BUDDHA 1

The world is in turmoil. Where is the Buddha, the man of peace and universal compassion? The land of his birth has banished him for rejecting the Vedas. Time it is to bring back the lion-heart devoid of the negatives of the past, for our very survival as a race depends on it.

Do you think it is possible to understand a Ramakrishna or a Vivekananda without comprehending a Christ or a Buddha? No, it is an impossible dream for the greats ever are bound in kinship of spirit beyond the pale of our human dissensions. The Divinity that manifests as the Avatar (divine incarnation) in every Age is the same being.

The culture that is woven round a divine incarnation is at times more real than the personality of the incarnation itself from the historical standpoint and herein lies the importance of preserving every religious tradition even if it is largely built around myths and miracles and the personality cult thereof. While it is true to say that these myths are central to some of the major religious traditions of the world, it is equally and emphatically true that such is not the case with the Buddha and Buddhism. Superstitions abound in every religion and Buddhism is no exception but these are later accretions rather than the central tenets of this grand religion.

The bare facts of the Buddha's life are well documented historically and here we are strictly applying historical rigour and not subscribing to mythological evidence as adequate proof of historicity. The Buddha then is a historical figure beyond doubt and that, as a starter, is proof of his stupendous greatness with respect to the likes of Rama, Krishna and Christ whose historicity is shrouded in myths and legends of immeasurable value doubtlessly, yet, not comparable to the inestimable worth of the actual historical existence of the Tathagata.

The Buddha stands as the Northern Star in the spiritual firmament of the India of antiquity, not as the initiator of spirituality but as the fulfilment of an age-old tradition that had gone awry. His real-life form dwarfs the mythological characters by far and shines as the beacon of peace, wisdom and compassion for all sentience. Our reverences to him on his birthday, our prostrations at his feet and our fondest hope and aspiration that he will return to the land of his birth and sit enthroned in the hearts of Indians in the rightful way, in harmony with the ancient spirit of the land and not in supposed opposition to its pristine principles of life and truth. Buddhang sharanang gachchhami (I take refuge in the Buddha). Om!