What is meant by Buddha?
Buddha means ‘bud-dha’, the king of dharma
o Dharma means right aacharan (behaviour), right vyavahaar (conduct) and righteousness. Dharma means truth also. King Yudhishthira was also considered as king of dharma but when combined with enlightenment one is called Buddha.
o Buddha is one who is above all vikaar (vices), has compassion, is kind to humankind as well as animal kind, who has thorough wisdom, who preaches about dharma.
o Buddha and Shiv are alike except Shiv also teaches about vairagya (detachment), about devotion, about short cuts in sadhana and finally being nirguna (without any attributes). Buddha’s compassion and Shiv’s jagat kalyan are towards same goal. Buddha’s compassion is about ahimsa (non-violence) whereas Shiv’s jagat kalyan is also about trishul (trident), slaying of demon mahisasura (ego), anger, hatred.
o Buddha’s compassion converts evil to good, Shiv trishul will destroy the evil. In today’s world, compassion is as much necessary as is jagat kalyan. Where needed ahimsa is needed where needed talwar (sword) is needed. But both with intention that the situation should get better, not for selfish individual motive.
o Buddha came at a time where there was too much violence in society. Infact violence was also taken for pleasure. Thus, people had become sadistic. In such an environment, it was necessary to teach about ahimsa and dharma. Sadism had to get converted to compassion. And thus, Buddha arrived. At the same time Mahavir arrived, at the same time Jesus arrived in different parts of the world teaching the same things.
o Buddha taught people about what is right and wrong (dharma). He taught people compassion and taught people how to stay with each other (vyavahaar). He established sangh (community) for this purpose.
o However, over a period of time, people in sangh also started doing same abuses as that in society. Infact with mantra, tantra and shastra, they started indulging in black magic and forgot all about dharma, Buddha and compassion. That was the time Buddha (in astral world) planned extinction of Buddhism. Subsequently original Buddhism disappeared from India.
o Similarly in Tibet where in name of Buddhism, it was only feudalism, Buddhism was affected by Chinese invasion.
o Milarepa achieved highest enlightenment and tried to establish Buddha’s doctrines again, but those values again disintegrated.
o Buddhism does not have rules. Sangh has rules. When they are balanced, they help in growth of community. When they are stagnant and rigid, it leads to fall of community.
o However, cycle of ahimsa will again be needed in future when Buddha will re-establish it again. This is the compassion of buddha.
- Insights of several saints as revealed by Para.