☸️ Wisdom of Buddha ❤️
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Buddha loves you!!! ❤️ Thats why he gave you an utmost gift, the guidance in the path towards Supreme Nirvana, the cessation of suffering 💖 May you all be well and happy ☸️
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Дописи каналу
| 2 | The Way to the Far Shore
Alone, the dispeller of darkness
is brilliant, a beacon:
Gotama, vast in wisdom,
Gotama, vast in intelligence.
He is the one who taught me Dhamma,
apparent in the present life, immediately effective,
the untroubled, the end of craving, to which there is no compare.
Being diligent, I see him in my mind’s eye day and night.
I spend the night in homage to him,
hence I think I dwell with him.
My faith and joy and intent and mindfulness
never stray from Gotama’s teaching.
I bow to whatever direction the one of vast wisdom heads.
Lying floundering in the mud,
I drifted from island to island.
Then I saw the Buddha,
the undefiled one who has crossed the flood.
The unfaltering, the unshakable:
that to which there is no compare.
For sure I will go there,
I have no doubt of that.
Remember me as one whose mind is made up.
- Pārāyanānugītigāthā Snp 5.19 | 1 |
| 3 |  Немає тексту... | 145 |
| 4 | For a mind addicted to the thought of a permanent "self," this teaching can seem radical, even terrifying. It seems to offer "nothing." But a mind trapped in a burning house may be afraid to even think of stepping into the "nothingness" of open air. The Buddha is not offering you "nothing"; he is offering you freedom from the fire.
Other paths offer comfort in the form of a loving father who will protect your "eternal self." But the Buddha asks a braver question: Why are you so attached to an impermanent, desperate thought of a "self" that needs to be protected? Why don't you simply look at that idea and see it for what it is: a delusion?
His teaching is for anyone brave enough to let go of treating the symptoms and instead address the root of the illness. It is for those who have realized that a lifetime of seeking security in things, relationships, and ideas has never brought lasting healing, only temporary relief.
The choice, my friend, is clear. You can continue to chase comfort in the illusion of permanence, striving to hold onto what was never real. Or, you can follow the Great Healer and remove the arrow of ignorance from your heart. You can reach the end of your yearning, beyond your ignorance, and finally experience the peace that no death and suffering can ever touch.
This is not a ritual to believe in. It is a diagnosis for testing. Look. See. Be free.
🙏🏼 ☸️ | 125 |
| 5 | The Way to the Far Shore
Alone, the dispeller of darkness
is brilliant, a beacon:
Gotama, vast in wisdom,
Gotama, vast in intelligence.
He is the one who taught me Dhamma,
apparent in the present life, immediately effective,
the untroubled, the end of craving, to which there is no compare.
Being diligent, I see him in my mind’s eye day and night.
I spend the night in homage to him,
hence I think I dwell with him.
My faith and joy and intent and mindfulness
never stray from Gotama’s teaching.
I bow to whatever direction the one of vast wisdom heads.
Lying floundering in the mud,
I drifted from island to island.
Then I saw the Buddha,
the undefiled one who has crossed the flood.
The unfaltering, the unshakable:
that to which there is no compare.
For sure I will go there,
I have no doubt of that.
Remember me as one whose mind is made up.
- Pārāyanānugītigāthā Snp 5.19 | 1 |
| 6 | For a mind addicted to the thought of a permanent "self," this teaching can seem radical, even terrifying. It seems to offer "nothing." But a mind trapped in a burning house may be afraid to even think of stepping into the "nothingness" of open air. The Buddha is not offering you "nothing"; he is offering you freedom from the fire.
Other paths offer comfort in the form of a loving father who will protect your "eternal self." But the Buddha asks a braver question: Why are you so attached to an impermanent, desperate thought of a "self" that needs to be protected? Why don't you simply look at that idea and see it for what it is: a delusion?
His teaching is for anyone brave enough to let go of treating the symptoms and instead address the root of the illness. It is for those who have realized that a lifetime of seeking security in things, relationships, and ideas has never brought lasting healing, only temporary relief.
The choice, my friend, is clear. You can continue to chase comfort in the illusion of permanence, striving to hold onto what was never real. Or, you can follow the Great Healer and remove the arrow of ignorance from your heart. You can reach the end of your yearning, beyond your ignorance, and finally experience the peace that no death and suffering can ever touch.
This is not a ritual to believe in. It is a diagnosis for testing. Look. See. Be free.
🙏🏼 ☸️ | 6 |
| 7 | Most philosophical systems and schools of thought begin with a sense of insecurity—a nagging feeling that "I" am unstable, that "I" will die. From this fear of death arises a burning thirst: the desire for eternal existence. They prescribe a cure: an immortal soul, a heavenly paradise, union with a divine being.
But consider, my friend. Is this a cure? Or is it merely a palliative for a frightened mind? While other traditions seek to preserve the "self" through immortality, the Buddha looks deeper. He sees that the very desire for the "self" to persist is itself the disease. It is like a man who is trembling from a snake in the corner of the room, and the Buddha shows him that the "snake" is nothing more than a rope—an illusion created by his own mind. Treating the symptoms by trying to preserve the illusion is not a cure; it is merely perpetuating the delusion.
The Buddha's diagnosis is radical and uncompromising. He teaches that suffering does not begin with death. It does not begin with the loss of a loved one or the absence of pleasure. Suffering begins at a much deeper level, in the very depths of our being. Suffering begins with ignorance (avijja): not simply a lack of knowledge, but a fundamental blindness to the true nature of reality. This is the delusion of a permanent, independent "self" that must be protected, cherished, and defended.
This is the very "self" that all other paths are desperately trying to save.
The Buddha's cure is not to affirm this delusion and give it eternal life. His cure is to break the delusion itself. This is the heart of the Anatta-Lakkhana Sutta, the "Discourse on the Characteristics of Non-Self."
He does not begin with grand theories. He begins with the very things you cling to most: your body, your feelings, your perceptions, your thoughts, and your consciousness. He takes each one and asks a simple, devastating question.
> “Monks, what do you think? Is the body permanent or impermanent?”
> “Impermanent, venerable one.”
> “What is impermanent, is it pleasing or painful?”
> “Painful, venerable one.”
> “What is impermanent, painful, and subject to change, is it fitting to regard it as ‘This is mine, this is I, this is my self’?”
> “No, venerable one.”
He extends this surgical question to feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and even consciousness itself. With each question, the Buddha leads you to an inescapable conclusion: if something is beyond your control, if it leads to suffering, if it is constantly changing, how can it be you?
The "true self," the inner ruler, the master of one's own destiny, would be able to command: “May my body be this way, not that way.” But can you command your body not to age? Can you command your feelings to be only pleasant? Can you command your consciousness to be only blissful? You cannot. Therefore, none of these things are you. The conclusion is inescapable:
> “This is not mine. This is not I. This is not my self.”
This is not a denial. This is a liberation. You are not losing something that was truly yours. You are waking up from a nightmare of an illusion of "self" and "mine making."
This is why the Buddha's teaching is not a doctrine of immortality, but a path to liberation from the very delusion that creates the fear of death and suffering. Where others try to solve the problem of death by preserving the "self" (in heaven, in an immortal soul, in union with God), the Buddha addresses the root of the problem by dismantling the "self" itself.
He teaches that the fever of existence is not quenched by adding more fuel to the fire, but by extinguishing the thirst that fuels it. This is Nirvana—the ultimate acceptance, the end of craving, aversion, and delusion. It is not the annihilation of the self, but the realization that of an illusion of a self to annihilate. | 114 |
| 8 | https://youtu.be/tBkwjv7lprA?si=48vCoF_8HNZSRnky | 336 |
| 9 | “And, monks, as long as this—my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge & vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be—was not pure, I did not claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Māras, & Brahmās, in this generation with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & commonfolk. But as soon as this—my three-round, twelve-permutation knowledge & vision concerning these four noble truths as they have come to be—was truly pure, then I did claim to have directly awakened to the right self-awakening unexcelled in the cosmos with its devas, Māras, & Brahmās, in this generation with its contemplatives & brahmans, its royalty & commonfolk. Knowledge & vision arose in me: ‘Unprovoked is my release. This is the last birth. There is now no further becoming.’”
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the group of five monks delighted in the Blessed One’s words. And while this explanation was being given, there arose to Ven. Kondañña the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye: Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.
And when the Blessed One had set the Wheel of Dhamma in motion, the earth devas cried out: “Near Vārāṇasī, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, the Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by contemplative or brahman, deva, Māra, or Brahmā, or anyone at all in the cosmos.” On hearing the earth devas’ cry, the Devas of the Four Great Kings took up the cry… the Devas of the Thirty-three… the Devas of the Hours… the Contented Devas… the Devas Delighting in Creation … the Devas. Wielding Power over the Creations of Others… the Devas of Brahmā’s Retinue took up the cry: “Near Vārāṇasī, in the Deer Park at Isipatana, the Blessed One has set in motion the unexcelled Wheel of Dhamma that cannot be stopped by contemplative or brahman, deva, Māra, or Brahmā, or anyone at all in the cosmos.”
So in that moment, that instant, the cry shot right up to the Brahmā worlds. And this ten-thousand-fold cosmos shivered & quivered & quaked, while a great, measureless radiance appeared in the cosmos, surpassing the effulgence of the deities.
Then the Blessed One exclaimed: “So you really know, Kondañña? So you really know?” And that is how Ven. Kondañña acquired the name Añña-Kondañña—Kondañña who knows.
Sadhu! Sadhu!! Sadhu!!!
🙏 🪷 ☸
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.011.piya.html
https://youtu.be/E9AMLEKENO8?si=d7jefMZwnxzeqcKd | 297 |
| 10 | Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion - Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Vārāṇasī in the Deer Park at Isipatana. There he addressed the group of five monks:
“There are these two extremes that are not to be indulged in by one who has gone forth. Which two? That which is devoted to sensual pleasure in connection with sensuality: base, vulgar, common, ignoble, unprofitable; and that which is devoted to self-affliction: painful, ignoble, unprofitable. Avoiding both of these extremes, the middle way realized by the Tathāgata—producing vision, producing knowledge—leads to stilling, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to unbinding.
“And what is the middle way realized by the Tathāgata that—producing vision, producing knowledge—leads to stilling, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to unbinding? Precisely this noble eightfold path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the middle way realized by the Tathāgata that—producing vision, producing knowledge—leads to stilling, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to unbinding.
“Now this, monks, is the noble truth of stress: Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful; association with the unbeloved is stressful, separation from the loved is stressful, not getting what is wanted is stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.
“And this, monks, is the noble truth of the origination of stress: the craving that makes for further becoming—accompanied by passion & delight, relishing now here & now there—i.e., craving for sensuality, craving for becoming, craving for non-becoming.
“And this, monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of stress: the remainderless fading & cessation, renunciation, relinquishment, release, & letting go of that very craving.
“And this, monks, is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress: precisely this noble eightfold path—right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of stress’ … ‘This noble truth of stress is to be comprehended’ … ‘This noble truth of stress has been comprehended.’
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of the origination of stress’ … ‘This noble truth of the origination of stress is to be abandoned’ … ‘This noble truth of the origination of stress has been abandoned.’
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of the cessation of stress’ … ‘This noble truth of the cessation of stress is to be realized’ … ‘This noble truth of the cessation of stress has been realized.’
“Vision arose, insight arose, discernment arose, knowledge arose, illumination arose within me with regard to things never heard before: ‘This is the noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress’ … ‘This noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress is to be developed’ … ‘This noble truth of the way of practice leading to the cessation of stress has been developed.’ | 206 |
| 11 |  Asadhi Purnima, Happy Āsāḷha/Esala Pūjā.
This Asadhi Purnima is resplendent with the multidimensional memory of Gautama Buddha's household life and life after attaining Buddhahood. On this day, He took the vows in his mother's womb from Tavtimsa Heavens, left his wife, child and wealth in his youth going beyond the royal palace walls in search of Great Buddhahood, and gave His first sermon after attaining Buddhahood. This first sermon of the Buddha is called the 'Dhamma Chakkha Pravattana Sutta'. Apart from this, on this Purnima Tithi, did he demonstrated the Yamaka Riddhi (divine power) and also on a day like this did He ordered the monks to observe the rainy season in order to invigorate the monks with a spirit of self-purification and self-analysis. On this day, the Buddha explained the perfections he had achieved to the five ascetics Mahanama, Assaji, Vappa, Bhaddhiya and Kondañña. The first revelation of the Buddha's teachings to the world took place on a day like this.
🙏❤️☸ | 178 |
| 12 |  "A game lasts a few fleeting seasons; the Dharma stands as the ultimate, unshakeable liberation from all delusion. Yet your mind is so heavily clouded by ignorance that you mistake a digital shadow for a substantial reality, completely blind to the fact that even the world you stand on is a passing illusion. Drop your toy, turn your gaze inward, and shatter your own ignorance—that is the only true victory. How utterly tragic to stand at the gates of the profound medicine of the mind, yet choose to crawl like a child in the dirt of internet memes. Your petty insults do not stain the Buddha; they merely expose the bankrupt poverty of your own attention span and intellect. You spend your finite, precious, and dying human life frantically clicking at the pixels of a virtual fruit, yet you dare mock the Supreme One who conquered birth, aging, and death? Wake up from your digital slumber and realize your mind's delusion before time robs you of the very chance to awaken." | 349 |
| 13 |  "So it is, Ānanda, that feeling is a cause of craving. Craving is a cause of seeking. Seeking is a cause of gaining material possessions. Gaining material possessions is a cause of assessing. Assessing is a cause of desire and lust. Desire and lust is a cause of attachment. Attachment is a cause of ownership. Ownership is a cause of stinginess. Stinginess is a cause of safeguarding. Owing to safeguarding, many bad, unskillful things come to be: taking up the rod and the sword, quarrels, arguments, and disputes, accusations, divisive speech, and lies."
- Buddha in the Mahānidāna Sutta (Digha Nikaya 15) | 429 |
| 14 |  And so, with all one's heart, one can declare:
I go to the Buddha as my refuge.
For the second time, I go to the Buddha as my refuge.
For the third time, I go to the Buddha as my refuge. ☸
> *"It is good to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma (the teachings of the Buddha), and the Saṅgha (the comminity of the monks who follow the footsteps of the Buddha). For those who take this refuge with wisdom, they will be freed from fear, sorrow, and suffering."* (Dhammapada, verses 188–192)
And that, dear friend, is the measure of a truly great teacher.
Sādhu! Sādhu! Sādhu! 🙏🏼 | 318 |
| 15 |  +9His virtues were immeasurable: he was the embodiment of perfect morality (*sīla*), deep concentration (*samādhi*), and liberating wisdom (*paññā*). His compassion was so vast that it embraced every living being without distinction, and his wisdom was so profound that it penetrated the deepest truths of existence. He was utterly free from greed, hatred, and delusion — the three fires that burn all beings — and he radiated a peace that was unshakable, a loving-kindness that was unconditional, and a clarity that illuminated even the darkest corners of ignorance. He was the physician who could heal every wound, the teacher who could guide every seeker, and the refuge that could shelter every weary heart. | 4 |
| 16 | The Great Qualities of a Buddha
He was the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Fully Self-Awakened One — endowed with supreme wisdom, boundless compassion, and unshakable equanimity.
The scriptures speak of the Buddha's extraordinary qualities in three celebrated sets:
1. The Ten Powers (Dasabala)
These are the ten powers of knowledge unique to a Tathāgata:
1. Knowledge of what is possible and impossible — he understands, according to reality, what is possible and what is not possible in any situation.
2. Knowledge of the results of actions — he understands the ripening of deeds, their results, and the maturation of kamma.
3. Knowledge of the paths leading to all destinations — he fully understands the path that leads to each and every destiny.
4. Knowledge of the world with its many and diverse elements — he understands the world with its countless and diverse elements.
5. Knowledge of the various dispositions of beings — he understands the different aspirations and inherent tendencies of beings.
6. Knowledge of the varying capabilities of beings — he understands the superior, average, and inferior faculties of beings.
7. Knowledge of the defilements and their purification in the jhānas — he understands the defilements, their cleansing, and the emergence in meditative absorption.
8. Knowledge of recollecting past lives — he remembers his manifold past existences.
9. Knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings — he sees beings passing away and reappearing according to their actions.
10. Knowledge of the destruction of the defilements — he knows, as it really is, the destruction of all mental defilements.
2. The Four Kinds of Fearlessness (Vesārajja)
Endowed with these four kinds of fearlessness, the Buddha teaches with unshakable confidence, completely free from any fear of being rightfully challenged:
1. Fearlessness in declaring himself to be enlightened to the truth of all phenomena.
2. Fearlessness in proclaiming himself to have extinguished all desires and illusions.
3. Fearlessness in proclaiming himself to have elucidated the obstacles to enlightenment.
4. Fearlessness in declaring himself to have clarified the way of liberation from the world of suffering.
3. The Eighteen Exclusive Qualities (Avenika Dhammā)
These are the eighteen qualities that belong exclusively to a fully awakened Buddha, not to any other being:
1. Perfection in conduct.
2. Perfection in speech.
3. Perfection in mindfulness.
4. Impartiality to all beings.
5. Constant serenity.
6. Equability toward sensory experiences.
7. Unceasing desire to deliver sentient beings.
8. Inexhaustible energy for helping sentient beings.
9. Unfailing memory of the Dhamma.
10. Perfect wisdom in everything.
11. Total liberation from defilements.
12. Perfect knowledge of the past.
13. Perfect knowledge of the present.
14. Perfect knowledge of the future.
15. Perfect knowledge of the path to liberation.
16. Perfect knowledge of the obstacles to liberation.
17. Perfect knowledge of the way leading to all destinations.
18. Perfect knowledge of the cessation of all suffering.
4. The Nine Supreme Qualities (Navaguna)
In the Theravada tradition, the Buddha is also recollected through nine supreme qualities:
- Araham — Worthy One, completely free from all defilements.
- Sammāsambuddho — Perfectly Self-Awakened One.
- Vijjācaraṇasampanno — Endowed with clear knowledge and perfect conduct.
- Sugato — Well-gone or Well-spoken.
- Lokavidū — Knower of the worlds.
- Anuttaro purisadammasārathi — Unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed.
- Satthā devamanussānaṃ — Teacher of gods and humans.
- Buddho — The Awakened One.
- Bhagavā — The Blessed One, having vanquished all greed, hatred, and delusion. | 250 |
| 17 | His compassion was boundless, his wisdom was infinite, and his peace was unshakable. He walked the earth not as a god, but as a human being who had realized what is possible when the mind is fully awakened.
As he said:
> *"Just as the moon, on the fifteenth day of the lunar month, is fully round, clear, and bright — so too is the mind of the one who has trained it well, free from defilements, radiant, and shining."*
Where there was ignorance, he brought understanding.
Where there was hatred, he brought compassion.
Where there was greed, he brought generosity.
Where there was fear, he brought courage.
Where there was despair, he brought hope — not the hope of escape, but the hope of transformation.
> *"The Buddha is like a lotus flower that grows in muddy water but remains unstained. He teaches beings who are trapped in the mud of ignorance how to rise above it and blossom in the light of wisdom."*
And so, with all one's heart, one can declare:
I go to the Buddha as my refuge.
For the second time, I go to the Buddha as my refuge.
For the third time, I go to the Buddha as my refuge. ☸
> *"It is good to take refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma (the teachings of the Buddha), and the Saṅgha (the comminity of the monks who follow the footsteps of the Buddha). For those who take this refuge with wisdom, they will be freed from fear, sorrow, and suffering."* (Dhammapada, verses 188–192)
How can one measure the greatness of the Buddha? He did not conquer land, nor wealth, nor power. He conquered the only thing that truly matters: the mind that creates suffering. And in doing so, he opened the door for all beings to do the same.
His teaching is not a command to obey, but a path to walk. His presence is not a demand to worship, but an invitation to awaken. And his compassion is not a promise to save, but a hand extended to guide.
To this day, more than 2,600 years later, his words still heal. His wisdom still shines. His peace still reaches hearts across the world.
And that, dear friend, is the measure of a truly great teacher. 🙏🏼
Sādhu! Sādhu! Sādhu! 🌸 ☸ | 136 |
| 18 | He transformed ignorance into questioning, and questioning into profound insight. He never asked for blind faith; he invited investigation. As he said:
> *"Do not accept anything simply because it is scripture, tradition, or because your teacher said it. But when you know for yourselves that these things are unwholesome, abandon them; and when you know for yourselves that these things are wholesome, accept them and practice them."* (Kalama Sutta, AN 3.65)
He spoke of the futility of a foolish and unwholesome life — not out of fear of any god, not to threaten with eternal punishment, but simply because it is morally wrong and brings painful consequences in this very life and beyond.
He taught that the foundation of a happy, peaceful life is not rigid commandments, but the natural law of cause and effect:
> *"With good intentions, good results follow. With bad intentions, bad results follow. This is the law of nature."*
While many kings and generals conquered enemies, nations, and infidels, he conquered his own mind — the most difficult and most valuable victory of all.
As the Buddha himself declared:
> *"Though one may conquer a thousand times a thousand men in battle, yet the one who conquers himself is the greatest of all conquerors."* (Dhammapada, verse 103)
He was so free from fear, hatred, and delusion that he conquered without weapons. He transformed the aggressive mind with compassion instead of killing or waging war. When the fierce, intoxicated elephant Nalagiri was sent to trample him, he radiated loving-kindness and the animal knelt before him. When the serial killer Angulimala came with a sword, he spoke to him with such profound peace that the killer became a monk and later an Arahant.
As he said:
> *"Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. Hatred is appeased by non‑hatred. This is an eternal law."* (Dhammapada, verse 5)
He invites you — to practice and see for yourself how potential and fruitful a mind can be when nurtured with mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom.
He does not ask for belief; he asks for effort. He does not demand blind faith; he demands investigation. He does not promise easy salvation; he points to a path that requires your own footsteps.
> *"You yourselves must strive; the Buddhas only show the way. Those who practice the path will be freed from the bonds of Māra."* (Dhammapada, verse 276)
He went beyond ego, beyond the illusion of "I" and "mine." He saw through the illusion of a permanent self and showed us that clinging to this illusion is the very root of suffering.
He did not merely speak of letting go; he lived it fully. He was completely free from anger, greed, and delusion — the three fires that burn all beings.
He showed us that ultimate peace and contentment are never achieved by being enslaved to endless pleasure. True happiness is not in external things — it is an inner state that no one can give you and no one can take away.
As he declared:
> *"Even if gold coins were to rain down upon us, we would not be satisfied with sensual pleasures. They give little joy, they bring much suffering — knowing this, the wise one finds no pleasure even in heavenly delights. He is the one who enjoys the destruction of craving, the disciple of the Buddha."* (Dhammapada, verses 186–187) | 121 |
| 19 | The Awakened One
There is a beautiful and profound discourse in the Pali Canon known as the Doṇa Sutta. It tells the story of a Brahmin named Doṇa who, while walking along a path, saw the Buddha's footprints. He was immediately struck by their extraordinary radiance and the peaceful, majestic presence of the one who had made them.
Doṇa approached the Buddha and, filled with awe and curiosity, asked him four questions:
> *"Are you a god (deva)?"*
The Buddha replied: *"No, Brahmin, I am not a god."*
> *"Are you a celestial being (gandhabba)?"*
The Buddha replied: *"No, Brahmin, I am not a celestial being."*
> *"Are you a spirit (yakkha)?"*
The Buddha replied: *"No, Brahmin, I am not a spirit."*
> *"Then, are you a human being?"*
The Buddha replied: *"No, Brahmin, I am not a human being."*
Doṇa was confused and pressed further: *"When I ask if you are a god, a celestial being, a spirit, or a human being, you deny each one. Then who are you?"*
The Buddha then gave one of the most profound and beautiful answers in all of Buddhist literature:
> *"Brahmin, just as a lotus is born in the water, grows in the water, and rises above the water to stand completely unsmeared by the water — so too, I was born in the world, grew in the world, and have completely overcome the world, living unsmeared by it."*
> *"So, Brahmin, remember me as one who is Awake."*
This is the heart of who the Buddha is. He is not a god, nor an angel to be prayed to, nor a spirit to be feared, nor an ordinary human being caught in the cycle of craving and suffering.
He is the Awakened One — one who has awakened from the sleep of ignorance, one who has risen above the muddy waters of greed, hatred, and delusion, yet remains fully present in the world to help others do the same.
The lotus is the perfect metaphor. It does not reject the water; it grows in it. But it is not stained by it. In the same way, the Buddha did not reject the world; he lived in it with compassion and wisdom. But he was not stained by its sorrows, its attachments, or its illusions.
And so, when we ask "Who is the Buddha?", we can answer in many ways, each reflecting the boundless compassion and wisdom he embodied:
- He was a Great Scientist of the Mind and the Universe, who discovered the Law of Causality and taught us to observe reality directly.
- He was a Counseling Psychologist and Psychiatrist, who mapped the human mind and provided practical remedies for mental suffering.
- He was a Universal Philosopher, who answered the deepest questions of existence without resorting to blind faith or abstract metaphysics.
- He was a Social Reformer, who challenged caste and class divisions, declaring that all beings are equally capable of liberation.
- He was a Great Pedagogue, who adapted his teaching to the level of each listener and guided them toward truth through questioning and reflection.
- He was a Humanitarian Manager, who offered practical advice for daily life, family relationships, and economic well-being.
- He was a Environmentalist, who taught kindness to all living beings and respect for nature.
- And above all, he is the Embodiment of Boundless Compassion, whose heart was so vast that it embraced all beings without exception.
He considered humans not as sinners, but as beings lost in ignorance — and he showed that ignorance is not a permanent stain, but a cloud that can be dispersed by the sunlight of wisdom.
He revealed that the power to change, to heal, and to awaken lies within your own mind — nowhere else outside.
He spoke with extraordinary precision about how to develop the mind, body, and speech to their ultimate state of perfection — not as a distant ideal, but as a living, breathing path that anyone can walk.
He taught how to cultivate focus and mindfulness through meditation — not as an escape from life, but as a way to see life exactly as it is. | 163 |
| 20 | The Jayamangala Gatha (Verses of Joyous Victory) is a revered set of eight Buddhist stanzas that recount the Buddha’s triumphs over various adversities. Chanting or listening to these verses invokes spiritual protection, brings profound peace of mind, and helps practitioners overcome obstacles and misfortunes through the power of positive virtues.
The Greatness of the Jayamangala Gatha
The true greatness of these verses lies in their message that ultimate triumph is achieved through spiritual virtues and inner strength rather than force. Each stanza highlights a specific victory:
Defeating Mara: Conquering the personification of evil/temptation using the power of generosity.
Subduing Alavaka: Overcoming the fierce, arrogant demon through patience and forbearance.
Taming Nalagiri: Pacifying a wild, charging elephant with the power of loving-kindness (Metta).
Stopping Angulimala: Stopping a notorious serial killer using spiritual resolve and psychic powers.
Handling Ciñcā's Accusation: Enduring a false, malicious accusation through imperturbable serenity and grace.
Defeating Saccaka: Winning an intellectual debate against a boastful debater using the lamp of wisdom.
Subduing Nandopananda: Taming a proud serpent king through the spiritual guidance of the Buddha's disciple.
Curing Brahma Baka: Overcoming the "snake" of wrong views and dogma with the medicine of ultimate truth.
In Buddhist tradition, simply listening to or reciting these verses with a pure, focused mind carries significant spiritual and mental benefits:
Dispelling Fear and Negativity: Chanting the powerful truths creates a calming vibration that counteracts anxiety, negative energies, and doubt.
Mindfulness and Protection: Remembering the Buddha's virtues helps calm the mind and acts as an emotional shield against life’s hardships.
Encouraging Right View: Hearing the stories reminds us how to face our own internal "demons" (anger, ignorance, and greed) using peaceful means.
Spiritual Awakening: Consistent daily recitation and meditation on these verses are believed to help a practitioner overcome the cycle of suffering and ultimately attain Nirvana (deliverance).
Namo Buddhaya
Sadhu! Sadhu!! Sadhu!!! 🙏🏼 | 301 |
