It is difficult to be always master of oneself. The reality of this difficulty draws our attention to the fact that no matter how one does not want it – one cannot always control things in his or her favor. It is sort of a frailty that we all succumb to at one time or other. It stems from the reason that it is not only difficult to see or know something or someone as they are – but also to control one’s own thought processes and actions – to modulate them in the right direction. If one does not know and understand himself or herself properly – it becomes difficult to control behaviors. The meditation practices (see Meditation) the Buddha taught – are geared toward the direction of calming the mind to overcome this difficulty. The Buddha included it in his Sutra – inviting all to see the necessity of overcoming it – so that lapses can be avoided from drifting to the wrong path – or getting trapped into distractions – or conducting unwholesome thoughts and deeds. . . . 2. Extrinsic Premise 2a. It is difficult for the poor to practice generosity. This difficulty can be discussed from at least three perspectives. The first is that, to give someone something – one must have that something. A poor – not having things – either in terms of material or non-material possession (e.g. the sublime qualities; see Sublimities) cannot give or share what he or she does not posses. The second, as discussed earlier (in 1a and 1b) is that one cannot be knowledgeable in everything – which means even a rich or a highly educated person can be poor in something. The third perspective should be realized from the fact that there has to be the willingness to share. Having something does not mean he or she will share or give that something to others. The term miser reflects the popular perception of this aspect. The rationale for the Buddha’s inclusion of this difficulty – is that one should not feel contempt for the poor – instead he or she should try to understand the facts behind this difficulty. 2b. It is difficult for the strong and rich to observe the Way. This difficulty indicates how hubris and arrogance associated with the authority of strength and power could change a person – making him or her totally disrespectful to the necessity of having a righteous conduct. What one sees as right is nothing close to seeing things as they are. Power comes from one’s wealth that gives him or her the authority to control and coerce things in favor. It also comes from one’s position in the hierarchical authority – again, to manage things in his or her favor. One can imagine that with such changes in attitude toward life – an individual succumbs to becoming selfish and snobbish. And observing the Way to do the right thing – appears irrelevant and unnecessary – even undesirable to him or her. The person succumbs to the vagaries of the changed attitude – feeling the illusion of power – seeing nothing more, nothing less. Here again, the Buddha’s teaching says that the strong and the rich should understand the causes of this difficulty – in order to find time to observe the Way. 2c. It is difficult to disregard life. Life is full of hope and aspiration. Despite all the harsh realities – the vision of hope keeps life’s flame alight. The will to life begins in one’s childhood – I have tried to explain that in the context of Happiness. It is the parent-progeny-parent-progeny wheel of life we all inherit. The Buddha was saying that one has to understand these realities of life processes – to remain calm and maintain the balance of attachments. Denial of life by succumbing to the difficulty has no place in the Buddha’s teaching. Life’s processes come in different phases and disguises of high emotions of anger, hate, love and joy. Unless one is equipped with the light of wisdom for the necessity of remaining calm – it is difficult for him or her to overcome the negative emotional ups and downs – and enjoy the bliss of positive ones. 2d. It is difficult to conquer passions, to suppress selfish desires. Here again, once the will to life overwhelms everything and gets the total grip on one’s life – people tend to succumb to the damaging passions and desires. Passions have different roots – such as desire, infatuation, obsession and craze. One has to understand that passions do not have a long life – they rather represent a certain state of mind in space and time. Therefore remaining calm is very important. If one fails to control his or her passions by being too attached to them – they translate to selfishness – to the acts of trampling other’s interests without hesitance. The Buddha taught all to be aware of these facts – to be balanced – to steer passions away from selfishness. Apart from such passions, there are also others that act as a powerful drive to accomplish and achieve things. But even in such cases, one needs to maintain the balance – otherwise uncontrolled ambitious passions could derail things downward. 2e. It is difficult not to abuse one’s authority. The lure of temptation to succumb to this difficulty is so spell-binding that very few – the strong, the courageous and the righteous – manage to overcome them. Authority comes with power – and while power gives an individual the ability to lead and accomplish many good things – it also tempts him or her to do bad things. Holding on to and having the power and position of authority is one of the most desirable things – that an individual wishes for in his or her life time. There is nothing wrong with that – but problems starts to accrue when the temptation to abuse – proliferates in myriad of colors. When it overtakes an individual or entity endowed with authority – seeing things as they are is considered unimportant – thus accountability and responsibility take backstage. Instead, seeing things through the lens of power and authority is considered the right of way of doing business. This seeing gives birth to the illusion that having the power of authority is like a blessing – that comes with the blanket license to abuse the cursed (so the abuser thinks). Things have not changed since the observation of 19th century German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900): All things are subject to interpretation, whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth. If anything, the power of authority is interpreting things more and more in its favor. One can think of at least 4 types of abuses: (1) The sincerity of maintaining and holding on to integrity – is seen something manipulatable by the practices of covering up; (2) Opinions and decisions coming from such sources of authority have the aura – that they must be followed and obeyed without question; (3) Corruption and nepotism are seen as the legitimate rights of the authority for doing business; (4) It is permissible to deny the abused the right to voice opinion and defend themselves. The Buddha included this important truth in his Sutra for all people to understand the rationale of such abuses – and finding the courage to overcome the difficulty. 2f. It is difficult to be even-minded and simple-hearted in all of one’s dealings with others. The nature of one’s dealings with others stems from at least two factors. The first is his or her ability or inability to remain neutral and even-minded in judging the person being dealt with. Remaining even-minded or mastering the virtue of Equanimity has been discussed as one of the sublime qualities in an earlier piece (see Sublimities). The second factor can be explained from two perspectives. One spectrum of the dealings is: simply seeing others as they are – the other seeing through the lens loaded with pre-conceived notions or cognitive biases. The former has been highlighted as one of the trio of the Noble Eightfold Path – the Purity of View (see Happiness). The latter gives rise to misunderstanding and mischaracterization. The Buddha’s teaching says that one should understand the nature of this difficulty – to try to remain calm and composed by considering others with a simple and pure mind. 2g. It is difficult not to feel contempt toward the ignorant. Let me begin explaining this difficulty by saying that ignorance is identified as the root cause of unhappiness in Buddhism (see Happiness). Therefore, when one sees a suffering person – he or she automatically assumes that the person might be ignorant and starts feeling contempt. Such a feeling leads to the development of superiority complex in people who consider themselves learned. When the complex gets hold of the learned – he or she feels elevated to a higher class or strata and becomes arrogant – with the effects of seeing the ignorant as someone that does not deserve respect. A prime example of this is the attitude of highest caste Brahmins in Hinduism. It is another indication of the fact that learning or having a high academic degree – or even spiritual awakening does not necessarily make a person ideal or good – although the potential for being so is in his or her favor. As also discussed earlier (see Happiness) one’s success in learning does not only depend on his or her own efforts – but also on many other societal contributing factors. Therefore, the learned must be grateful and humble for success – and refrain from being arrogant and feeling superior. The other fact, as discussed in 1a, 1b, 1d and 1e, is that the sphere of knowledge and learning is huge – therefore even the one who claims to be learned is ignorant in something. This reality should also make the learned humble, not arrogant. The reason for the Buddha to include this in the Sutra is to let people understand these realities to avoid succumbing to disrespectful and contemptuous attitude and behavior toward the ignorant. However, it is also expected that people who consider themselves deficient in learning some aspects of life or skill – should try to do away with the darkness of ignorance. . . . 3. Emotional Premise 3a. It is difficult not to get angry when insulted. Trading insults is one of the most negative social interactions – abhorrent, shameful and heinous – that taint the world of civility. Insults deeply hurt the core of the victim’s personality and dignity. The victim feels humiliated and it is very difficult not to react with anger. It is even difficult to forget about it – thus giving birth to societal animosity and mistrust. Most insulting outpours have their roots in hatred, jealousy, dislike, competition and conflict of interests. Continuous insults can destroy the victim by inflicting scars of depression. Insults can be inflicted by at least 4 different ways: (1) face-to-face verbal; (2) through mail/email; (3) spreading insulting misinformation/disinformation and rumors; and (4) now with the digital Internet age, insults come in different disguises of online harassments. Some ethical and moral aspects of online abuses are discussed in the piece Artificial Intelligence – the Tool of No Limit and in the section on Science of Social Interactions in Upslope Events and Downslope Processes. A face-to-face insult not only gives birth to anger – but may also lead to instantaneous fights – often ending up in injuries and/or loss of lives. The Buddha taught people to understand the nature of this difficulty – to not get provoked by the insult, but to face it with utmost restraint and calmness – and forgive the remorseful apologizing perpetrator. One story tells how the Buddha took an insult on his person. Without getting provoked and becoming angry – he taught the perpetrator a lesson, making him ashamed and remorseful for the abhorrent behavior (see the finishing paragraph in Harbor Sedimentation). 3b. It is difficult to subdue selfish pride. Having pride or being proud of something is inherent in human nature. One becomes proud of things he or she has earned – or something glorious his or her family or ancestors have achieved. There is nothing wrong about such prides – because they are a healthy way of becoming joyful of one’s achievement. But pride takes ugly turn when the person becomes too attached to it. When this happens, he or she becomes rigid, conservative and protective of the pride – making him or her totally oblivious of changes around. The person is in denial of Natural laws and principles (see The Fluidity of Nature; Social Fluidity). The ugliness of selfish desires overtakes the person’s thought processes and activities. Such activities totally disregard others’ interests – with no hesitance whatsoever in trampling over anyone coming on the way. This problem of selfishness is somewhat like the selfish desire discussed in 2d. The Buddha’s teaching says to not get too attached to pride – to avoid giving in to the viciousness of selfishness. . . . Before finishing, I am tempted to draw attention to the two prayers, Buddhists chant to pay homage to the historic Buddha and his teaching – the Dharma. They highlight the attributes of the Buddha (9 of them) and his teaching (6 of them) that made him victorious by overcoming many different difficulties and antagonism. Most people including many Buddhists do not know them completely; therefore I am listing them here. Attributes of the Supremely-compassionate (Maha-karonic) Tathagata Buddha:
. . . The Koan of this piece: It so happens that things do not pay off well if you are just part of the crowd – try to be someone noticeable – because politics of managing things do not see anyone below. . . . . . - by Dr. Dilip K. Barua, 5 March 2021  The sky, the trees, the neighborhood They all appeared different and dull I wondered why. I came out to my backyard sitting on a chair That I most often do during the summer mornings I saw the old cherry tree standing But could not understand why it is still there. Some little birds flown in picking up things, chirping I wondered why they do that. I walked around our vegetable garden Tomatoes, beans, eggplant, squash, zucchini – all there, growing I wondered what is the use. My body felt cold in the summer days I did not know why I felt exhausted for no reason I felt something very dear missing I felt empty. There came the news from my nephew ‘takuma is no longer with us’ My children’s, nephews’ and nieces’ takuma My octogenarian ma. I melted down sobbing and weeping I could not stop it Memories started pouring in Making my tears rolling down I wondered why this has to happen. I did not feel so much this way when my baba passed away Perhaps thinking that my ma was still with us Now the last link is gone forever Echoing ma saying once, ‘parents do not live forever’. I felt my ma’s warm hands, hugging I felt her warm kisses, inimitable loving care I felt her warm wishes no matter what happens. My palms came together at my heart in Anjali Asking her blessing for all of us, for our wellbeing. I felt ma whispering to my ears, ‘Nanai, I had a long fulfilling life Take good care of yourself and all.’ I felt ma is with us Telling us to remain strong To nurture and cherish the family bond To counter hardships and celebrate accomplishments. I thought of Kisa Gautami story: Begging from door to door to revive her dead child And how the Buddha made her realize the harsh truth. Suddenly the rationale of Emptiness appeared with a new meaning to me Of the existence of missing links in the tangled ball of interconnectedness In the rolling Time of ever changing fluxes of things. Now another link is missing – a very precious one That gave birth to three branching trees To let new links to sprout To roll on to the future, to the unknown. This piece is dedicated to the gracious remembrance of my mother by offering merit (punya dana) with loving respects. She passed away one month ago at age 88. . . . . . -by Dr. Dilip K. Barua, 25 September 2020   This piece (covering Vol 2) follows Revisiting the Jataka Morals – 1 posted in May on the Buddha Day. Before moving on to start with it, I like to briefly delve into three of the stories (18, 19, 50) presented in that piece (and 77 in this piece) – where the compassionate Buddha - The Tathagata (563 – 483 BCE) has drawn attention to the cruelty of ritualistic sacrifice of animals to please gods and goddesses. His teaching says to refrain from such practices of volitional killing – by respecting the rights to live by all creatures. Such repeated references indicate that the practice was common in greater India Sanatana Dharma (came to be known as Hinduism at later times), for that matter in most Shamanic and other ancient religious practices. The post-Buddha Hinduism has abandoned the practice, although some pockets of sacrificial rituals continue to occur in isolated rural areas.
. . . Among the stories summarized in this piece, perhaps the following seven stand out in terms of their exclusive references to individual perfection – and to good social interactions and governance: (1) 66 and 251, a ruler is required to provide four basic necessities to subjects; (2) 68 and 237, interconnectedness of all; (3) 70, conquering oneself is the key to practice, and live in the abode of the Four Sublimities; (4) 72, the ten perfections that define a great human being; (5) 84, the six ways to become worthy; (6) 95, the ten rules of good governance; and (7) 99 and 101, the difficulty of understanding Sunyata or Emptiness. The last one was difficult to understand during ancient times – as it is now. Emptiness is meaningful in the context of space or spacetime – of the spacetime of mind, body, social interactions and the universe – saying that the dynamics of spacetime are empty of something – something definitive. Because what is space is meaningless without form, and vice versa. The Buddha referred to the world’s earliest (~ 1000 BCE – 5th CE) university at Takkasila (or Taxila, in present day Pakistan) in the Jataka Tales (e.g. 61) – as an institution where people from around the world came to learn. During the post-Buddha period, this university together with the 2nd earliest (427 – 1192 CE) university at Nalanda – acted as educational and research centers of science, mathematics, philosophy and Buddhism – and is believed to have given birth to the Mahayana school. Located within Takkasila is the ruin of the great Dharmarajika Stupa – where precious Buddha relics were housed. . . . Stories of Moral Strengths Told by the Buddha 51. King Goodness the Great. A goodness king triumphed in the end by following righteous policies Trust the power of righteousness without fear. 52 and 539. King Fruitful and Queen Sivali. The long story of a king giving up his power There are many things one can learn from people of all walks of life. Giving up power is more difficult than gaining and holding on to power. 53. A Gang of Drunkards. The drunkards could not fool a sober person Remain sober by using your common sense, to not fall into the trap of addiction. 54 and 85. The Whatnot Tree. The story of a wise merchant Always test the water before jumping in. 55. Prince Five-weapons and Sticky-hair Monster. A valiant prince subdued a monster by virtuous talks All have the true weapon of virtues inside them to confront and change others. 56. A Huge Lump of Gold. A poor farmer used his wisdom to uncover buried treasure Do not promise more than you can deliver. 57 and 224. Mr. Monkey and Sir Crocodile. A clever monkey outwitted a crocodile When lost one can still win the heart of others by respecting and admiring the winner. 58. A Prince of Monkeys. A monkey king failed to kill his rival by trickery A person of skill, courage and wisdom is unbeatable by enemies. 59 and 60. Two Ways of Beating a Drum. An ignorant drummer overdid his beating All things have to be measured, overdoing brings one’s downfall. 61. Two Mothers. A mother sends her son to Takkasila to earn unhappiness degree Honesty is important for couples living happily together. 62. The Priest who Gambled with a Life. The story of testing faithfulness Faithfulness must come from one’s character, it cannot be forced. 63. The Wicked Lady and Buttermilk Wise Man: The story of wicked seduction Be aware of being tempted into wicked seduction. 64 and 65. Country Man and City Wife. The story of a student learning about the fact of life It is wise not to be angry at things one does not understand and have no control over. 66 and 251. The Wisdom of Queen Tenderhearted. A queen used her wisdom to save a priest from doing mischief A righteous ruler ensures four basic necessities for subjects: (1) food; (2) clothing; (3) shelter and (4) medicine. The pangs of desire enslave, only the light of wisdom has the power to liberate. 67. A Wife and Mother who was Sister First. The story of woman choosing to save her brother first. Intelligent response helps one to overcome the difficult situations. 68 and 237. 3000 Births. Interconnectedness of all One way or another, we are all related. 69. The Strong-minded Snake. The story of a stubborn snake earning admiration Determination wins admiration and respect. 70. The Shovel Wise Man. An ordinary shovel man teaches the power of Sublimities The best of all triumphs is conquering oneself. It lets one to live in the abode of four heavenly states of mind: Love, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity. 71. The Wood Gatherer: The story of a lazy student Do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today. 72. The Elephant King Goodness. The story of an ungrateful greedy man A great being is defined by the embodiment of Ten Perfections: (1) Energy; (2) Determination; (3) Truthfulness; (4) Wholesomeness; (5) Balance of Attachments; (6) Equanimity; (7) Wisdom; (8) Patience; (9) Generosity; and (10) Loving-kindness. Reciprocate in gratitude what you owe to others. 73. Four on a Log. The story of an ungrateful arrogant prince Even animals understand the virtue of gratitude, while humans fail. 74. New Homes for the Tree Spirits. The story of tree spirits Fools are deaf to wisdom. 75. The Fish who worked a Miracle. The story of a virtuous fish saving all from drought The sincere efforts of virtuousness are rewarded in ways no one thinks possible. 76. The Meditating Security Guard. Fearlessness of a simple guard Sublime qualities of Loving-kindness, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity make a person fearless. 77. Sixteen Dreams. In four-part tales, a king described his sixteen horrific dreams with fear for his life and the kingdom, and yielded to the advice of priests to conduct a huge sacrifice of animals. But a holy monk saved the king from unwholesome sacrifice by interpreting that dreams as horrific as they are will come true in the future, when there will be no righteous wholesome deeds. Instead things will be managed by greed and malice. Perhaps the wrath of violence, pain and chaos portrayed by the brush strokes of Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973) in his Guernica painting is somewhat like a modern vision of what the king saw in his dreams. The future can be grim when continuous pursuance of unwholesomeness and greed takes control. They not only cause detrimental impacts on people and society – but also ushers in irreparable degradation of Nature and Environment. 78. Illisa the Cheap. The story of a miser Poor indeed is a wealthy person who is unfair and shares nothing with others. 79. A Motherless Son. A headman betrays the trust of villagers A betrayer is trusted by none, sometimes not even by his or her mother. 80. Fear Maker and Little Archer. The story of how outside look can be deceitful and how vanity can destroy a person Be careful, outside appearance can be deceiving. Stand up to what you earn without being vain. 81. Forest Monk in a King’s Pleasure Garden. The story of novice monks getting drunk The young needs guidance from the elderly and learned. 82. The Curse of Mittavinda. Same story as 41 83. None included in the compilation 84. A Question from a Seven-year-old. A fathers advises his son of six worthy ways The six worthy ways: (1) keeping healthy and fit; (2) being wholesome in every way; (3) listening to the experienced; (4) learning from the knowledgeables; (5) living according to the truth and; (6) acting with sincerity and energy. 85. None included in the compilation 86, 290 and 362. Lesson from a Snake. The story of a priest learning from the behavior of a snake Goodness demonstrated by the virtues of Panchsila is admired and prized by all sentient beings. 87. A Priest who Worshipped Luck. The story of superstitious priest Good or bad luck does not depend on jewellery or on what one possesses, but on what one does. 88. The Bull called Delightful. Same story as 28 89. The Phony Holy Man. The deception of a holy man to his trusted devotee Be vigilant, deceptions could come from apparently trustworthy individuals. 90, 363. One Way Hospitality. The story of ingratitude Hospitality and gratitude do not work one way – they must be reciprocated. 91. Poison Dice. Gambling trickery got caught Honesty wins all, even the gamblers. 92. The Mystery of the Missing Necklace. The story of how criminals implicate others through lies that cascade from one to the next Greed breeds lies and thievery to trap all into the dragnet of disasters. 93. The Careless Lion. Fascination cost a lion’s life Do not let fascination blind you of dangers. 94. The Holy Man who tried to be too Holy. The story of a holy man who believed suffering makes one holy No one benefits and finds peace from suffering, not even the holy ones. 95. Clear-sighted the Great, King of the World. The story of a great king who ruled following the Ten Rules of Governance, heeding to Panchsila, and Mindfulness for happiness of all on the paradigm of the Law of Transience. Great leaders follow the Ten Rules of Governance: (1) no ill-will to any; (2) no hostility to any; (3) no harm to any; (4) having self-control; (5) having patience; (6) being gentle; (7) practicing charity; (8) practicing generosity; (9) being straightforward; and (10) practicing goodness. 96 and 132. The Prince and the She-devils. The story of a young prince who conquered the temptation of enchantment and attraction caused by the five senses. He upheld the virtues of the Ten Rules of Governance and the Four Ways to avoid going astray. Be watchful of your own five senses because they could mislead you by getting trapped into the lure of enchantment. A wise ruler must rise above (1) prejudice, (2) anger, (3) fearfulness and (4) foolishness. 97. A Man Named Bad. A dissatisfied man realized names are no indications of the person A rose by any other name smells as sweet. 98. A Man Named Wise. The story of how a person named Verywise was caught cheating by another named Wise Do not judge people by their outward appearance. A rogue by any other name remains as harmful. 99 and 101. Achieving Nothing. The story of how disciples could not understand the master’s last words about emptiness. In the tangled ball of interdependence, each entity by itself amounts to the Emptiness of essence. 100. A Mother’s Wise Advice. A queen mother advises her son how to win a war without violence. Explore alternative ways to win a war without violence and fighting. . . . I like to spend a little time on Emptiness (and selected a popular image of it, credit: anon) in an attempt to unravel the beauty of it. This particular image is thoughtfully drawn to express the meanings of Emptiness and associated Buddhist ideals. In the image, the brush stroke swirls in a clockwise direction (the direction represents Buddhist aspiration for stability and unity) to depict an incomplete circular space that conveys the message of imperfection, a lacking piece or a missing link. Search for this missing link is what drives the system of universal interdependent fluxes of things – and is an indication of Emptiness (delivered in the Perfection of Wisdom Discourse or The Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra). It accompanies the dynamic process of continuous efforts to fill the void of Emptiness – and is a logical conclusion of the two Universal Laws the Buddha proclaimed – the Law of Transience (Anitya or Impermanence), and the Law of Dependent-origination (Paticca-Samupadha or interdependence). Buddha’s teaching stands on these Natural Laws to direct human efforts in the Right direction to fill the void of Emptiness – to happiness and enlightenment. Let us attempt to see more of it briefly. Buddhist monks and scholars explain Emptiness in different ways depending on their personal convictions, but they all lead to the same meaning. One such interpretation is superbly worded in Zen Buddhism: empty the mind to see things as they are. This saying sees emptiness as part of Zen meditation practice – as emptying the mind of what are hindering it (see Meditation for True Happiness) from concentrating and becoming calm. Here emptiness is interpreted as a method of getting out of the cobweb of unhappiness. Let me attempt to unravel the truth of Emptiness from my own work experience – from the physics of wave motion, or wave dynamics (see Ocean Waves; Linear Waves; Nonlinear Waves; Spectral Waves; and Transformation of Waves). Ocean waves are most visible in the dynamics of wave crest and trough, and all the irregularities associated with the processes. At least four inherent characteristics define the wave: (1) the wavy distortion of water mass is in response to transporting some gained energy; (2) the energy is imparted into the water mass through its interfaces with air, ground, or other masses of different densities; (3) as soon as the wave is born it is subjected to interactions giving birth to new frequencies, and becomes spectromatic; and (4) that a visible wave is in fact built by a multitude of waves of different frequencies and amplitudes. Each of these items is a reality or the conventional truth – yet by itself none of them defines the wave form. This implies that a conventional truth is incomplete – and therefore, by itself is empty or empty of essence. . . . What is essence? The meaning of essence or substance can be defined from different viewpoints – and there are many rooms for one to be creative. Let us think of two. The first one is rather obvious – that if everything is in flux of interdependence – the idea of the constancy of soul (Upanishadic Atma) cannot exist, and is thereby empty of essence. Therefore, the Buddha defined a transformative soul (Anatma or no-soul in conventional meaning) of noble qualities that accumulate over time in an individual. Termed as Bodhi or Buddha-nature (delivered in the Lotus Sutra) – this entity is the light one must always look back for answers and wisdom in calmness of mind. The second is the known fact of human experience – of the absence of desirable degrees of Happiness in human mind – such that it always eludes an individual’s aspiration – like a drop of water in the slippery lotus pad. Buddha’s teaching – the Jewel in the Lotus – tells one how to add essence to happiness by making efforts (but without craving for happiness) to lengthen it (see Meditation) through the practices of three Purities: the Purity of Mind, the Purity of Morality and the Purity of View. Presence of Emptiness means the system grinds to complete the wheel in search for equilibrium. Buddha’s teaching is a guidance (Yana or Vehicle) for working forward to find that equilibrium by inquiring into one’s own Bodhi – through the wisdom eye. Here is a very interesting story – how the Buddha used different innovative methods to teach some queries. He did this, based on his assessment of the mind-set of the questioner. It is said that some ardent believers of God, prayed to the Buddha to show the presence of God. Buddha told them to walk with him around the campus to find God. Buddha made several rounds with them – finding none, the Buddha said: See, it is all Empty. And, it makes sense. The Buddha then taught them: If you believe in God, don’t waste time searching somewhere else. You must try to find within you – the Bodhi-Citta that resides in all of us. This process leads to enlightenment – and if a person is able to reach the tranquility of perfect equilibrium – he or she achieves something sublime and extraordinary. Buddhism calls it Nirvana. Emptiness and Nirvana are two supermundane truths in Buddhism – the former defines the grinding fluxes in the universe of mind, social interactions and everything else – characterized by Transience and Dependent-origination – while the latter is an aspirational goal to achieve eternal bliss. In Nirvana . . . there is no cause, no arising, no birth, no decaying, no demise, and no rebirth – everything is in complete balance without residuals – in the eternal tranquility of universal unity. . . . Deep philosophical and spiritual thoughts and principles – such as Emptiness, Nirvana and the transformative nature of soul – which are often difficult to understand – have attracted many scholars, debaters and rulers to challenge Buddhism over time. One of the most important ones – was the Buddha’s encounter with his top disciple Sariputra. Sariputra was a very learned Brahmin and came one day with 500 of his followers – and lots of fanfare to challenge the Buddha and defeat him in the debate. It is said that the Buddha calmly welcomed Sariputra by telling him about a condition before starting the debate. The condition was that Sariputra had to listen to the Buddha’s deliverance first. With the agreement in place, the Buddha started with the Natural Laws on which his teaching was based – then with the rationality and wisdom of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path (see Happiness). By the time the Buddha finished the deliverance, Sariputra was already in submission to the Buddha’s authority, and prayed to the Buddha to ordain him and his followers. The Buddha blessed Sariputra by saying: tathastu (so be it). A similar challenge happened nearly half a millennia later in the 1st century CE between the Bactrian King Milinda (or King Menander as known in history book as the ruler of Bactria in modern northern Afghanistan; King Menander was a General in the army of Greek Buddhist King Demetrius – who invaded India in 184 BCE after the fall of the Great Mauryan Empire – and the rise of Brahminic Pushyamitra Shunga Dynasty. The rulers of this dynasty have resorted to persecuting Buddhists and destroying Buddhist establishments – thus invoking anger in the Greek rulers. The Buddhist rulers of Demetrius and Menander are credited to have presented the Greek style Buddha image – as it is prevalent and popular in the world today) and a monk named Nagasena (Milinda Panha in Pali text Buddhist scripture, and a version in Chinese text. see The Debate of King Milinda by Bhikhku Pesala, Buddhanet.net 2001). The conversation took place in the format of Greek intellectual dialogues with Nagasena assuming the role of Socrates (470 – 399 BCE). The calm and eloquent answers and deliverance by the monk elevated the confidence of King Menander in Buddhism. . . . In recent times – a remarkable series of debates was held in Sri Lanka. In a period of several years between 1866 and 1873, Christian priests and Buddhist monks led by Ven M Gunananda Thera (1823 – 1890) entered into a debate. Sri Lankan people and the world at large was stunned by the eloquence, knowledge and insight of Buddhist monks – in matters not only of Buddhism but also of Christianity. One can imagine the situation during those periods of time – when Christian missionaries thronged nearly every corner of the world riding on the back of wealth and power of the colonial rulers. The event widely covered by western media as a victory of the Thera – elevated the confidence of Sri Lankan people on their own religion – and Christian missionaries suffered a serious setback. It inspired rejuvenated interest in Buddhism – both in Asia and the West. In 1878, a book was published in USA entitled: The Great Debate – Buddhism and Christianity Face to Face. Col HS Olcott (1832 – 1907) was one of many Westerners – who was attracted by the book to embrace Buddhism – with their tireless contributions to the cause of Buddhism. In Asia – among others, Anagarika Dharmapala (1864 – 1934), Rahul Sankrityayan (1893 – 1963), Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986) and BR Ambedkar (1891 – 1956) – were all inspired by the outcome of this debate. In 2017 (6 Nov 2017) New York Times published an opinion column written by Robert Wright (Professor of Science and Religion, and the author of the book Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment). It began by saying to the Western readers that: Buddhism Is More Western Than You Think . . . Interestingly Emptiness is found to be the fundamental truth – both in the minutest existence of matter and in the vastness of universe. Electrons move as a wave-particle duality (see The Quantum World) of uncertain motions in the space around the concentrated mass of nucleus in an atom. In the vastness of space in the universe – stars, planets, satellites and other objects orbit around massive objects such as the Black Holes – in the gravitational spacetime lattice (see Einstein’s Unruly Hair). In both of them – the space or spacetime is real only in the context of heavy or concentrated masses – therefore by itself each is empty of essence. Together, the system of mass and space defines the interdependent fluxes of energy in search for equilibrium. It is amazing to note how the metaphysical/spiritual principles brought to light by the Buddha about two and a half millennia ago – have converged at a fundamental level to the modern findings of physics. The Buddha was far ahead of his time – and what he saw as the metaphysical truth – is getting proved as the scientific truth. Sometimes the thought of Emptiness may evoke a sense of negativity in ordinary people’s mind. For example, if empty, why do this, why do that, etc. But the truth of Emptiness is far from such negative connotations. Let me attempt to see through the Buddha’s wisdom eye to explain why so – citing four simple examples to highlight some practical usefulness of this truth.
. . . The necessity of practicing the Five Precepts or Panchsila (described as the Five Basic Training Steps) came again and again in different Jataka Tales. I have highlighted their wider meanings in the Symmetry, Stability and Harmony piece. Thought of repeating them here for the sake of completeness, and also because of their importance:
. . . . . - by Dr. Dilip K. Barua, 10 July 2020  I am devoting this piece to share some glimpses of moral truths conveyed by the Buddha - The Tathagata (563 – 483 BCE; Buddhist Calendar shows Buddha’s lifetime as: 624 – 544 BCE) through story telling. These stories--some 500 were compiled as Jataka Tales in the Pabitra Buddhist scripture, Tripitaka. In an earlier piece, Story Times with Frank – 2, I have presented a brief introduction on it. The two 1994 Buddhanet publications authored by Anderson and Ven. Piyatissa compiled 100 stories--written suitably with illustrations for young people and all. In this first piece, I am highlighting the morals gleaned from the first 50 tales (Vol 1) —and have written them in accordance with my reading of the stories, which may not always in verbatim sync with the authors.
. . . Jataka Tales were told by the Buddha to convey his teachings of practical matters in an interesting and attractive style. In addition to giving birth to many myths and legends, they have populated many historic temples, pagodas and stupas in wall paintings, frescoes, and stone carvings. I had the opportunity of seeing the spectacular reliefs and stone carvings of Jataka Tales on the terrace walls of Nalanda ruins in India, and of Borobudur in Java, Indonesia. The tales refer to Buddha’s Bodhisattva lives—during which he was completing paramita—the process of perfecting Bodhi in quests for understanding and finding the truths to help humans escape from the cobweb of conflicts and unhappiness—to the tranquility of Happiness. During the process he was also earning merit or punya (it simply refers to the accumulation of positive energy in an individual). Buddha’s teaching tells one to earn punya by doing kushala karma—through the processes of wholesome or merit-making thoughts and deeds. He advised all to transfer or make dana of the earned punya to people one loves, to the deceased parents and ancestors—and largely to all sentient beings. How do the punya dana or offerings work? I always wondered about the question—and heard a simple but lucid answer from Nepalese nun Ani Choying Drolma (1971 - ). She is not only a famous singer of Buddhist chants and songs, but is also an eloquent speaker of Dharma. During her presentation at Stanford in November 2017 she shared a story how she felt proud for being able to address the question satisfactorily. Referring to an encounter with a teenage questioning girl, her answer to the girl was like this: People send New Year greetings to friends, families and others wishing them prosperous time in the future, happiness, and all that. The sender may get reply or may not—but it does not matter, because by sending he or she feels happy for being part of them by setting-up the mutuality of humility, friendship and happiness. The practice of punya dana, therefore is a way of connecting with the tradition to establish the mutuality of goodwill and friendship with families—past and present—as well as with all for common wellbeing and harmony. In another way of interpretation, punya dana is like bestowing a blessing. When one offers punya or merit – he or she invokes the Bodhicitta to make a good wish or blessing to the person – present or absent, visible or invisible. Apart from wishing blessing of the Buddha – this is how Buddhists strengthen their spirit of harmonious peaceful living. In traditional Buddhist practices, the dana ceremony is conducted with chanting while pouring water-of-life in a bowl containing coins. . . . A little background. I got introduced to Jataka Tales through some books borrowed from our temple library while in Grade VIII. Around the same time, borrowed from a friend also came across the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata--the war stories originated in family feuds within the high caste Brahmins and Khastryas, and ended up in gods’ interventions. As a young enthusiast, I read the fascinating stories in earnest—perhaps not understanding some of the Jataka morals—the way I understand them now. After a long time since then, came across the two publications to comprehend how the stories are relevant in modern times. For the sake of brevity I have only highlighted the title of the tales together with a one-line gist describing the content. The interested readers can visit the Buddhanet.net website to freely download the two-volume stories. My primary focus is on the morals (presented in italics) gleaned from the stories. The Buddha’s Jataka stories tell how one can derive strength from the solid foundation of morality—and use it in practical life. As one goes through them one soon realizes that the Buddha was not telling fantastic and magical stories—but selected only those from his paramita experiences that are relevant in everyday life—saying to be heedful and respectful to elders, the wise, pious and the honest. In most stories, the importance of intellect, wisdom and Panchsila (see Symmetry, Stability and Harmony)—described as the Five Basic Training Steps, came again and again—and of the necessity for caring about all lives. They were interwoven into the storylines demonstrating the necessity for practicing Meditation and Sublimities to lead a harmonious life in Happiness. It seems in the original compilation of 500 tales, some were repeated. Therefore the authors have merged them by showing the relevant serial numbers together. . . . I have posted this piece on 7th May Full-Moon day—the International Buddha Day or Vesak 2020 (2564 BE, according to the Buddhist Era) to commemorate the Buddha’s Birth (at Lumbini), Enlightenment (at Bodhgaya) and Mahaparinirvana (at Kushinagar). The day (different dates in each year according to the Theravada full-moon night in April-May) is recognized for worldwide celebration by the United Nations. This year, the worldwide celebrations—such as the Losar and Saga Dawa Festivals in the Himalayan Buddhist countries (such as Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim), festivities at Bodhgaya, Lumbini and others (like the LaBa Festival in China – beginning in Chinese New Year, La is the 12th month in Chinese Calendar, Ba is 8th day of the month; Rohatsu Festival in Japan – again on 8th day of the 12th month in Japanese Calendar; Lotus Lantern Festival in Korea; Bodhi Day in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines; and Vesak Day in many South and Southeast Asian countries, in Tibet, Mongolia and other countries including the United Nations), and the release of thousands of sky lanterns (adapted to the release of water lanterns in some countries)—will perhaps be cancelled or subdued due to COVID-19. Buddhist devotees release sky lanterns to pray to Dharmakaya or Mahabodhi of the historic Shakyamuni Buddha—envisioned in popular beliefs as Buddha Amitabh or Buddha Vairocana (in Sukhavati or Pure Land). The practice of lantern or lamp festival dates back to Buddha’s time. The scripture says that a poor girl named Nanda bought a lamp with her only coin to pay respect to the Buddha. It so happened that the power of her sincere devotional dana-citta – let the lamp remain alight all night while all others got extinguished. She earned superb merit for bringing light to the darkness. The event also gave birth to the festival of lights or lanterns – on the Full-Moon night at the end of the rainy season, in the first month of Autumn. This day marks the end of the rainy season – during which monks remain in temples in meditation retreats. It is followed by month-long Dana ceremony and Dharma Talks in different temples - welcoming the light of wisdom. Interestingly, on that same Full-Moon night Hindus celebrate the festival of light – welcoming goddess Lakshmi to bless them with wealth. Other Indian religions like Jainism and Sikhism have similar celebrations on that same night. On this year of pandemic, let us transfer our merit or punya to all the worldwide victims and sufferers. To that end, I have selected a Zen sketch (image credit: anon) of the Buddha sitting in a lotus position with the Noble Eightfold Path (the Path of Purities of Mind, View, and Morality) radiating out from him. . . . Stories of Moral Strengths Told by the Buddha 1. Demons in the Desert: The story of two merchants: the foolish and the wise Tricky talk and false appearance fool the ignorant—but the wise manages to remain untouchable by them. 2. Finding a New Spring: The story of a courageous intelligent tradesman Do not falter and give up easily--because the trophy waits for those who persevere with due diligence. 3. The Golden Plate: The story of two salesmen: the tricky and the honest In the end, the honest always triumphs while the greedy stumbles. 4. The Mouse Merchant: An entrepreneur began his business with a dead mouse Even very meager means are adequate for an able and energetic person to be successful. 5. The Price Maker: A dishonest king’s price setting minister got caught One dishonest person in high office is enough to bring shame to the whole nation. 6. Prince Goodspeaker and the Water Demon: the story of three princes and a demon Unwholesome deeds bring shame; their damaging consequences are dreadful—do away with shame and fear by being kind and doing wholesome works. 7. Little Prince No-Father: A brave little prince born out of wedlock makes the king realize the truth Do not get swayed by bullying—be courageous to stand up and use the power of truth. 8. The One-hundredth Prince: The wisdom of a teacher saves a kingdom from a bloody battle among brothers Heeding to the advice of a wise teacher can save lives, even a kingdom from disastrous consequences. 9. The King with one Gray Hair: One piece of gray hair motivates a king to seek truth Often a small thing has the power to cause great change. 10. The Happy Monk: Happiness of meditating monks Attachment to power and wealth makes it difficult for one to be happy. 11. Beauty and Gray: The story of two brother deers To a great leader, the safety of his or her followers is paramount. 12. King Banyan Deer: A deer king demonstrated the power of compassion to a human king The morality of Panchsila ensures true harmonious living of all sentient beings. 13. Mountain Buck and Village Doe: The story of an infatuated buck Even impending dangers are not apparent to an individual blinded by infatuation. 14. The Wind-deer and the Honey-grass: A wind-deer was lured to bondage Be aware of temptation—do not underestimate its enslaving capacity. 15. The Fawn Who Played Hooky: The fate of a student who was careless in learning Do not spend all the time playing—let learning make inroad into you. 16. The Fawn Who Played Dead: A well-learned student escaped from a death trap Learning helps one to figure out a tool to get out of dangers. 17. The Wind and the Moon: The story of a silly quarrel between two friends Weather comes weather goes—but true friendship remains intact in times of conflict. 18. The Goat Who Saved the Priest: The story of sins caused by animal sacrifice As we love our life, so do all creatures. So be compassionate to all sentient beings. 19. The god in the Banyan Tree: The story of unwholesomeness of animal sacrifice Unwholesome deeds like animal sacrifice follow one like a shadow to usher in misery. 20. The Monkey King and the Water Demon: The story of how wisdom can save many lives Always test the water before jumping in. 21. The Tree that acted like a Hunter: An antelope outwitted a hunter by using the knowledge of gravity Sometimes watching the action of gravity is helpful for not getting fooled by trickery. 22. The Dog King Silver: A dog makes the king realize the injustice caused by prejudice and taught him the virtue of Panchsila The powerful must rise above prejudice to ensure justice for all. 23 and 24. The Great Horse Knowing-one: The story of a mighty horse helping win a battle without bloodshed One must be courageous to let peaceful means win conflicts. 25. Dirty Bath Water: A royal horse refused to bathe in dirty water Cleanliness is loved by all creatures in their own way. 26. Ladyface. A nice gentle elephant became violent hearing unwholesome words. Be watchful with whom you associate—association with rogues could turn a gentle person into a bad character. 27. Best Friends. The story of a friendship between an elephant and a dog Give a chance to friendship--it has the power to bring enemies together. 28 and 88. The Bull called Delightful. A bull refused to obey until the master was respectful Be respectful to others—it benefits all—more than one knows it. 29. Grandma’s Blackie: A black bull paid to its kind and loving master by doing hard work Loving kindness makes the poorest house the richest home. 30. Big Red, Little Red and No-squeal: The story of two goats and a pig Do not envy the well-off—until you know the price they pay. 31. The Heaven of 33: The merit of doing wholesome works There are no spells better than loving kindness and compassion—Panchsila followers earn superb merits. 32. The Dancing Peacock: The story of a vain peacock Do not fool yourself by getting puffed up by flattery. 33. The Quail King and the Hunter: The Quail king tried his best to save all from a hunter There is safety in unity—and danger in conflict. 34 and 216. The Fortunate Fish: A fish blinded by desire was saved Passionate desire drives people to act foolish. 35. The Baby Quail who could not Fly Away: A raging fire miraculously could not touch a compassionate little Quail. Wholesome works, righteousness and compassion are powerful to save one from danger. 36. Wise Birds and Foolish Birds: Foolish birds got trapped in a raging fire It is important to listen to the wise words of elders to guide oneself. 37. The Birth of a Banyan Tree: Three friends agreed among themselves who was the eldest and wisest Heeding to the wisdom of elders help living in harmony. 38. The Crane and the Crab: A wise crab understood the trick of a wicked greedy crane Do not be fooled by trickery of the greedy—that comes with all different colors and lures. 39. Buried Treasure: Betrayal of a trusted servant Be aware, trusts are easily broken by a dishonest and vain person. 40. The Silent Buddha: The story of how wickedness is defeated by the courage of righteousness Those who observe Panchsila and are generous—fears cannot overwhelm them. 41, 82, 104, 369 and 439. The Curse of Mittavinda: The story of vicious jealousy, insatiable greed and deep realization When one overcomes jealousy and greed—the attained peace of mind is blissful irrespective of loss or gain. 42, 274 and 375. The Pigeon and the Crow. The story of a wise pigeon and a greedy crow The greedy loses all senses of seeing things as they are—even fails to heed to the sound advice of impending dangers. 43. Bamboo’s Father: The tragic story of keeping a dangerous pet Do not project your own image on a pet to assume that it behaves like you. 44 and 45. Two Stupid Children. Unintentional foolish acts costed the life of parents A foolish friend can often be more dangerous than a wise enemy. 46 and 268. Watering the Garden. Fool monkey troops destroyed a garden. Do not trust fools and ignorant to do the work for you. 47. Salty Liquor. A foolish bartender messed up while trying to please the owner An ignorant can mess up things while sincerely trying to do good. 48. The Magic Priest and the Kidnapper Gang. A learned priest made a grave mistake and paid for it by his own life Even the wise becomes prone to make grave mistakes—when power and greed overtake them. 49. The Groom who lost his Bride to the Stars. A wedding collapsed because astrological charts of two priests did not agree Do not depend on foretells and speculations—when you know what actions to take. 50. The Prince who had a Plan. A prince cleverly implemented a plan to prevent animal sacrifice in the kingdom Even gods are happy if one sacrifices the practices of wrong doing by observing the Panchsila. . . . Before finishing, I like to pay tribute—on his centennial birth-year, to one of the greatest sons Bangladesh produced. He is the founding Father of Bangladesh—Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920 – 1975). Like the British arrogance created Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948) by imprisonments and inflicting racist harassment and humiliation upon him, so did the West Pakistani Junta on a fellow East Pakistani—the Bangabandhu. And like Gandhi was assassinated by a misguided extremist—so was the brutal killing of Sheikh Mujib and most of his family members—by some arrogant and corrupt army officers. His towering personality had an aura of exceptional courage and leadership—saturated with love for his country and people. Perhaps he was also remarkably different from most Bengalis—in a sense that he was taller than average—and his pipe-smoking was something of an uncharacteristic practice in Bengali culture. Maturity of his political career began with the independence India movement—continued to the 1952 February language movement (In 1999, 21st February is declared the International Mother Language Day by UNESCO) in East Pakistan—to the 6-point self-rule demand he initiated through a mass movement in 1969. Pakistan government portrayed this movement as a collaborative Indian conspiracy to break Pakistan, and implicated Bangabandhu with treason in the Agartala Conspiracy Case. The case was proved false at a later time and the charges were dropped—but it was too late. Further, yielding to people’s demand during the 1969 mass upsurge, a Pakistan National Assembly election (first such nation-wide democratic election in the history of Pakistan) was held on December 7th, 1970. Out of 300 constituencies, Bangabandhu led party won 162 seats. Naturally, he was the Prime Minister elect, and should have been invited to form the Government. But, in utter and shameful disregard to democratic principles, Pakistani ruling clique denied him the right to form Government. Thus, the sowed seeds of mistrust and animosity became fertile in people’s mind—to let them sprout into Bangabandhu’s call for independence. It is impossible for anyone not to have patriotic goosebumps listening to his famous 7 March 1971 powerful speech (In 2017, UNESCO included the speech in the annals world heritage documentaries)—calling for independence of Bangladesh. And it did come to fruition after a bloody struggle smeared with painful hardships and many deaths—on December 16th, 1971. People from all walks of life – of different creed and religious backgrounds responded to Bangabandhu’s call to liberate the country. In order to bind all Bangladeshis harmoniously together in a newly independent secular country, Bangabandhu-led government included the Buddha Day as a national holiday—along with national days for other religious minorities. Buddhism is one of the traditional religions of Bangladesh (the greater Bengal of India is rich in the historical landscape of unique culture and spirituality, and the presence of Buddhism was ubiquitous there until about the 12th century)—with ruins of numerous monasteries, temples and stupas scattered all over Bangladesh (at present Bangladesh has some 1.2 million Buddhists). Another great soul born on the soil of Bangladesh at Bikrampur was Atisha Dipankara (980 – 1054 CE)—a prince-turned Buddhist monk, and a scholar of the world’s second earliest university at Nalanda (427 – 1192 CE). He taught Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet, and is highly revered as one of the patriarchs in the Himalayan Buddhist countries, and in the vast areas of Asia from Eastern Russia and Siberia to Mongolia, Korea, and western China. Finally on this auspicious Buddha Day, I like to dedicate this piece to my parents by making dana of my punya. They are my East—the word Buddha used to refer to parents as the harbinger of light to life—like the Sun does rising in the East (sitting under the shade of a Bodhi Tree, the Buddha faced East, looking over a river during the Enlightenment posture). My father passed away in 2007 at 91; my mother is 88 years old in 2020. One can never repay back the unfailing parental care and sacrifice, and the loving values they imprint on children —the childhood bliss (see Happiness piece) one is blessed to have. Yet each child does care about parents to make them happy in his or her own way—like I and my siblings continue to do. . . . . . - by Dr. Dilip K. Barua, 7 May 2020 |
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