Buddha can be seen through his Dhamma

by S.M. Wijayaratne (Kurunegala Daily News Corr.)

The idea of love can mean different things to various people. Love, according to the Buddha, does not mean attachment to a person or an object through which one desires to satisfy his or her selfish craving. Love should be an endless self-immolating compassion, freely flowing towards all living beings. In the Metta Sutta, the Buddha pointed out.

The Buddha spent forty-five years providing answers to many complex problems and other subtle issues regarding the realities of this world. There is no doubt that the teachings of the Buiddha are indeed very profound, sometimes to the extent of even being incomprehensible to normal minds without contemplating on the subject matter in great depth. The Buddha himself had mentioned this at the beginning that the Dhamma could be easily understood only by those who would pay attention with devotion and intelligence in order to comprehend the abstract nature of his teaching. Dhamma is the direct result of a most intensive research voluntarily conducted over a long period of time by a most kind-hearted noble prince who was imbued with infinite love and deep compassion for suffering humanity. It is not a message received from heaven. The greatness of the Buddha and the very noble qualities. He possessed should always be contemplated by Buddhists who aspire to eternal bliss of Nibbana.

“Monks, there is one person whose birth into the world is for the welfare of many, for the happiness of many; who is born out of compassion for the world, for the profit, welfare and happiness of gods and mankind.

Who is that one person? It is a tathagatha who is Arahant, a Fully Enlightened One.

This, monks, is that one person. There is one person born into the world who is unique, without a peer, without counterpart, incomparable, unequalled, matchless, unrivalled, the noblest among bipeds. Who is that one person? It is a Tathagatha who is Arahant, a Fully Enlightened One. This is how the Buddha introduced his noble greatness by Himself as no ordinary human beings are able to understand His greatness with their limited mental capacity. The Buddha explains His great purity as follows.

“As the lotus is born in the water and grows up beneath the water, yet remains undefiled by the water, fragrant and beautiful, just so the Buddha is born in the world, grows up and dwells in the world, But like the lotus unstained by water, He is not defiled by the world.”

We all should strive to see the noblest Buddha through his noble Dhamma. All those who wish to see Him can do so by practising His noble teachings perfectly as He has guided us to do in the Tripitaka discourses.

The Buddha admonishes us to meditate on Loving Kindness and then all of us can live happily and peacefully. The pursuit of happiness is not difficult if we have the right mental attitude. Love is the key to happiness. All human beings have the potential to give and receive love. We are potentially storehouses of love.

Love is a priceless gift to bestow on to another.

Through love, we can provide the warmth to satisfy the burning needs of an individual to be loved, for those who love and are loved in return are happier than those devoid of love. The more love we give the more will we receive in return. This is in accordance with the eternal law of cause and effect.

The idea of love can mean different things to various people. Love, according to the Buddha, does not mean attachment to a person or an object through which one desires to satisfy his or her selfish craving. Love should be an endless self-immolating compassion, freely flowing towards all living beings. In the Metta Sutta, the Buddha pointed out;

Let not one deceive another nor despise any person whatsoever in any place. In anger or ill-will, let him not wish any harm to another Just as a mother would protect her only child, at the risk of own life, even so let him cultivate a boundless heart towards all beings. Love is the soil in which the loved ones grow. It enriches the other person without limiting or restricting him. Love elevates humanity. Love costs nothing. Love should not be selective. Some may think of love as something to receive, but is basically a giving process. In cultivating love and kindness, we should start with those at home. The love between father and mother greatly influences the atmosphere at home and generates love, care and sharing among other family members. A husband and wife should treat each other with respect, courtesy and fidelity.

Parents should fulfil five duties for their children; avoid doing evil and set an example of good deeds, give them an education, be supportive and understanding in their children’s love affairs or arranging for their marriage, and let them inherit the family wealth at a proper time.

A child, on the other hand, should honour his parents and do for them all he is supposed to do. He should serve them, help them at their labour, cherish the family lineage, protect the family property, do some services to others in their name and hold memorial services for them after they have passed away. If husbands and wives, as well as parents and children follow this advice taught by the Buddha, there will always be happiness and peace in the home.

Life is made up of little things in which smiles and kindness and small obligations, given habitually, are what win and preserve the heart.

One mark of a loving person is that he has a compassionate heart. We should cultivate the habit of helping those in trouble and who are less fortunate than ourselves. One should not merely be sympathetic to another emotionally, but should seek to translate that feeling into positive actions. Extending love and kindness does not mean showering gifts, but the showering of gentleness and generosity of sprit.

“Kindness is a virtue that the blind can see and the deaf can hear.” So long as there is one single person whom you can console by words, whom you can enliven and cheer by your presence, whom you can relieve by your help, however insignificant or unimportant it might be, you are a precious possession to the human race and you should never be disheartened or depressed. Search for someone less fortunate or less healthy than yourself. Extend any possible help or assistance you can within your means and ability.

Make sympathy, empathy and loving kindness keep pace with your capacity for self-development. You can be cheated or let down by another and there is none in this world who has not faced such crafty individuals. There is no shame or humilation if you are cheated, but it is a shame if you do so to others. Never harbour thoughts of revenge against those who have wronged you. May you be well and happy with the blessings of the Triple Gem.