This Buddha  Statue of Jade is in Rama-King's Palace in Bangkok.  That palace is one of the Most unique Places to visit.   There is a great History of how many wars were fought before it ended up in this Palace!  

Buddha Jayanti comes on Vaishakhi Purnima.  This year it was on  Thursday May 7^th.  It is very interesting to know that He was born on Vaishakhi Purnima, enlightened also on Vaishakhi Purnima and very interesting, he took Maha Samadhi also on Vaishakhi Purnima.   

Budda was born in Lumbini, Nepal.  Left his wife and young Rahul to Pursue his calling – quest and achieved Nirvana.   His teachings followed that of a Gyaan Yoga.   His main message was Buddham Sharanam Gachchhami, Sangham Sharanam Gachchhami, Dharmam Sharanam Gachchhami !  

Thanx to URI – United Religions Initiatives for Compliling Buddhism so nicely.  

How did Buddhism begin?

About  2500  years  ago,  a prince named  Siddhartha  Gautama  began  to  question  his sheltered,  luxurious  life  in  the  palace.   He  left  the  palace  and  saw  four  sights:  a sick man,  an old man,  a  dead  man  and  a  monk.   These  sights  are  said  to  have  shown  him that  even  a  prince  cannot  escape  illness,  suffering  and  death.   The  sight  of  the  monk  told  Siddhartha  to leave   his  life  as  a  prince  and  become  a  wandering  holy  man,  seeking  the  answers  to  questions  like  "Why  must  people  suffer?"  "What  is  the  cause  of  suffering?"   Siddartha  spent  many  years  doing  many  religious  practices  such  as  praying,  meditating,  and  fasting  until he  finally  understood  the  basic  truths  of  life.   This realization  occurred  after  sitting  under  a  Poplar- fig  tree  in  Bodh  Gaya,  India  for  many days,  in  deep  Meditation.  He gained  Enlightenment,  or  Nirvana,  and  was  given  the  title  of  Buddha,  which  means  Enlightened  One.

What did Buddha teach?

Buddha  discovered  Three  Universal  Truths  and  Four  Noble  Truths,  which  he  then taught  to  the  people  for  the  next  45 years.

Three Universal Truths

1. 1. Everything  in  life  is  Impermanent  and  always  Changing.
2. 2. Because  nothing  is  Permanent,  a  life  based  on  possessing  things  or  persons  doesn't make  you  Happy.
3. 3. There  is  no  eternal,  unchanging  soul  and  "self"  is just  a  collection  of  changing characteristics  or  attributes.

Four Noble Truths

1. 1. Human  life  has  a  lot  of  suffering.
2. 2. The  cause  of  suffering  is  greed.  (Somewhere it says, Desires- Kaam. I would say Ego! )
3. 3. There  is  an  end  to  suffering.   (According to Patanjali – Suffering is caused  by  our Ignorance or Avidya – Wrong  Knowledge !) 
4. 4. The  way  to  end  suffering  is  to  follow  the  Middle  Path.

Buddha  then  taught  people  NOT  to worship  him  as  a  God.   He  said  they  should  take  responsibility  for  their  own  Lives  and  Actions.   He  taught  that  the  Middle  Way  was  the  way  to Nirvana.   The  Middle  Way  meant  not  leading  a  life  of  luxury  and  indulgence but  also  not  one  of   too  much  fasting  and  hardship.   

There  are  eight  guides  for   following  the  Middle path.

The Eightfold Path

1. 1. Right  Understanding  and  Viewpoint  (based  on  the  Four  Noble  Truths).
2. 2. Right  Values  and  Attitude  (Compassion  rather  than  Selfishness).
3. 3. Right  Speech  ( don't  tell  Lies,  avoid  Harsh,  Abusive   Speech,   Avoid   Gossips).
4. 4. Right  Action   (Help  others,  Live  Honestly,  don't  Harm  Living  things,  take  care  of   the Environment).
5. 5. Right  Work (do something  useful,   avoid  jobs  which  harm  others).
6. 6. Right  effort (encourage  Good,  Helpful  Thoughts,  discourage  unwholesome  Destructive Thoughts).
7. 7. Right  Mindfulness  (be aware  of  what  you  feel,  think  and  do).
8. 8. Right  Meditation (Calm  Mind,  Practice  Meditation  which  leads  to  Nirvana).

What is Meditation?

Meditation  is  an  essential  practice  to  most  Buddhists.   Buddhists  look  within  themselves  for  the  Truth  and  Understanding  of  Buddha's  Teachings. They  seek  Enlightenment,  or  Nirvana,  this  way.  Nirvana  is  freedom  from  needless  suffering  and  being  fully  alive  and present  in  one's  life.  It  is  not  a  state  that  can  really  be  described  in  words --  it  goes beyond  words.

Meditation  means  focusing  the  Mind  to  achieve  an  Inner   Sti l lness  that  leads  to  a  state  of  Enlightenment.    Meditation  takes  many  forms: 

• • It  can  be  sitting  quietly  beside  a  beautiful  arrangement  of  rocks,  contemplating  beauty.
• • It  can  be  practicing  a  martial  art  such  as  Karate  or  Aikido  since  they  require  mental  and  physical  control  and  strong  concentration.
• • It  can  mean  focusing  on  a  riddle  such  as  "What  is  the  sound  of  one  hand  clapping?"
• • It  can  be  Contemplating  a  Haiku  or  short  poem  that  captures  a  moment  in  time.
• • It  can  be  in  a  Meditation  room  of  a  Monastery.
• • It  can  involve  Chanting.
• • It  can  involve  the  use  of  a  Mandala  to  focus  attention  to  the  invisible  point  at  the  center  of  interlocking  Triangles.
• • It  can  involve  quietly  noticing  one's  breath  as  it  goes  in  and  out.  It  can  happen   any      w here  at  any  time.  (Vipasyana !)

Their main Mantra is "OM Mani Padme Hum OM"!  

When we went to Kailas in 2004:  you can hear this melodious chanting all over from Khatmandu thru Kailas in China ... 

Must Listen .......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjJbXMq5sdI

According to Grand Master Choa Kok Sui of Pranic Healing,  to my undestanding, OM is Holy Mantra.  Om represents Bhamhan – God, and any Mantra that begins with OM must end in OM to get expansive effect.  

Mani is the Chakra – Shiva's Third eye, right above the Pallet.  Chanting this Mantra causes the rise in the energy from Mani to end in Padme – Sahashtrar Center.  Hum represents the blessings from Divine, when the Energy reaches to Padme.   

When we visited Cambodia, we asked the guide that why Cambodia . which has so many Hindu Temples esp. Shiva, around Angkorwat, they accepted Buddhism?   Angkor Wat four walls – one mile length each has the Hindu Sculpures of Geeta, MahaBharat, Ramayan etc.  The king who decided to accept Buddhist's Philosophy, felt that in Geeta Sri Krishna promotes Hinsa – Violence, while in Buddhism, Ahimsa is highest Dhrma, where you rather get killed but do not kill others.   The cycle of revenge has to stop somewhere, and that better be with you.   So King accepted and so did People?   

Compiled by Sudhir Parikh of SATSANG Center and Nataraja YOGA Center.  May 07^th, 2020.