980 Some Musings on Gautama Buddha's Birth Day,

Today (10th May 2017) is the birth anniversary (Buddha Jayanti) of Gautama Buddha, the Founder of Buddhism. Birth year: 623 BC. It is celebrated on Vaisakha Pournima which is the full moon day, of the Lunar month of Visakha. The Lunar month of Visakha got its name from the practice of calling as name of the Lunar month, by the name of the star on which Moon will be in conjunction with (=appears visually nearer to) the star Alpha Librae, in the Constellation Libra (Indian Equivalent: Tula, or a weighing scale/balance). Indian name of the star Alpha Librae is 'Visakha'. Pournami = pUrNa='full', i.e. the Full Moon Day. This Visakha Paurnami is not only regarded as the day on which Gautama Buddha was born, but also, as the day on which he received his enlightenment. The day is also regarded as the day on which he attained his parinirvANa (passed away). In addition, the day also is the birth anniversary of Buddha's Mother Yashodhara. Trigger for me to write this particular blog post:- India recently celebrated the 125th Birth Anniversary of Late Babasaheb Ambedkar, the Architect of Indian Constitution. Our Readers may be aware that he embraced Buddhism during the later part of his life. Babasaheb Ambedkar was a Great Leader of the Pre-Independence Era, whose contemporaries and compatriots were Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Netaji Subas Chandra Bose et al.

Of late, a tendency has developed among the politicians of India, for political gains, to ritualistically garland the statue of Ambedkar on his Birth and Death Anniversaries, bathe it with milk, deliver lofty speeches on the occasion etc. etc.

In the States of Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh, an additional practice developed to invite Buddhist Monks to carry out Buddhist Prayers, preaches and speeches. Historically, Buddhism has been on a wane in India since the 8th Century CE. Today, Buddhism exists in India, its Birth-land, by and large, only for name sake, though the Tibetan Buddhist Refugee Leader Dalai Lama has been trying his best to revive the lost religion.

Amaravati (also known as dhAnya kaTakam, dharaNikoTa), the Capital of the State of Residual Andhra Pradesh, used to be a seat of Mahayana Buddhism, of the period 2nd Century BC to 2nd Century CE. During the said period, Andhra Pradesh was full of Buddhist Viharas (Hostels for Buddhist Monks), Chaityas and SthUpAs (Buddhist Memorials built on the Relics of Gautama Buddha). While Andhra SAtavAhana Kings of those days patronized Vedic Religion, their Queens patronized Buddhism and Jainism. Even today, we can see everywhere in Residual Andhra Pradesh, the ruins of Buddhist SthUpAs, chaityas, vihAras. Jaggaiahpeta, Bhattiprolu, Gummadidurru, are a few place names where such ruins can be seen. Andhra Pradesh is a big Treasure Trove of Buddhist, Jain, Kakatiya, Vijayanagara, Chalukya, ChOLa sculptures of such a magnitude and intensity that, wherever we dig either to build a house or dig a well, some sculpture or other will get unearthed beneathe the mounds of dilapidated villages.

21st Century

Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Nara Chandra Babu Naidu, has shown some inclination to develop Amaravati and Nagarjuna Konda (also known as Sri Parvata) as International Buddhist Tourist Centres. He has used the 125th Birth Anniversary Function of Baba Saheb Ambedkar, to highlight the importance of Buddhism in the History of Andhra Pradesh, etc. etc.

ybrao-a-donkey's personal views not intended to be imposed on others

In this part of India, during the rule of Bahamany Sultans (invaders/migrants from Iran), during the rule of Nizam Shahis (Turks --from Mohd. Ghori to Ibrahmi Lodi , and Moghuls --Babar to the last Moghul Emperor Bahadur Shah Jaffer), hundreds of Telugu people were already converted to Islam through abductions, violence and inducements. During the British Rule, hundreds of thousands of Telugu people were converted to Christianity through inducements, malicious propaganda=). Now, the people of this area, is already a mix of people practising these three Religions. As if these three religions are not enough, do we still need, revival of the defunct religion Buddhism here?

Though Hindus suffer from an age old malice of casteism, which they are striving to eradicate by continuous efforts, we should not forget CONVERSIONS OF PEOPLE INTO ALIEN RELIGIONS is not a solution for the malices of the Native Culture. Conversions will only aggravate the complexities of the problem.

PERCEIVED MERITS OF BUDDHISM OVER OTHER RELIGIONS, ARE ONLY ILLUSORY AND IMAGINARY

Missionaries of all religions, to which Buddhist Missionaries possibly are not exceptions, exaggerate the merits of their own religion, and try to impress upon and exert their influence on the minds of the listeners, so as to make them convert into their religion. They forget to notice or realise that those other religions whose merits they have not sung, also contain similar, or sometimes even better tenets, following which would / might have made them better individuals , without converting their religions.

Example: Desire is the cause for all miseries

The second of the four Noble Truths of Buddhism says:

"... Suffering arises from attachment to desires. ..."

Also called 'samudaya' or 'tanha' according to Buddhism. Attachments arise from desires. Cravings make the desires and attachment to desires.

What does Bhagavad Gita , a part of Mahabharata Epic say? I have placed on internet, a moderated version of my perception of Bhagavadgita at my blog Click here to go to http://bhagavadgitayb.blogspot.in/2007/07/chapter-2-soul-and-body-sankhya-yoga.html

Sanskrit Poet Veda VyAsa. Period approx. estimate: 2000 years BC.
SY 62 (Chapter No. 2, SAnkhya yOgA (path of Numbers), Verse No. 62)
dhyaayatoo vishayaan pumsa:
samgas teeshu upajaayatee
samgaat samjaayatee kaama:
kaamaat kroodhoo abhijaayatee

SY 63 (2 / 063)
kroodhaad bhavati sammooha:
sammoohaat smrutivibhrama:
smrutibhrams`aad buddhinaas`oo
buddhinaas`aat pran`as`yati
Approx. Engl.: When a person thinks of worldly pleasures, attachment is born. From the attachment is born the desire and lust. From the desire and lust are born the anger. (SW 62).

From anger, is born temptation and obsession. From the obsession is born, the loss of memory and consciousness. (Translator's comment: Not loss of consciousness of body, it is the consciousness of soul. ).
When consciousness of soul is lost, a person loses his discriminating wisdom and intellect. A person without intellect becomes imbecile and condemned. (SW 63).

So, it is clear, Buddhism has tried to reiterate and reformulate what Bhagavad Gita taught at least 1500 years ahead of Buddha.

Is going to Forest and undertaking rigorous penance necessary to understand a simple basic truth? [=DESIRE IS CAUSE OF MISERY]

An illiterate person belonging to Working Class (Proletariat), who toils 24/7/365 amidst dust/sweat, and who slogs to earn 2 square meals a day for his belly and the bellies of his wife and children, may not have the time and the endurance to appreciate and understand this truth. But a person of Buddha's calibre, does he need six years of so called 'Great Penance' to appreciate and understand this truth?

DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TUNNEL VIEW OF 'SINGLE PROPHET RELIGIONS' and the 'COSMIC VIEW OF INDIAN CULTURE'

Indian Culture encompasses several concepts, sometimes, diametrically divergent concepts, because it is 'PLURALIST' i.e. permits multiple views and perspectives. Arguments and pleadings take place between/among these divergent views. Hence, Hinduism cannot be viewed as a Religion (=with wider meaning 'way of life', narrow meaning of 'going to 'X' Prayerhouse and praying to 'Y' God. Those restrictive views can be found in 'SINGLE PROPHET RELIGIONS' like Islam, Christianity etc. Indian Culture is like a 'Composite Admixture' like Anona Squimoza, or a bunch of grapes, or a cluster of bananas. Hence, coexistence of rival theories either in embrace or in conflict, has become a historical truth. There were conflicts between the Indian Culture which included Sacrifice of animals to placate Gods, and the Buddhism which castigated animal sacrifices.

POLYTHEISM

Polytheism is also a part of this integration of Multiple Cultures with Multiple Gods and Goddesses. The real questions are only 'Whether there is God(s)/Goddess(es) at all?' 'What are acceptable definitions of God(s)/Goddess(es)'?. 'Multiple Gods/goddesses' is not an issue at all. Ans: If there can be thousand rivers on this Earth, there can also be Thousand Gods and Goddesses. In other words, once we concede that God(ddess) exists, the question of 'single or multiple' loses its value.

ANIMAL SACRIFICES

A part of Indian Culture improved itself, by stopping 'animal sacrifices' substituting them with offerings of flowers and fruits, and went even to the extent of absorbing Buddhism into its fold, by including Gautama Buddha as the 9th incarnation, of the 10 incarnations of Lord VishNu, popularly known as daSa avatArs. Probably, idol worship might have had either Buddhist or Jain origin. That too was absorbed by Indian Culture. Wearing ochre robes also might have been borrowed from Buddhism.

One word of caution in reasoning

If we consider that ghastly slaying of animals in abattoirs or in homes is not wrong, then offering the meat of the animals to the God(ddesses) cannot be considered ignoble. Basically, both perform 'violence', and 'cruelty to animals'.

I, quite often, view the 'kalyANOtsavam' program of the deity Shri Venkateswara of TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India), on SVBC TV CHANNEL. The program starts at about 12 noon, and ends at about 12.55 pm. It is a great Audio-Visual delight, keeping aside whether there are superstitions or not. 'Audio-Visual Joys' are to be kept aside from truth-seeking explorations and searches. These joys are comparable to looking at serene scenery of a rainbow or a glacier or at Aurora (Northern Lights). We need not link to religion, and be cynical to everything enchanting.

Back to kalyANotsavam (wedding ceremony of Lord Venkateswara): One important element of the wedding ceremony is 'lAja hOmam' (sacrifice of popped corn/rice/jowar). 'Fire' is regarded as God named 'Agni'. He has two wives 'svAhA' and 'svahA'. The chants made by priests during the offerings use the word 'svAha', to give importance to both the sexes of the Element Fire. Offerings to Supreme God are sent through the Fire God. Wedding ceremonies of ordinary citizens in some cultures of India, invariably perform these hOmams (sending offerings to Supreme God(ddesses through Fire God) for about one hour.

Whenever, I see fire ceremonies in weddings, I recall the messy Horse sacrifices of the Vedic Period, Ramayana Period, Mahabharata period, where the Priests used to pour the fleshes of numerous animals and birds into the sacrificial. Now, the magnitude has been substantially reduced. Now, only a few apUpams (a sweet tasty delectable preparation made from flour, clarified butter and jaggery. This can be prepared in homes also. In Telugu language this is called 'appam' 'appacci'.) and popped grains (Sanskrit: lAja. Telugu: pElAlu). Now, the hOmams (fire ceremonies) have become more 'viewable' with 'no disgust', though there is still some wastage of precious food stuffs by dropping them into raging fires.

The common unavoidable ingredient both in the ancient vEdic sacrifices and the present wedding ceremonies of Temples as per vaikhAnasa Agama / pancharAtra Agama (Scriptures of Worship Methods) is profuse induction of 'clarified butter'. One question torments me: Can a poor country like India afford to waste clarified butter in this manner, particularly when India is compelled to import dairy products also.

This is a 1000 page subject. As this blog post has become lengthy, I shall come up with another blog post on Buddha's 6 years penance and his subsequent 35 years post-enlightenment life style.

To continue adding / deleting / modifying. सशेष. ఇంకా ఉంది.