Buddha Purnima: The full moon of wholeness

Very good wishes for Buddha Purnima. The anniversary of the full moon night Siddharth Gautam found something that reawakened the seeker spirit of the world. It is a celebratory function for most conventional Buddhists. A great many numbers of people will be around Buddhist temples and monasteries to offer their prayers. I really wish Gautam Buddha was here to see this. He’d slap his own forehead with a funny disappointment.

Not trying to anger anyone, just stating facts.

Gautam didn’t believe in worship. Frankly, to him, the very nature of being a seeker was like being a hardcore skeptic scientist. Wonder why the Sutras never mentioned a divine power, a great providence or some heavenly abode of the gods. That’s because to him, heaven or nirvana was right here. Just as soon as you learn to let go of all things that begin and end with suffering. Let me give you a few examples:-

• The mind is everything. What you think you become.

• We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.

• Do not dwell on the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

• Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

• You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

• Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.

• No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.

• Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

• Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.

• To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.

Do any of these quotes sound like preaching?

Is there any threat of a fiery hell or a bribe of a beautiful heaven in these words?

NO.

These are astute observations of life. The findings of a really long and hard research that took time and sacrifice.

I once knew a man, a very wealthy and powerful man who will remain unnamed here. He financed and overseed the construction of a giant marble Buddha temple. In the morning it opened for the public, he addressed the crowd, thanking the providence of Buddha for the wealth and means for this Mammoth undertaking. He also hoped and prayed to win the cabinet elections next year, promising to add a golden umbrella above the Buddha effigy.

Now I hope you are reading this dear sir, because you sir, are an Idiot.

Prince Siddhartha kicked aside his kingdom, his wife, and child to find the means to end suffering. Not just for himself but for the entire humankind. An easy life, all the power that comes along with being a king and all the comfort, glory and wealth of being a monarch. Do you, any of you, really believe this guy could be bribed with a damn golden umbrella?! Are we really that stupid?

If you really do equate your Gods with your fathers, would your father be happy with you if you ignore his every warning and advice? And if the next morning you sing his praises, shower him with gifts, would he reward you for it or would he slap you silly?

And while we’re on the subject, let us go back a few thousand years:-

When Alexander of Macedonia was in India, right after his costly battle against King Puru (dubbed Porus by Greek historians) in 326 BC at the banks of Sindhu river (Indus, yes the greeks were lazy linguists). He traveled and communed with people to discover the culture. Also reeling from the loss of his childhood friend and loyal mount Bucephalus the war horse, he sought refuge from grief and pain.

“You sir are an Idiot.” said a group of monks to his face, on a full moon night like this one.

Stunned, he told them he was Alexander, the conqueror of the known world. The winner of all kingdoms under the sky. They acknowledged that and said that was exactly why they called him an Idiot.

Impressed by their fearless demeanor, he decided to commune with them. Listen to their discoveries and understand their viewpoints. When he asked them about their teacher, they told him about Gautam Buddha. Described him in whatever way they could. Keep in mind, they were ascetics, sworn not to pay much attention to physical details. And  Gautam Buddha died at  400BC (Remember, BC dates are counted in reverse).

Now look at this picture here:-

And here’s Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Notice something? curly hair, flowing loose clothing, Hellenistic facial features?

Now, look at Alexander-

Exactly, a shaven face.

The Man left his home behind, all his life struggling and suffering to find true and lasting contentment. Is it any wonder that Alexander saw himself in the stories of this Indian philosopher?

History would let you believe that all these great losses, wounds and disease and the threat of the powerful Nanda empire is what made him leave his path of conquests and leave the Indian subcontinent for good. Does that sound like the Alexander who challenged and conquered the Persian empire while in his teenage years? Who became the first General in the world to cross the Aegean sea deeper and farther than ever before in his early 20s?

Or perhaps something changed inside him? Something deep and true.

Alexander and the satraps he left behind were the first people to make effigies and paintings of Gautam Buddha. They were the first to make him a physical reality for his followers. A reality now seen all over in temples, monasteries, Movies, TV and the Internet. And yes, this reality ironically is a Greek interpretation, not the truth.

Gautama never asked us to worship or deify him. Nor did he ever ask us to do anything except work on ourselves. In fact in the Sutras, he even goes as far as to say that he’s Not the first nor the last Buddha. There have been Buddhas before him and there will be many later on. Buddha is not a person. Buddha is the final destination of human nature.

Remember what I keep telling you.

Everything Popular is Wrong.

Now here’s the Man of the day saying it in his words :-

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

― Gautama Buddha

So if you ask me, So what is it that makes this full moon night so special then.

I’ll tell you.

This is no coincidence that this night is special to all Buddhas (not just Gautama). The Moon itself symbolizes the human emotional mind. Its fullness and completeness are what humans have always truly wanted. Be it by a new car, a stylish new house or a beautiful lover.

But the truth is that it is only truth that gets us that completion. Not joy or sorrow. Not worship or repentance.

See it through. Experience it all.

And in everything that comes to you, Remind yourself, “Even this will pass away.”

World asleep in silent night
loners are tired of endless flight
Yet one soul keeps turning trying to wake
hearing nothing of the things now at stake
For the Tom and Harry leave him alone
don’t want to be where that one has shown
For the seeker, kind and true
Seems aloof and blue
He’ll think, he’ll speak, he will not be meek
he’ll walk and make it through
Through, through, through

A Happy Buddha Purnima everyone!!

Related posts:

Apathy unlimited Meditation musings 03: Hard-boiled Nationalism The Enemy Within The Champion’s Vow