ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º º º BuddhaNet: Buddhist Info Network Buddha Dharma Education Assoc. º º Web Site: www.buddhanet.net PO Box K1020 Haymarket NSW 2000 º º Email: bdea@buddhanet.net Tel: +61-2-92123071 AUSTRALIA º º º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ What was the Buddha's life really like? ======================================= From a talk given by Ajahn Jagaro during Vesak titled "Dana, Sila and Bhavana". From the Buddhist Society of Victoria(Australia) June 1995 Newsletter Buddhist Society of Victoria 71-73 Darling Rd Malvern East VIC 3145 AUSTRALIA Edited by Antony Woods email: antony272@hotmail.com ** Prepared at BuddhaNet for free distribution ** *** *** *** Try to picture in your mind an everyday scene from the Buddha's life; Gotama the Buddha, living over 2,500 years ago in northern India - not in Thailand, not in Burma, not in Sri Lanka. He lived in the Ganges Valley and walked around the Ganges valley for 45 years, speaking the local dialect and teaching people of that era. He was a monk; he wasn't 18 feet tall so that he stood out from everyone else. On some occasions people couldn't tell who was the Buddha when he was amongst a group of other monks. They all looked much the same. He walked on almsround every morning to get his food - he ate ordinary food and did ordinary things like many other monks. The important thing is that he was perfectly enlightened. His mind was completely at peace - completely free of any form of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair; any form of selfishness or greed or craving or attachment; any form of ill-will, resentment, aversion, hurt feelings, righteous indignation; any form of delusion or ignorance which could lead to doubt and confusion; any form of conceit or any conceiving of a self. His mind was perfectly at peace, abiding in complete knowledge of reality. He lived a life of pure conduct. He lived a very simple life. He walked everywhere he went with his three robes and a bowl. He accepted food on almsround and ate one meal a day. When people were interested in the Dhamma and showed sufficient respect he would teach them Dhamma. He didn't teach them just rituals or ceremonies, he taught them Dhamma. Over the centuries Buddhism has evolved religious symbolism, ceremonial and devotional practices which may be quite different from one culture to another. It's not to say that there's anything wrong with those things - some of them are quite skilful and useful - but to have a right perspective on them - so that one always can bring to mind who the Buddha was, what he did and what he taught. So we have to try and contemplate the teachings of the Buddha. The Buddha was a human being who showed what is possible for each and every one of us who are also human beings, and he taught a path or a system of training which can be followed by each and every one of us if we so wish. This path is a path that relies on the natural laws that operate. When we cultivate certain qualities, certain conditions, then certain things happen, certain results come about. So the Buddha taught the path that we can cultivate - how we can make effort to direct our lives towards enlightenment, perfect happiness, perfect liberation, perfect peace, perfect purity. He pointed out all the various supporting conditions that will help us on this path - and he pointed out all the various dangers that will hinder and obstruct us on the path - and then he encouraged us to take on the task of walking the path. That was his duty, that was all he could do. Beyond that it is up to us.