Mahamegha 2017 Vesak (May) Issue

34
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A Lasting
Impression
any are born to
this world, but a few
makes a difference, and a fewer still
make a lasting impression. 2641 years
ago a special event occurred in this world, the birth
of prince Siddhartha. His first steps were greeted
with lotuses that blossomed from beneath the ground
and his first words spoke volumes of greatness to
come.
Amidst luxuries one could only dream of, prince
Siddhartha grew to be a fine prince, the heir to a
Universal Monarch. At the age of 29 the sight of an
old man, a sick person, a corpse and a wandering
ascetic triggered within the prince the spark of
wisdom that would one day shed light on the
darkness that bespoke the ignorance that enveloped
the world.
Shocked by the realization that every birth ends
with aging, sickness, and death the prince began to
contemplate on the utter futility of life. He couldn’t
come to terms with why people being subject to
aging themselves, would desire some other that
is subject to aging, why people being subject to
sickness themselves, would desire some other that
is subject to sickness, why people being subject to
death themselves, would desire some other that is
subject to death as well. Steadfast in his resolve to
emancipate from the mass of suffering that engulfed
the world, prince Siddhartha renounced all luxuries
and donned the robes of an ascetic and embarked on
a quest to find a solution to the conundrum of life.
For six years ascetic Siddhartha Gautama
practiced self-mortification and was convinced
that neither self-mortification nor self-indulgence
was the way to deliverance from suffering. Having
abandoned the two extremes ascetic Siddhartha
Gautama chose the “middle path” which he later
taught as the “Noble Eightfold Path” and attained
enlightenment.
It is by far the greatest achievement by any
person in the history of mankind. The arising of a
Buddha is so unique that the exceptionality of this
occurrence can only be gauged by Buddha’s own
words.
“Bhikkhus, there is one person who arises in
the world for the welfare of many people, for the
happiness of many people, out of compassion for the
world, for the good, welfare and happiness of devas
and human beings. Who is that one person? The
Tathagata, the Arahant, the perfectly enlightened
one. This is that one person who arises in
the world for the welfare of many people,
for the happiness of many people, out of
compassion for the world, for the good,
welfare and happiness of devas and
human beings.”
“Bhikkhus, the emergence of one
person is rare in the world. Who is that
one person? The Tathagata, the Arahant,
the perfectly enlightened one. Bhikkhus,
the emergence of this one person is rare in
the world.”
“Bhikkhus, there is one person arising in
the world who is extraordinary. Who is that one
person? The Tathagata, the Arahant, the perfectly
enlightened one. Bhikkhus, this is that one person
arising in the world who is extraordinary.”
Buddha’s first exposition of the Dhamma,
the Dhammachakkapavattana sutta, meaning
“Turning the wheel of Dhamma” took place at the
Isipathana deer park in Benares. Ascetics Kondañña,
Vappa, Bhaddiya, Mahanāma, and Assaji were
the ones fortunate to listen to this first ever sutta
by the Buddha. In the sutta, Buddha speaks of
the realization gained through enlightenment and
elaborates on his comprehension of the Four Noble
Truths. Ascetic Kondañña and 80 million devas and
brahmas realized the Dhamma by listening to the
sutta. The sutta concludes with a passage that marks
the significance of the occasion;
“So in that instant, at that very moment, the
proclamation spread as far as the Brahma realm
and the ten- thousandfold world system trembled
and shook and resounded, and an immeasurable
sublime radiance, surpassing the power of the
devas, appeared in the world. Then the Blessed One
uttered the pronouncement: “Indeed Kondañña has
realized! Indeed Kondañña has realized!” And so it
was that the name of Venerable Kondañña became
“Kondañña who realized.””
Thus the wheel of Dhamma was set in motion,
shedding light to the darkness of ignorance that
consumed the world. This is further exemplified in
the following sutta where Buddha likens himself to
the sun and the moon that eliminates darkness.
“Bhikkhus, so long as the sun and moon have
not arisen in the world, for just so long there is
no manifestation of great light and radiance, but
then blinding darkness prevails, a dense mass of
darkness; for just so long day and night are not
discerned, the month and fortnight are not discerned,
the seasons and the year are not discerned.”
“But bhikkhus, when the sun and moon arise
in the world, then there is the manifestation of
great light and radiance; then there is no blinding
darkness, no dense mass of darkness; then day
and night are discerned, the seasons and year are
discerned.”
“So too, bhikkhus, so long as a Tathagata, an
Arahant, a Perfectly Enlightened One has not arisen
in the world, or just so long there is no manifestation
of great light (Dhamma) or radiance, but then
blinding darkness (ignorance) prevails, a dense mask
of darkness; for just so long there is no declaring,
teaching, making known, establishing, disclosing,
analyzing, explaining of the Four Noble Truths.”
“But, bhikkhus, when a Tathagata, an Arahant, a
Perfectly Enlightened One arises in the world, then
there is the manifestation of great light (Dhamma)
and radiance, then no blinding darkness (ignorance)
prevails, no dense mask of darkness; then there is
the declaring, teaching, making known, establishing,
disclosing, analyzing, explaining of the Four Noble
Truths.”
Hence we should all strive to make the best of
this opportunity by learning and practicing Dhamma
as there is no deliverance from suffering unless we
realize the Four Noble Truths. In “Kotigama Sutta”
Buddha stated thus;
“It is bhikkhus, because of not understanding and
not penetrating the Four Noble Truths that you and I
have roamed and wandered through this long cause
of samsara.”
“Now that the Four Noble Truths has been
understood and penetrated, craving for existence
has been cut off; the conduit to existence has been
destroyed; now there is no renewed existence.”
Further Buddha encouraged us to spread
the word of dhamma out of compassion, in the
following manner;
“Bhikkhus, those for whom you have
compassion, those who think you are worth listening
to, whether friends, acquaintances or relatives,
they should be encouraged in, introduced to and
established in this Four Noble Truths.”
Buddha preached the Dhamma for 45 years
and millions of fortunate humans and devas reaped
the benefits of his noble endeavor by realizing the
Four Noble Truths and ending the woeful cycle of
rebirth. Even today a worldwide population of 1.6
billion practices Buddhism and incidents such as
the following is evidence to the impact of Buddha’s
teachings on the world at large.
Today, with organized religion increasingly used
as a tool to separate and inflame rather than bringing
together, a Geneva-based coalition created a “Best
Religion in the World” award to inspire other
religious leaders to see what is possible when you
practice compassion. The award was voted on by an
international round-table of more than 200 religious
leaders from every part of the spiritual spectrum. To
quote the words of the Director of the coalition;
“It was interesting to note that once we
supplied the criteria, many religious leaders voted
for Buddhism rather than their own religion,”
“Buddhists actually make up a tiny minority of our
membership, so it was fascinating but quite exciting
that they won.”
However, according to the director, there was
one snag. “Basically we can’t find anyone to give it
to. All the Buddhists we call keep saying they don’t
want the award.”
This clearly affirms, though Buddha passed away
2561 years ago the lasting impression he has made
in the hearts of his disciples lives on; as they are
aware the true reward of practicing Dhamma is none
other than deliverance from suffering!
By a Venerable Thero of Mahamevnawa
Meditation Monastery