Skip to content

Buddha – awakening of consciousness

    Buddha – translated from Sanskrit, means “awakened”, “enlightened”. In Buddhism, this is the highest state of spiritual consciousness. It is also the name of Buddha Shakyamuni, the Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama, who lived from approximately 623 to 543 BC and achieved enlightenment. From the point of view of classical Buddhist doctrine, a Buddha is anyone who has discovered the dharma (truth) and attained enlightenment.

    In the new Indian series of 2013, the creators of the film, based on historical facts and ancient Indian texts, set the goal of conveying to people the spiritual teachings and understanding of religion, which was founded by Shakyamuni Buddha. The series tells about the life of Crown Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who, contrary to the expectations of his father, left his palace and chose the path of a hermit and a monk. Buddha was played by a wonderful Indian actor Himanshu Soni.

    Fundamentals of Doctrine

    There are four noble truths.
    First: Suffering is inevitable, it will always be on our way.
    Second: Suffering is the creation of desires that have no end due to attachment to things. In the end, all these desires will lead us to self-destruction.
    Third: To achieve enlightenment, we must be conscious, self-centered, so that neither grief nor joy can interfere with us. There must be complete harmony with oneself on the path to enlightenment.
    Fourth: There is one path that will lead to the truth and deliverance from suffering.
    This is the eightfold path. He is:
    – correct presentation
    – the right decision
    – clear thinking
    – righteous actions
    – healthy lifestyle
    – efforts made
    – attentiveness
    – concentration

    Past, future and present

    Buddha met men robbed by one woman in the forest, and explained to them the meaning of the past, future and present:

    “She stole your money in the past and continues to steal in the present. Do you think this woman is as worried about you at the moment as you are about her? If not, then why are you worried? You were robbed – that was in the past. You can catch and punish the thief – in the future. All you have is the present. You are trying to connect the burden of the past with an uncertain future, while losing touch with the current moment in time.”

    Key to your happiness

    Once, when the disciples of the Buddha were begging, they were insulted and driven away, after which they wanted to go to another village. However, the Buddha warned them against the mistake of looking for easy ways:

    “You were not given alms and you want to go to another place? But then, the reason for which you left this place will go with you. If you were always met with honor and respect, then you would be happy. This means that you “have given the key to your inner peace into the wrong hands. This means that external factors influence you and can control you. If you feel that you are at odds with yourself, then you still have a long way to know the highest truth.”

    About principles and thoughts

    If a person adheres to a principle, then he loses his freedom and turns into a stereotype, he thinks that only his principles are true, that only his faith is true, and that everything else is false. And when freedom of thought dies, one idea becomes dominant. A person becomes spiritually limited, and it is then that conflict and confrontation begin. Belief in nothing, even belief in disbelief, suppresses it.
    There is great power in thought and it can completely absorb and make a person its slave. Attachment to it is the biggest obstacle on the spiritual path. If a person is absorbed in thoughts, then he will never achieve enlightenment.
    There are three types of mood: joy, sadness and calmness. The reason for our mood lies in our body and mind. The mood rises like a wave, and also falls involuntarily. Look inside the newly growing feelings to understand and realize where they come from.
    When you reach the origin of feelings, you will understand that there is only emptiness, like a blue sky, embracing everything that is inside it. If you begin to dive more into yourself, then the waves of feeling will soon stop rising, and the source of the great peace within us will no longer be restless.

    Reply to an insult

    When the Buddha was walking along the street of a village with a begging bowl, people surrounded him and began to insult him. In response to insults, he blessed them and said:

    If you brought a gift to a neighbor, and he refused to accept it, then who will have the gift? It’s the same with words. I do not accept your words and let them remain with you. Backbiting is a sin. Just as you cannot hide from your shadow, so you cannot hide from your sins. Clear your mind and look at yourself in a new way, and then you will realize that you are living an unrighteous life full of fuss.

    Finding peace of mind

    When the Buddha met his older brother, he asked him what he had achieved in the seven years of his life as a hermit and ascetic. The Buddha replied:

    If you conquer the whole world, but do not conquer your mind, is that a victory? I defeated my anger, greed, envy, malice. When I eradicated these feelings in myself, I found peace. Argument leads to anger. Anger only hurts. Being angry is like holding hot coals in the palm of your hand. We want to throw it at someone, but before that, it will surely burn us too.

    About accusations and quarrels

    One day, the disciples of the Buddha began to accuse each other of various sins and began to swear.
    Seeing their quarrel, the Buddha instructed them:

    If you made a mistake, then you just need to apologize. Our words are more dangerous than the sword. They can kill people without hurting them physically. Calm down! Your behavior disturbs the peace in the monastery. Please return to meditation. If you understand the power of meditation and accept it, then you will be free from arrogance, envy, anger and humiliation. These feelings will no longer burden your life.

    Our main enemy is the mind!

    Как-то раз, Будда собирал милостыню в одной деревне, и на него напал разбойник по имени Ангулимала. Этот разбойник наводил на всех ужас тем, что убивал и калечил людей, отрезая им пальцы. Когда Ангулимала преградил ему путь, Будда произнес слова, перевернувшие весь внутренний мир этого разбойника, который впоследствии стал буддийским монахом.

    I stopped a long time ago, but you didn’t. I stopped a long time ago giving up crime and violence towards others. I learned to protect life, because everyone wants to live. You must look at people with love. You have been harmed in the past, as people commit barbaric acts out of ignorance. Hatred, envy, desire and want all grow out of ignorance. But people are also capable of compassion, kindness, understanding and sensitivity. If there are ruthless people in this world, then there are those who are capable of compassion. Ignorance should not blind you.

    Later, when Angulimala became a monk named Ahimsaka, he delivered a sermon:

    The Buddha says that our thoughts determine our deeds. Good thoughts lead to good deeds, and bad thoughts lead to bad ones – such is the law of nature. Our main enemy is the mind! He can make us do almost everything, and then we will plunge into darkness.

    Answer to the accusation

    One woman, in order to take revenge on the Buddha for the fact that her husband went to the monks, decided to falsely accuse him. She declared before the entire court that the Buddha was the father of the child she was carrying in her womb. To this accusation, the Buddha gave an elegant answer that made everyone doubt the veracity of her words:

    Only two people can know if you’re telling the truth or not. And these two people are you and me!

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *