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By
Upali Salgado
The
two words, Buddha Jayanthi will, from Vesak day (May 12, 2006) on,
echo in the thoughts of billions of Buddhists all over the world.
What then is a Buddha Jayanthi? Buddha means the “Enlightened
One” or the “Exalted” or the “Perfect One”.
Sakyamuni Gauthama (or Gotama) Buddha, the last in a line of several
Buddhas, was an extraordinary man who with His own efforts realised
the truth concerning human suffering (i.e. Dukkha – suffering;
Samudyaya – cause of suffering; Nirodha – the cessation
of suffering, Marga – the Path). He practised several virtues
or perfections before He attained Bodhi, the ideal state of intellectual
and mental perfection.
After He attained Bodhi, He was the “Shower of the Way”
for human liberation. His doctrine (or Dharma) showed how one could,
with one’s own efforts, after several rounds in samsara (successive
births) lead a happy life both in this world and in the next.
Jayanthi briefly means a victory or a celebration. It is a milestone
to be remembered. The Buddha Jayanthi, to be celebrated during the
next twelve months, marks 2550 years of Buddhism in the world, and
its preservation. It is a celebration to offer homage to the Great
Master and to recount in each country certain important events concerning
Buddhism. On this historic day, in each temple at least one person
will be ordained a Samanera Bhikkhu. It is hoped that 2550 Samanera
Bhikkus will be ordained during this year in Sri Lanka.
Gotama Buddha and his Dharma
Dr. S. Radhakrishna, Ph.D. India, said, “When we read the
Buddha’s discourses, we are impressed by his spirit of reason.
His ethical path has right views and a rational outlook.”
In the Buddhist religious treatise Anguttara Nikaya (Part 1) it
is stated that “A unique Being, an extraordinary man arises
in the world for the benefit of many, out of compassion for the
world, for the good, for the benefit of Gods in heaven and men on
earth. Who is this unique Being? It is the Tathagatha, the Exalted,
fully enlightened one?”
The fragrance of this Buddha Jayanthi (2550 years) encompasses revered
thoughts of the Buddha, His teachings and the spread and preservation
of His noble doctrine. Prince Siddhartha of the Sakya clan was born
at Lumbini, and later became known as Sakyamuni Gotama Buddha. At
birth, on that historic full moon day in 453 BC (or is it 483 BC?)
Prince Siddhartha’s body revealed several meaningful marks,
which indicated that He would be a universal monarch. Only a Bodhisattva
could have these “Purusa Lakshana” on His palms and
soles of His feet.
He gave up His Royal Palace life, and lived as a mendicant. After
several meditative Jhanas, while seated under a Bodhi Tree at Gaya,
He found the answer for man to end suffering. Finally, He diffused
to the world, the way to expel darkness. He was no creator God or
Messiah of a God, and preached His noble Dharma with clairvoyance,
to Kings, noblemen, peasants in a caste-ridden society of murderers
and robbers. He identified that ignorance and craving (or attachment)
are two great evils, which resulted in man to be born, age, suffer
and die in samsara, until you gain perfection and vimukthi. The
four noble truths and the eightfold noble path formed the bedrock
of the Master’s teaching.
The texts say:
“By oneself alone is evil done,
By oneself alone is one defiled,
By oneself alone is evil avoided.
By oneself is one purified.
Purity and impurity depend on oneself,
None can purify another.”
Ven. Piyadassi Nayake Thera said, “Buddhism, while not denying
the world of matter and the great effect that the physical world
has on mental life, emphasises the very great importance of the
core of our existence. All our psychological experience such as
pain, pleasure, sorrow, happiness, good and evil, and life and death
are not attributed to any external agency. They are the results
of our own thoughts, and resultant actions.”
The Buddha Dharma does not subscribe to the view of vicarious salvation.
In Buddhism there is no concept of sin as explained by other religions.
The vicarious salvation from sin (as stated in certain theological
religions) has not helped man to stop committing sin. According
to Buddhism man will karmically reap what he sows. Karmic correlations
are neither deterministic, nor fatalistic. The karmic process (Karmabhava)
is the energy of the present life that conditions a future life
in unending sequence.
The Samyatta Nikaya says:
According to the seed that is sown,
So its fruit, ye reap there from
Doers of good (will gather) good,
Doers of evil, evil reaps,
Sown is the seed, and planted well
Then shall enjoy the fruits therefrom.
The rationality of Buddhism
The rationality of Buddhim embraces Buddhist philosophy in an ethical
manner. Unlike in certain other religions, unquestionable belief
or faith, and acceptance of miracles do not arise. Buddhism is free
from fanaticism. It is aimed to transform man, who at times is wicked
to himself and to others, by self-culture and self-conquest. In
the Kalama Sutta, the Buddha made it very clear that no one should
accept his Dharma, just because he says so.
His Dharma was open to questioning in public. He never coerced anyone
to accept His teaching. He did not resort to performing miracles
in public (although He did so once, to show His “greatness”
to the Jain leader Alarma Rama-putra when He turned fire into water).
He said, “Revere your own religion, revile no brother’s
faith, the light you see is from Nirvana’s sun, whose rising
splendours promise a perfect day. The feeble rays that light your
brother’s path, are from the self same sun, by falsehood hid.
The lingering shadows are the passing night.” That was the
manner in which He preached His Dharma, with a measure of tolerance.
Buddhism has always been a religion of non violence. Never have
there been in its long history, wars of religion. Emperor Asoka
who at first was a warrior king, gave up the use of the sword, and
later ruled righteously in a Buddhist manner. He later sent out
missionaries to Sri Lanka and Burma, carrying the message of the
Buddha.
The history of Buddhism has been revealed from the Suttas (Buddha
discourses) and from archaeological evidence. Buddhism spread from
India to modern Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Bhutan, north Pakistan,
Sri Lanka, Burma (modern Myanmar), Thailand, Java, Vietnam, Cambodia,
China and Japan, within two centuries of the Master’s demise.
The great chronicle Mahavansa records that Buddhism was introduced
to ancient Sri Lanka by Arahant Maha Mahinda, during the reign of
King Devanampiyatissa. Another important landmark in the history
of Sri Lanka’s Buddhism is Theri Sangamitta’s visit
to Anuradhapura, when she brought a Bo-sapling from Buddha Gaya.
Other important events remembered today are the translation of the
Tripitaka, and Buddhaghosa’s visit.
Sri Lanka’s Buddhist Resurgence
Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Maha Nayaka Thera, Ven. Weligama Sri
Sumangala Maha Nayaka Thera, Ven. Waskaduve Sri Subhuthi Maha Nayaka
Thera, Ven. Rathmalane Dhammarama Maha Thera, Ven. Soratha Maha
Thera, Ven. Sri Vajiragnana Maha Nayaka Thera, Ven. Balangoda Ananda
Maitri Maha Nayake Thera, Ven. Heenatiyana Dhammaloka Tissa Maha
Nayaka Thera, Ven. Renukane Chandavimala Maha Nayaka Thera.
During the Buddha Jayanthi celebrated in 1956 (2500 years Buddhism),
the Buddhist world adopted the use of a five colour flag and quite
recently the Government of Sri Lanka moved in the United Nations
to declare Vesak poya a holiday.
In the field of Buddhist literature we have a Pali-Sinhala Dictionary,
translation of the Dhammapada to Sinhala and English, the Vimikthi
Magga and the Visuddhi Magga, several volumes of the Buddhist Encyclopedia,
valuable Jathakas, Suttas in Pali and Sinhala. This has been possible
due to the efforts of Buddhist monks and Buddhist lay scholars led
by Prof. G. P. Malalasekara and others in universities. A Pali Buddhist
University has been established as well. Buddhism is now also on
the internet.
During this Jayanthi, Buddhists will have a golden opportunity to
listen to a large number of sermons to enrich their lives. It will
be a year of religious observances, including meditation on subjects
such as impermanence. Bhakthi Geetha will be sung and lamps will
be lit in honour of the Buddha. Bhikkhus will be cared for, the
poor will be fed and clothed, and inmates in hospitals will be comforted
and motivated by Karuna, Daham Schools will be further developed
and animals will be looked after by societies.
Perhaps, the finest hour of Buddhism in recent years in Sri Lanka
was the flood of spontaneous help given in numerous ways with great
compassionate feeling, when the massive tsunami waves struck. On
that Poya day, when thousands of Buddhist devotees were in their
temples, people affected by the tragedy sought help from the temples.
Buddhist monks and devotees acted with great sympathy to immediately
provide shelter and food. A large number of Christians living in
the Beruwela, Maggona areas were (without any hindrance) permitted
by the temple monks to conduct their own religious activities. Buddhist
tolerance of other religions shone like a bright star in those dark
days.
The Buddha Jayanthi will remind the masses of the Buddha’s
teaching, the virtues of which are crystallised in the oft quoted
exhortation of all Buddhas.
“The giving up of evil,
The cultivation of the good,
The cleansing of the mind
This is the Buddha’s teaching.”
-
Dhammapada
“Sabbe satta bhavantu sukhitatha”
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