D
dhikshita
Guest
Is life full of "Suffering"? How can a profound ego transform and mute suffering?
Few months back, I had an opportunity to read the story of Siddhartha. To make it short, will narrate the events quickly.
The dejected Suddhodhana after Maya’s demise had only one dream to accomplish. Suddhodhana’s (Siddhartha’s father) only want was to make his son an emperor. But, the odds became the truth. He heard from priests and other noble men that Siddhartha will not rule the world, instead will choose a different path. He couldn’t believe those words until he heard the truth about the future of Siddhartha from Asita (the holy hermit who has met Mara before). Suddhodhana literally was broken to pieces. He pestered Asita to tell the truth. Asita with a loud tone looked at the baby in the cradle and said – Though he (Siddhartha) will have 2 paths to choose, he will choose the other one. The confused Suddhodhana yelled – What do you mean? I want my son to become a warrior. Asita’s reply made Suddhodhana’s dreams to shatter. Asita continued – He will not become the king. Instead, ‘He will choose to rule his own soul’. We all know to some extent how Siddhartha was brought up without exposing him to any form of suffering. Siddhartha experienced his first greater suffering when he was unable to trace his love, Sujatha. He started his journey from here and the law acted in its way until Siddhartha became the Buddha! With sheer disappointment in finding Sujatha (for she was killed), he got married to Yashodhara, had a kid, Rahula until one fine day, when he got out of his bed and followed his path to become a saint.
So, How was Buddha able to cross all odds?
The fear that he saw and the mind he had to conquer the fear-
How did he conquer? With his quest to seek a great master, he tried his luck with several of them. No one could help him and he was literally sent back out of the cottages of these masters for the kind of questions he asked his masters. Then, he found that the only way to conquer fear is to be alone and survive the battle (most of his disciples went off leaving him alone – just with a glass of water). The days and months full of meditation made him realize who he really was. He took as little food as he can – at one point he just ate a 10th of the food that a new born infant will have. He tried to meditate naked in the cold winter, over ice, over chilly water, with heavy rocks around his chest and tried to find who he was with the thirst to conquer fear, anger, hatred and what not!. He tried staying in this state for several months that one day a ray of light appeared inside and woke him up. He was sure, he had attained enlightenment. When he opened his eyes, he felt a blanket covering him just to realize that it was his skin wrapping around his soul, he saw two twigs in the front just to realize that it was his limbs. He was so brittle and had no energy to walk. He experienced pain, but had no suffering.
The outcome explained the Buddha way-
1.The hours and hours of continuity. The motionless state of tranquility. The enlightenment
2.Face that. Life is full of suffering. He who, who can surrender can reach the ultimate
3.Surrender your wants. Surrender everything to attain peace. The peace is within
The interesting event: Mara’s wit to conquer Buddha-
Mara always wanted to seed the demonic thoughts on Buddha’s mind. He has been trying to accomplish this from his (Siddhartha’s) childhood, but, never had a success. He couldn’t penetrate Siddhartha’s soul and plant the evils. He tried this few a times when Siddhartha was a kid. When this happens, Siddhartha will close his eyes and with in minutes will sink in to the deep state of tranquility where no one can enter! Mara decided to take his last weapon to conquer Buddha. He attacked straight this time.
So, what was Mara’s Astra? Mara sent his 3 beautiful daughters one by one (assumed that Buddha will fall in prey to any of these beautiful girls) – the first one the beautiful desire; As Buddha had no place for desire in his mind, She simply fled away
With this, Mara got angry and sent his second daughter – lust to impress Buddha. Buddha said, my mind no more wanders or think on lust and you will be disappointed. Hearing this, the second daughter fled the scene rising with her the actual demonic figure
Seeing these, Mara got agitated. He told his third daughter, Anger to impress Buddha and be his wife. In Mara’s mind, the only thing that was seen is to conquer Buddha with the fierceful thoughts. She came to Buddha and all that she heard was – I am in a state where anger can’t penetrate. You will never find anger in me and with that she took a beastly form with anger wrapped. Instead of punishing Buddha, she fled away with utter disappointment. Mara seeing his defeat, fled the scene. He was unable to conquer Buddha with his brutal thoughts
He (Mara) entered Devadutta (Siddhartha’s cousin) very easily and planted all soughts of evil in his mind for he is very weak in turning them down. Mara tried to achieve everything through Devadutta.
Reading Siddhartha’s story left me with these thoughts
1/ if there is a way to end suffering, why these are not practiced hard today?
2/ After years and years of research done in Harward and other high standard institutions, the true meaning of mindfulness makes absolute sense. Still, the learning out of this finding seems to be very minimal
Few months back, I had an opportunity to read the story of Siddhartha. To make it short, will narrate the events quickly.
The dejected Suddhodhana after Maya’s demise had only one dream to accomplish. Suddhodhana’s (Siddhartha’s father) only want was to make his son an emperor. But, the odds became the truth. He heard from priests and other noble men that Siddhartha will not rule the world, instead will choose a different path. He couldn’t believe those words until he heard the truth about the future of Siddhartha from Asita (the holy hermit who has met Mara before). Suddhodhana literally was broken to pieces. He pestered Asita to tell the truth. Asita with a loud tone looked at the baby in the cradle and said – Though he (Siddhartha) will have 2 paths to choose, he will choose the other one. The confused Suddhodhana yelled – What do you mean? I want my son to become a warrior. Asita’s reply made Suddhodhana’s dreams to shatter. Asita continued – He will not become the king. Instead, ‘He will choose to rule his own soul’. We all know to some extent how Siddhartha was brought up without exposing him to any form of suffering. Siddhartha experienced his first greater suffering when he was unable to trace his love, Sujatha. He started his journey from here and the law acted in its way until Siddhartha became the Buddha! With sheer disappointment in finding Sujatha (for she was killed), he got married to Yashodhara, had a kid, Rahula until one fine day, when he got out of his bed and followed his path to become a saint.
So, How was Buddha able to cross all odds?
The fear that he saw and the mind he had to conquer the fear-
How did he conquer? With his quest to seek a great master, he tried his luck with several of them. No one could help him and he was literally sent back out of the cottages of these masters for the kind of questions he asked his masters. Then, he found that the only way to conquer fear is to be alone and survive the battle (most of his disciples went off leaving him alone – just with a glass of water). The days and months full of meditation made him realize who he really was. He took as little food as he can – at one point he just ate a 10th of the food that a new born infant will have. He tried to meditate naked in the cold winter, over ice, over chilly water, with heavy rocks around his chest and tried to find who he was with the thirst to conquer fear, anger, hatred and what not!. He tried staying in this state for several months that one day a ray of light appeared inside and woke him up. He was sure, he had attained enlightenment. When he opened his eyes, he felt a blanket covering him just to realize that it was his skin wrapping around his soul, he saw two twigs in the front just to realize that it was his limbs. He was so brittle and had no energy to walk. He experienced pain, but had no suffering.
The outcome explained the Buddha way-
1.The hours and hours of continuity. The motionless state of tranquility. The enlightenment
2.Face that. Life is full of suffering. He who, who can surrender can reach the ultimate
3.Surrender your wants. Surrender everything to attain peace. The peace is within
The interesting event: Mara’s wit to conquer Buddha-
Mara always wanted to seed the demonic thoughts on Buddha’s mind. He has been trying to accomplish this from his (Siddhartha’s) childhood, but, never had a success. He couldn’t penetrate Siddhartha’s soul and plant the evils. He tried this few a times when Siddhartha was a kid. When this happens, Siddhartha will close his eyes and with in minutes will sink in to the deep state of tranquility where no one can enter! Mara decided to take his last weapon to conquer Buddha. He attacked straight this time.
So, what was Mara’s Astra? Mara sent his 3 beautiful daughters one by one (assumed that Buddha will fall in prey to any of these beautiful girls) – the first one the beautiful desire; As Buddha had no place for desire in his mind, She simply fled away
With this, Mara got angry and sent his second daughter – lust to impress Buddha. Buddha said, my mind no more wanders or think on lust and you will be disappointed. Hearing this, the second daughter fled the scene rising with her the actual demonic figure
Seeing these, Mara got agitated. He told his third daughter, Anger to impress Buddha and be his wife. In Mara’s mind, the only thing that was seen is to conquer Buddha with the fierceful thoughts. She came to Buddha and all that she heard was – I am in a state where anger can’t penetrate. You will never find anger in me and with that she took a beastly form with anger wrapped. Instead of punishing Buddha, she fled away with utter disappointment. Mara seeing his defeat, fled the scene. He was unable to conquer Buddha with his brutal thoughts
He (Mara) entered Devadutta (Siddhartha’s cousin) very easily and planted all soughts of evil in his mind for he is very weak in turning them down. Mara tried to achieve everything through Devadutta.
Reading Siddhartha’s story left me with these thoughts
1/ if there is a way to end suffering, why these are not practiced hard today?
2/ After years and years of research done in Harward and other high standard institutions, the true meaning of mindfulness makes absolute sense. Still, the learning out of this finding seems to be very minimal
