No 874 of Living Life Series 1
The Buddha we knew when we were children is no different from the Buddha we know now for he is one and the same. He is the Buddha. But then in the old days, he was just what we expected him to be and we need only to keep to the five precepts of not harming and killing, no lying, no taking or stealing, no sexual misconduct and no intoxicants.
In short, indeed we need only be good. It was that simple and uncomplicated then when we were innocent children. It was nice to be simple and to be children.
But with passing of decades, there is the need to know better the Four Noble Truths - the truth of imperfection or transient nature of worldly blessings in life causing us to suffer, the truth that there is the cause to this, the truth of what is the cause - ignorance and the three mental roots arising from it and finally, the solution or way out through eradication of ignorance.
From there, with time the wonders of breaking this further into the Eight Fold Path will set the stage for more serious involvement in enlightened living even before enlightenment is any where near.
The Buddha we knew is not the same as and yet is the same as the Buddha we know now. The Buddha will also be not the same and yet is the same as we move on in time.
No wonder in connection with life and the hallmarks of life - impermanence, unsatisfactory insubstantial nature of life, the Buddha taught that an entity or thing is, it is not, it both is and is not and it neither is nor is not.
The Buddha is the same, he is not the same, he both is and is not the same and he neither is nor is not the same. All four angles or perspectives are different and yet the same. This is to us the other Four Truths of Life that we need to know on life more so on Wesak Day.
This four alternative truths of life apply to all aspects of life and we need to be mindful. It is perhaps why some Buddhists refer to the understanding that everything is nothing and nothing is everything.
As extension, we can say with tongue in cheek that Jesus or Lao Tse is Buddha and Buddha is Jesus or Lao Tse. Yet we do know Jesus is Jesus, Lao Tse is Lao Tse and Buddha is Buddha. But they are one in saving souls. They are one in goodness for beings.
Buddha on his own is one though he means different things in different stages of our lives. Buddha and sages are one and yet different. They are one in basic teaching of oneness in goodness but yet different in effecting such goodness.
Well, this calls to mind the reference by Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 that there is the near and there is the far. We can be far. We can be near say to Divinity. We are both near and far. In a way we are neither near and far. So much can be said for the near and the far that we need to know.
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| Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 |
If after reading this post and finding the following meaningful, then you are enlightened enough to be on the way to enlightenment though not immediately and some way off. It is a matter of time though...that gives peace of mind.
We are
We are not
We both are and are not
We neither are nor are not.
These are the other Four Truths of Life we should reflect on Wesak Day. So what is the message? There is no permanence not even with ourselves as individuals.
Where is there an unchanging self ? We are forever changing, aren't we? Not only is the body changing but the soul or the spirit of life too is changing. There is no unchanging self or entity in us.
The lousy part is that we are actually changing faster for the worse though we are changing for the better. Perhaps, well just perhaps, we think we are changing for the better at least in the worldly but not the spiritual sense. This is the conventional way of thinking but not the ultimate reality. How many can go beyond conventional.
But to come to the point, there is need to be pure and stay off the impure aspects of self that are rooted in bad vibes of ignorance, ill-will and greed. We need to grow the purity of good mental roots of goodwill (that nurtures love for life), non-clinging and correct views.
We need to love. Love must be unconditional. If love means hatred or bias towards some, then what love is that? There is more bad will than good will - more of dislike than of like for people in us.
Well, this is not surprising as we somehow by force of wrong and lousy habits tend to grow more of the impure nature in us. It is high time we make the stand to be pure and good.
There is no time to lose as time lost means flowing with polluted river of life and adding to the pollution. We need to stop pollution of life. We need to go upstream to the upper source for clear water. This unfortunately means we have to resolve to go against the downstream current - to go upstream. This the Buddha did by eating and not being ascetic as the norm then. He succeeded indeed and is the Buddha we know.
Going upstream against the conventional worldly ways the good lord Lord Bo Tien 武天菩萨 reminds us is the basic or inner teaching of all sages, more so the teaching of the Buddha. This is referred to as the inner truth common to all religious institutions and cultures by the good lord. This is the Inner Truth Message of the good lord.
Let all regardless of creed or culture rejoice in the various beautiful renditions of the same inner truth by none other than the great Buddha Gautama in addition to the renditions by other sages and saints. That way more will be saved - more souls if you like to use the word soul.
By the way, the Buddha would never say he is the only Buddha or saint. He would never say we believe in him alone. He advised that we not believe in mere hearsay. In fact, he exhorted us to test what was supposed to be said by him like gold was tested by fire in the old days. That sums up the approach of the Buddha.
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