Buddha travelled to his hometown Kapilawastu and reached the castle on Medin Poya day, where he was born forty two years before. This visit led to four significant events - attainment of stream entry [Sothapanna] by King Suddhodana and stepmother Prajapathi Gothami; Princess Yasodhara taking refuge in the Buddha Dhamma and Sangha; ordination of his son Rahula and the ordination of cousin brother Prince Nanda.
As soon as the message ‘Siddhartha Gautama was to arrive at the palace in Kapilawastupura’ reached every corner of the city, the surroundings of the palace assumed a pleasant ambiance as citizenry there prepared to celebrate the event, the arrival of their future King Siddhartha — they knew little about a Buddha. The Sakyan seniors who congregated at the palace, besieged with their natural pride, revealed their reluctance to pay reverence to the Buddha saying; “He is much younger than us, we are Sakyans.” Only the juniors were sent to perform the rituals, compelling the Buddha to perform a near-miracle [Yama Maha Pelahara] and counter their pride. On this occasion, King Suddhodana (the father of Gautama Buddha) worshiped the Buddha for the third time.
The following morning, Buddha, along with a group of monks, went begging for alms. This unusual act by a member of the royal family made the king very unhappy and he rushed to the Buddha and admonished him that begging for food was an insult to the clan. The Buddha then reminded the king that this act was normal for the Buddha clan. “O king, please allow me to offer you this treasure of mine which is the Dhamma.” After the meeting, King Suddhodana invited the Buddha to the palace. The Buddha, along with his chief disciples Sariyuth and Mugalan, went to see his former Princess Yasodhara at her chamber, but she refused to appear before him saying; “If he has any concern for me, let him act accordingly.” However, on seeing him, she held his feet and sobbed bitterly. The Buddha traced the Samsaric sojourn and explained to her how they had been together in a series of past births. Buddha acknowledged that she had been of great assistance to him until he became Buddha. Her woes were transformed into delight as she heard these utterances. The subsequent day, his son Rahula asked for his legacy from the Buddha. The Buddha had his meal and returned to the temple, Prince Rahula followed. The rest is history. Upon Buddha’s return, he handed over his bowl to Prince Nanda. As was his wish, Nanda was
also ordained.
Dhamma is deep - ‘Ghambiro’
Acing examinations and listening to people’s erudition will make one knowledgeable, next he or she can pass examinations and become an educated person. But Dhamma is different -- “The Dhamma that has been realised by me is deep ‘Ghambiro,’ not easy to see, difficult to awaken to, calm, excellent, outside the realm of doubt, delicate, foreseeable only by the wise” -- Buddha.
‘Living the Moment’ is Buddhist meditation
Like the five precepts that existed eons before the birth of Siduhat, we Buddhists mistakenly believe Buddha imposed the Samatha-Vipassana meditation; it was a practice originated in ancient India over three to four millennia ago. They are the two types of meditation that deal with one-pointedness and mindfulness respectively, and are helpful in mind-training and body/mind coordination. Yet, they have nothing to do with the Fourth Noble Truth, the path - ‘Magga.’
Bare attention to the present moment, devoid of any perceptive thought, is mindful meditation or Satipatthana; what Buddha prescribed. A technique widely-used in meditation classes, retreats and medical institutions in the Western hemisphere is ‘Samatha—Vipassana’ for its therapeutic value. It is called Mind-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and is not based on the Satipatthana meditation introduced by the Buddha. The MBCT technique developed by Professor Mark Williams and John Teasdale of Cambridge is used today to treat depression. Clinical trials have confirmed the efficacy and there are statistics to show that it is superior to currently accessible drugs.
In Satipatthana or Buddhist meditation, bare attention or mindfulness is watching your mind; your own mind in action, observe it like an outsider. What you see is just what is going on; you observe without trying to change, appreciate or condemn. With condemning, appreciating one cannot observe mindfully.
The mind is like your right hand or left hand, it lives with your body. Only that it is hidden and it remains hidden for the entire life. When you observe every twist and turn of the mind, you would start realising what is going on. You would start observing the root of your fears, desires, frustrations and anxiety.
Remember, whatever you observe has always been living with you, unseen, all the time. The best way to approach it is with a sense of curiosity to find out what is really going on out there in the field of your mind. Do not just read and create memory of knowledge, use the tools to observe and realise the facts firsthand. Understanding one’s mind would open the door to deeper secrets that are living inside.
Understanding the basics of human mind
If you observe properly, you would realise that we are continuously active with something. We all wake up in the morning and get busy until the end of the day. What precisely are we doing? What are we occupied with? The hidden mind is stuck in a complex network of thoughts. Constant practice would make one comprehend the power of the hidden mind that drives our lives with all emotions, actions and quests.
Nelson Mandela once addressed his people and said, “South Africa belongs to all who lives in it, black and white, and no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of the people, that our country will never be prosperous or free until all people live in brotherhood, enjoying equal rights and opportunities and that only a democratic state, based on the will of the people, can secure to all, their birthright without distinction of colour, race, sex or belief.” Ultimately, one is one’s own refuge; no stranger is going to clean up the inner mess we are found in.
Buddhism is a rational practical and offers a pragmatic view of life and of the world. It does not tempt people into living in a fool’s paradise; it does not scare and agonise people with all kinds of fantasies and guilt. It does not generate religious extremists to disturb the followers of other faiths. Buddhism tells us precisely and objectively what we are and what the world around us is, and explains to us the way to perfect tranquility, liberty, peace and happiness.
May all beings be happy!
