The Teacher and his Mission      Unit MI 102

                                                         Lesson 1

In the first Unit we set the stage, gave you a glimpse of the events and ideas which formed Buddha, and examined his environment and heritage during and before his teachings, but we have said little about Buddha himself. In this lesson we will look at Buddha, his life and the legends that are told. As Buddhists it would appear to be a rather useless thing to do, for neither his life nor the legends are really of great import. We need know nothing of the Wright brothers’ lives to take a Boeing to China.

But everybody wants heroes. Even children want their Spiderman, Superman and

the Hulk. So we will look at the hero Buddha who did not climb tall buildings,

clear crime from Gotham City or transform himself into the Benevolent Hulk. We

will look at the Buddha who climbed the summit of the mind, gave the formulas to

clear suffering from the world, and transformed himself into a natural human

creature who possessed his Buddha nature.

This Buddha lived first in the body of an infant, then a young child, then an

adolescent, then a young man, before he became a Buddha. This is the person that

it is beneficial to understand, for we wish to see the sense behind his words, and

these come from his inner experience interpreted by his understanding that was

earlier nurtured and grown.

Lesson 1                             The Legend

Heaven of the Tusitas

The future Buddha, who at this time was only “chosen to become”, lived in the

heaven of the Tusitas (the satisfied ones), called thus because the divine creatures

who lived there emanated from themselves. His name was Svetaketu.

Svetaketu in this heavenly paradise decided, executing his freedom of choice, to

give up all he had, leave and descend to earth and live among human creatures.

But he knew that this would be his last existence and so he chose the Island of

Jambudvipa (Red Apple Trees) which we know as India. He chose clearly, without

doubt, where he would be born, his caste and his mother and father.

                                                 The Mahuvasta  Bhumi 10

The compassionate great man, surrounded by immortals venerated by the Gods, considering the benefits of both humans and gods, meditated:

“The time has come to depart from here, because man has immersed himself in

profound darkness, he is blind, his vision is clouded. But if he is with me, then he

will see the light.

What woman takes pleasure in moral discipline and calm, of noble birth, her

speech friendly, generous, resplendent and tender?

Where is the woman filled with dignity, who has vanquished extravagance, passion

and hate, doted with full beauty, conduct irreproachable and possessing abundant

merit?

Who can bear me for ten months? Who has by her own merit gained such

happiness? Who then will be my mother? In which womb will I enter?

Looking below in the court of King Suddhodana, I see the Queen Maya, like unto a

wife of an immortal, of beauty brilliant like a beam of light.”

As in most famous birth legends, the father, in this case Suddhodana, appears to be

of little importance except that he was wealthy enough to posses this woman so

precious who was to be privileged. Alas, he becomes in our legends no more

important then Joseph, who might well have been forgotten in Christian legend

were it not that he was the husband of Mary.

Now we come to an important part of the legend which, as in the case of Mary,

finds the need to divorce her from the image of intercourse, which by common

consent cannot be accepted, being well understood that a Bodhisattva cannot be

born from carnal relations between father and mother, but only by the great

Bodhisattva’s own merit.  So we see the following necessary conversation between

King Suddhodana and Maya, showing her pure thoughts.

The Mahavastu

“I wish to abstain from causing damage to any living creature and live a caste life.

Evading theft, drunkenness and frivolous conversations.

I wish, Lord, to renounce all coarse words, slander and lies. This is my proposal:

To not envy the happiness of those round me, maintain friendship with all, evade

with great caution false opinions.

I wish, o king, to live accommodating the eleven moral rules. This resolution has

tormented me all night.

Thus then, Oh King! Do not with me feed your sexual desires. Try to not offend

me, because I wish to observe my vote of chastity.”

Suddhodana, with great understanding, replied:

“I respect all your wishes. Remain tranquil. Begin a noble life. I and my kingdom

obey.”

Historically we can see a little more of the court environment here, for it seems

apparent that theft, drunkenness, frivolous conversations, coarse words, slander

and lies were common fare at court, according to the writer, who may actually

have imprinted the conduct of his own time upon the legend. Furthermore we see

the mental set common at the time, which is that women must submit to the

“feeding of sexual desire.”

Bear in mind that this was the life into which Gotama was born.

The Conception and Birth

The Lalitavistara sutra

It was thus, religious one, the time of coldness had passed. In the month Vaisakha

(Late April-May), when came once more the constellation Vaisakha, in the precise

moment of Spring, the most beautiful of the seasons, the most precious trees

covered with leaves; everywhere sprouting flowers, beautiful among the most

beautiful, there was neither cold nor heat, clouds nor dust, the ground was covered

with green grass, dense and suave.

It was then when the Bodhisattva, Lord of the three realms, revered in the

universe, after examining well the signaled moment, in the fifteenth day of the new

moon, in the conjunction of the constellation Pouchya (cancer) after descending

from his delightful sojourn of the Tusita realm, conserving his recollections and

science, entered into the womb of the mother, when she was observing the start of

her fast, in the form of a small white elephant with six tusks. His head had the

color of cochanille, his teeth were like a frame of gold and all his members and

organs were perfect. Once in her womb, he supported himself at the right and

never to the left. Mayadevi, gently sleeping in her bed, saw this in a dream:

“A white elephant like snow and silver, with six tusks, beautiful feet, a superb

trunk, with vermilion head, entered in my womb, it was the most beautiful of

elephants; he moved graciously the compactness of his  body firm like a diamond.

The happiness which I felt, had never before been felt, heard of or fancied: in a

manner that, in a pleasant body state in plain spiritual well-being I remained

absorbed in contemplation.”

One could consider this, if one wishes as a miraculous conception, but the symbolic

content weighs much heavier in favor of a non literal interpretation than the

suggestion that this is a real description of the conception. These legends of the

birth and life of Buddha are further formed by the traditional norms of

Bodhisattva birth.

The mother for example of a Bodhisattva never gives birth lying down, only while

standing. Naturally then in the legend this takes place. We also see the traditional

two rains, cold and warm, which are traditionally required to bathe a new born

Bodhisattva. The text of the Dighnikaya cites the following:

“It was established that when a Bodhisattva is delivered from the womb of his

mother, two rains will fall, one cold and one warm, destined for the preparation of

the bathing of the Bodhisattva and mother. Such is the norm in each case.”

 In the Mahavasta account which is older and more simple the rains indeed fall. In

the Lalitavistara (Mahayana) which is more rhetorical and eloquent, although

filled with the symbolic imagination of the Mahayana, arrive aquatic divinities

called Nagas, which appear in half human half snakelike form.

Two of these, Nanda and Upananda bathe the child in cold and warm water.

The ambiguity of the Sanskrit term Naga, however, which may also be translated

as elephant, permits us to imagine that in realty the bathing of the child was

performed in the presence of two elephants, who may indeed have been the

providers of showers of water.  In Indian icons we see for example a similar

situation in a famous group entitled “Lakshmi with the Elephants,” so the idea is

not perhaps original, but traditional in one form or another.

Look now at the actual birth scene in the Mahavasta legend.

El Mahavasta Bhumi 10

She (Maya) was in the habit of walking in the forest with her servants, content,

happy and enthusiastic. Walking thus between the thickets she saw a lumbini tree

covered with green vines and fresh buds. In the ecstasies of her joy and perfect

well being grasped with one hand a branch of the tree and remaining thus with a

look of pleasure, until the Conqueror was delivered of unconquerable spirit, the

great supreme seer.

On his birth, the gods, by way of two rains with an aroma of exquisite flowers, one

cold and the other warm, bathed the lord of men, venerated in the kingdom of the

Asura, the lord supreme of the three worlds, compassive, transcendental, having

refuge in earth and heaven, for whom exists no old age nor death, who has no

equal on the earth, wise, with eyes like the petals of the lotus, which constitute the

happiness of the Gods and Titans.

In the Lalitavistara we see this earlier legend transformed. To give you an idea of

the difference look at just the point where Maya reaches out for the tree. It is of

such stuff that legends are born and reborn.

The Lalitavistara Sutra

Then, suddenly, this tree plaksa, due to the omnipotence of the glory of the

Bodhisattva, inclined in an attitude of reverent salute to Mayadeva, who extended

her right arm, like a beam of heaven, and grasped a branch of the plaksa…and

remained unmoving.

At this moment entered the legion of Gods of the spheres of desire, seventy

thousand apsaras came to serve her as an escort of honor … In this precise

moment, Sakra (Indra), lord of the Gods, and Brahma, Lord of the Powerful were

to be found before her, full of profound respect, remembering and recognizing in

his (the child’s) body and in the signs of his body the Bodhisattva, thus received

him in a divine cloth from Kasi (Benares)

No mortal touched the Bodhisattva, thus it was only the divinities who were the

first to receive him.

The question is at what point is it worth even considering the legends, beautiful

though they may be, for remember they were written long after the events they

portray and although verbally transmitted do not have so to speak Buddhas seal,

for different schools have their own versions, the  Lalitavistara being Tibetan and

the Mahavasta Theravadin.

The appearance of the white elephant is no mystery, for the white elephant was

considered at the time a sacred creature in the royal traditions of India, which

formed a part of the seven monarchial attribute, the elephant being the divine

cosmic connection. Indeed symbolism had played a great part in all India’s great

history.

Is it not really today sufficient to state that Gotama was born and show as best as

one can the ambit in which he was born and lived? Does the truth of the birth,

childhood and life of Jesus the Nazarene need the embellishment of a virgin birth?

Where did the birth take place?

We know that the area encompassing the Indus and the Ganges where Buddha

was born, lived and traveled was divided into various political areas with diverse

importance. Most important was the powerful kingdom of Maghada which was

bordered defensively by the Ganges to the North. As is the history of all power

structures the kingdom was internally agitated by internal corruption and strife.

Then there was the small kingdom of Vatsa, with its capital Kausamba, supported

by the city of Prayaga.

There was the Kingdom of Kosala, with its capital Savatthi, supported by two

cities which were minor at this time, Avodhya and Varanasi. Besides these major

kingdoms there were the small republics we mentioned in the last unit. The Sakyas

were a part of one such kingdom.

They bordered the Kingdom of Kosala, and today one can locate more or less their

Sakya kingdom at  the point which is now border country of Nepal and India. It

was a territory little populated with low quality cultivation. The capital of the

Sakyas was, Kapilavastu (Tiluurakot), twenty kilometers North east of Lumbini.

But it is in Piprava, about a dozen kilometers from Lumbini, that stone urns

containing ashes were found in 1898 with the ruins of a stupa. An inscription in

Brahmanic characters declared, “the urn of Buda of the tribe of the Sakyas.”

Later, in 1972, in the ruins of the same stupa, two more urns were discovered

containing dozens of pieces of human bones and various objects that had

inscriptions referring to the Monastery of Kapilavatthu. Finally, in 1975, were

discovered the ruins of what has been identified as the old palace of the Sakya

kings.

But, as with all archeological discoveries, there are always reservations and other

ideas presented place the capital of the Sakyas in Tiluurakot. The solution to this

problem proposed by archeologists was that Tilurakot was the original capital, the

site where Buddha lived and was educated and Piprava was the new capital, called

the Great Kapilavatthu, built after Tilurakot was burnt down by Vidudabha, in

the time of Buddha. Thus it was in Piprava that the ashes of Buddha were buried.

Be that as it may, having got the geographical relations placed, it is clear that

Buddha was born in Lumbini.

What then can be deduced from this that will help us grasp Buddha’s

environment?

First, his family was wealthy and he lived a secure and elegant life in the palace,

well protected and educated. Ample servants of a warrior class, who learned as he

must martial arts, meant to maim and kill. You see we must have no false illusions

here. He was a Prince, chained to Brahmic education and the training of his caste.

He looked to Brahma and the gods.

Look at the picture above. This might well be how Buddha appeared. A far cry, is

it not, from the traditional statues and thankas we see of the awakened Buddha.

Look at it again. Was there any less a Buddha inside the man who might appear

like this, than we see in meditational poses?

Try to imagine Gotama’s daily life as a child right through adolescence and his life

as a married Prince surrounded by luxury. It does little good to say, ah yes, he was

a Prince and gave it up for the transcendental path. That is to deny his ideas,

concepts, clinging and craving, his fears and his aversions. To deny this is to

divorce him from the reality of the state of samsara in which he was born and

nurtured. 

He, like all human creatures, had the Bodhisattva state of his true nature dormant

within. Certainly from his basic nature you can see the potential awakening.

Perhaps you can identify with this man, this Prince, portrayed as a human

Creature. But if you see Gotama as a divine predestined creature, what have you

in common? What is there in his rejection of that life that you can emulate?

Nothing, unless you can identify with him and take strength and courage from his

actions.

His parents, like most parents, were  happy, particularly with a boy child. Maya

bids the king to send for the traditional Brahmins who attend the births of noble

families to use their powers of divination to see whether the child is worthy or not.

It is doubtful whether Brahmins actually summoned by a king would give anything

but an optimistic report unless there were clear political reasons to do so,

especially when it must be remembered that they were to receive some recompense

for their difficult task. The Lalitavistara recognizes this moment.

The Lalitavistara

“The king Suddhodana listened to the words of the Brahmins, knowing the signs

and omens, versed in astrology and in the interpretation of dreams, and then full

of happiness, pleasure, joy and ecstasy, gave them abundant tasty delicacies,

agreeable, exquisite and with great flavor, he gave them cloths and bid them

farewell.”

What did the six Brahmins who were called predict for the child after their great

labor and toil in their various arts?

They discovered that he had all the attributes of a future great man (mahapurisa).

The destiny for such a man was naturally, to be a universal sovereign known

for his justice not for his rigor. Or else would become a true Awakened One. The

dreams of Mara, naturally confirmed this prediction.

What were these great signs? There were 32 major signs and 80 minor signs. Most

one would expect to find in the union of a strong, healthy and handsome Aryan

warrior King, and the woman he might choose as a Queen, who also possessed

incredible beauty.

The major surprises were the presence of a protuberance on the crown of his head

(Usnisa) and a small tuft of silver gray hair in the center of his forehead (Urna).  In

addition, the fingers of his hands showed strong webbing and the sole of each foot

bore a beautiful white brilliant wheel with a thousand radials. Searching for

possible truth in the legends, we can justify on the basis of heredity the three

former characteristics, but the wheels are difficult to explain away.

Now lest we fall into the trap of believing that these things are important, let us

jump forward for a moment in history and look at the statements of Buddha in the

Diamond Sutra, reflecting on this when he became a Buddha.

The Diamond Sutra   Verse   20

The Buddha continued with his questions:

“What do you think, Subhuti? Can the Buddha be perceived by his perfect

physical body?”

“No, Honored One, because the Tathagata teaches that a perfect physical body is

not really such; it is just a name.”

“And can the Tathagata be perceived by means of any phenomenalist

characteristic?”

“No, Honored One, because the Tathagata teaches that phenomenological

characteristics are not really as such. They are only names which they receive.”

The Diamond Sutra   Verse   26

The Buddha asked Subhuti:

“Do you think that the Tathagata can be perceived by the thirty two marks of a

great being?”

“Yes, certainly he can be perceived in such a way.”

“Subhuti, if he could be perceived by such marks, is then every great emperor the

same as the Tathagata?”

“Honorable One, according to how one interprets your intentions, the Tathagata is

not able to be perceived by the thirty two signs.”

Thereupon the Buddha chanted these verses:

“He who sees me by the form

 He who looks for me by the voice

 Wanders from the path

 Because he cannot see the Tathagata.”

The message is quite clear. He who is trapped in the ideas that the Awakened One

is his form or his attributes or owes his awakening to the thirty two signs cannot

see the true Buddha and thus wanders from the Dharma Path.

The Hermit Atisha

Finally, the legends bring a hermit Atisha into the picture to confirm the findings

of the Brahmins. He arrives from the mountains where ascetics and sadus lived.

The Lalitavistara says that he arrived amongst great throngs that had gathered

About the palace, but the hermit was recognized and received without delay.

Seeing the child while sleeping, Atisha remarked:

“Great men, like he, do not sleep for much time; men of good, like he, remain

always awakened.”

The Suttanipata describes better the reaction of Atisha and describes how after

seeing the child he cannot refrain from joyful tears. He explains that he feels great

rejoicing that he has seen the savior of the world but is crying because with his

advanced age he will never hear the teachings of Buddha.

Queen Maya we learn died seven days later and the young Gotama was placed in

the charge of the King’s second wife, Mahaprajapati, Maya’s sister.

From the knowledge and understanding of Gotama as a human creature and

knowing his mannerisms and attributes from the evidence of his documented life

and teachings we can generate an idea of his life.

The young Gotama was given a name by Maya, probably aided by the Brahmins,

for it was the tradition that any child of noble birth must carry a worthy

transcendental name. The name chosen for the child Gotama, was Siddhartha “he

who reaches his natural end”.

In texts we find that he is given other titles, among them “the well ventured”, “the

conqueror,” and perhaps the most used, including by Buddha himself, “the

Tathagata”, which means he who has reached suchness (Tat) which is a synonym

for Brahma, signifying that he had reached the oneness with the Brahma state.

Many like to forget that Brahmic connection, but it is present.

In fact we find after Buddha’s Awakening a small and interesting later interlude in

which he refers to his name.  He returns and speaks with the five ascetics who had

accompanied him, Kondanna, Bhadiya, Vappa, Mahanama and Assaji who

naturally called him by his name. His response was the following:

“Do not call the Tathagata by his personal name, since I am now an arhant,

complete and perfectly awakened. The power supernatural of the Tathagata is

immense. He is the supreme conqueror.  Thus if one calls the Tathagata by his

personal name, for a long time, you will suffer immense sorrow.”

This apparent arrogance is not quite what it seems, for what Buddha is saying that

if one does not recognize the Tathagata for what he is now and not what he was,

then one cannot learn the truth from him and thus one is condemned to suffer for

much time. This apparently trivial point is a lesson that must be remembered.

Do not ever allow shallow perceptions of the mind obscure the truth.

Early Years

Like Jesus, the early years of Buddha have also disappeared. It is as though he

disappeared with the death of his mother, only to appear again when he was

fourteen.  There are three major stages in the evolution of a young person in which

different aspects of his or her character is developed. Like the intelligence

quotient,  there is virtually no change after approximately the age of fifteen. Thus

we appear to have lost, in both cases, one of the most important developmental

phases of their lives. In the case of Buddha, as we shall see in other lessons, that

important phase was between ten and fifteen.

What was the young Gotama like?

Probably thoughtful and introspective, feeling somewhat different from others, not

only due to his position as a prince, but because he had an aversion to many of the

traditional ideas. He was a good student. Privileged naturally with the best

teachers, it is no surprise that he stood above his peers. Luxury abounded but he

was not too affected by luxury, for attachment to objects was not among his

problems. 

He expressed few emotions, but his strength was passion, in that anything he

decided to enter, he did so intently, losing himself in whatever he did. He was

bound more by duty and a sense of right and wrong than what we call the

Bodhisattva quality, which was clearly within him as within all human creatures.

He had a tendency, even between eleven to fourteen, to be more by himself than

with other children, but he participated in sporting activities.

He possessed a tendency to be critical that grew as his experiences developed.

An innate curiosity was his greatest gift and he always looked to the root of the

matter in a more abstract way than a discriminating person may have done. He

possessed a good memory for abstract ideas but probably names and details

escaped him. If he had lived within a poor family he would probably have been

criticized by his father for a lack of application to routine work, always looking for

a quicker way to get things done at the expense of accuracy. But when he decided

upon a direction, then that was it. There would be no going back.

There is a saying which says “not to suffer fools”. This too would be his position as

he grew older. He had a clear capacity to understand, but was not an orator, and

when later it became necessary to teach, there would be two main methods: off the

top of his head without concern and to the devil with the hindmost, or

alternatively, explain in clear and logical manner, but without great emotion,

color, or verbal prowess.

Thus he could not teach with rhetoric, only with reason and passion. There would

be those he would offend easily, he being considered by many as cold and

emotionless, and others who would take to him immediately as a leader. He

himself, however, would accept no authority, except it were a duty, and only allow

above him someone he could completely respect and follow.

Thus his childhood was quiet and uninterrupted and he immersed himself in the

Vedantic tales. He was in no way a romantic, but a dreamer, and his own fantasy

world in which he was always present would accompany him.

In a nutshell what would we say his character was?  Aversion, a quick and curious

mind, bound by duty and obligation, passionate and clear, in other words, before

he launched himself upon the voyage of self discovery, he would be termed in

Buddhist terms, which likes to point out the negative characteristics of each person

that must be conquered, a person of hostility and aversion, or in more expressive

terms, a Savage Beast.

It may not be popularly received not to portray the young Buddha as a young

saint, but those legends, beautiful in literature though they may be, do not allow us

to really see the battle he waged within when he started his search for truth. It is

that sort of battle, with its personal defects and impediments, which each person

must face and vanquish. If this man is to be our example, we must portray him as

the man he probably was, for we do not wish to win over anyone with legend,

pomp or ceremony.

There is one tale which reveals this character especially well. His new tutor,

Visvamitra, entered and prostrated before the Prince. Before Visvamitra could

begin to propose the lessons, the young Gotama took a writing tablet.

The master said with surprise at the eagerness of the student, probably in jest,

“Fine master. What type of writing are you going to teach me?”

Gotama began to show Visvamitra seventy four different types of writing, many of

which Visvamitra could not identify, after which Gotama recited the alphabet,

pronouncing each letter with maximum clarity.

Clearly he soon showed rapid progress. But do you see the character at play here?

No sign of fear in front of a most qualified master, a touch of the arrogance of the

savage beast, the quick mind, the curiosity that permitted that he learn by himself,

even before he had a tutor. All of course great stuff for legend.

The texts do not provide us with any detailed account of his studies, apart from

mentioning grammar, the art of chess, music and the art of making perfumes, but

the bas reliefs of Bandhara show him being taught the military arts and other

sports. Gotama is seen in a type of wrestling similar to the Greco roman style. We

can conclude that his education was the best that treasures could buy and was

complete.

Thus we move on to what was perhaps the most important event of his life, without

which the history of Buddhism would never have unfolded. It is an incident which

is recounted often, but the significance of which is unnoticed.

One day, when he was about fourteen, his father inaugurated the traditional first

plowing of the year, in which it was the king who turned the first earth. The

Prince, left by himself, sat in the seven pointed posture, with legs crossed, beneath

a yambo (red apple tree).

Fixing his mind in a one pointed manner, he proceeded to meditate, sitting there,

as the Lalitavistara tells us “until the shadow of all the trees had changed

direction, but the shadow of the yambo did not leave the body of the Bodhisattva.”

This is the legend’s way of telling us that his meditation was profound and

complete, probably having left behind for the first time access meditation and

entering into his first trance state.

Not too spectacular one might think, for meditation was a part of formal training

for any prince. But we see in the tale an important point. It does not say that he

meditated unidirectionally in the point of the essence of Brahma. Simply that he

concentrated unidirectionally. The Lalitavistara says that he “directed his spirit

upon one point. And after fixing upon it, reached the first contemplation free of

desires.”

Buddha himself speaks of this meditation.

Sattanipati

Faith is the seed, austerity, the rain;

Wisdom is my yoke and my cart;

Modesty my rod; my spirit the reigns,

And I am attentive to the plow and to the furrow.

               In this way I sow the seed…

And from it comes forth the everlasting fruit;

When the seed is well sown

I shall be free of all wrong.

Remember that phrase and the poem well, for they will become important later to

understand when Gotama rejects the extreme ascetic way.

Family Life

            Remember that the hermit Atisha’s prediction was that the young Prince was destined to set out on the homeless life. This was likely to cause a great problem for the kingdom, for if Gotama left before there was issue, then the family line would be broken and there would be a probability that the new King would be chosen from a different family. If however there were a legal contender to the throne then things would remain unchanged, which would also be a great personal advantage to the ministers themselves. Self-interest we see always serves.

We see that Buddha’s mind is still upon his meditation when the council of

ministers recommend that the king engage the Prince in wedlock saying, “In this

way, surrounded by a group of women, he will know pleasure and not abandon the

family and thus the lineage of the great kings will not be interrupted”.

But they had no knowledge like we have of the “Savage Beast” mentality which is

never corrupted by normal male sexuality. It is not that he rejected sex, but his

appetite, so to speak was on the aesthetic aspects of women rather than self

gratification.  Therefore he was little inclined to the idea.

Lalitavistara

“I know that the bad roots of desire have no end: they are rooted in pain

accompanied by sorrow, combats and falling out one with another, they are like

venomous leaves which awaken fear, like fire, like the blade of the sword.  I have

neither likes nor inclination for these so called virtues of desire and I do not feel in

the least attracted to be among a group of women, I who would better be living in a

woods , in silence with my spirit peaceful with the happiness of meditation and

contemplation.”

But later he reconsiders:

Every Bodhisattva who has lived before has been accompanied by a wife and child,

and a group of other women. But they were never moved  by desires nor alienated

by the delights of contemplation. Therefore I will imitate the qualities of those.

Thinking in this way, again thinking of his obligation, not himself, but conscious of

his leadership capacity, he continues,

It is not convenient that I have a vulgar woman, without the qualities of good

conduct, and what is more she also needs to always be truthful. She who has to

really delight my spirit must be modest and pure in body, birth, family and

lineage.  I absolutely do not wish a vulgar creature without education. You may

choose for me one who coincides with the qualities I  declare:

In the flower of youth and beauty, but nevertheless, who does not feel proud of her

beauty, with a spirit welcome in a mother and sister. Who accepts renouncement

and is accustomed to give offerings to the ascetics and Brahmins. A woman like

this my Father you can choose for me. Without pride, without being an evil doer or

having harshness, without craftiness nor envy, without manipulation, who does not

distance herself from rectitude. That including in her dreams does not think of

another man, satisfied with her husband, and who always be contained and

modest.

Firm in truth, nor frivolous or flustered, not proud nor overdressed nor prudish;

who does not like spectacles nor parties, who carries herself always in conformity

with the law, who conserves always purity of body, words, and thoughts.

Who does not cling to sleep or sloth, nor is tempted by pride, with great part of

good judgment, who performs good actions and practices always the law being fair

with slaves of both sexes, in the same way that she would treat herself.

Who is known as a courtesan, the laws of the satras: who sleeps last and awakens

first from her bed. Who always gives welcome without affectation, like a mother. If

there is a woman like this, O master of men, select her for me.

You can see that he wanted a woman 10 plus. Which normal man who did not have

sex as his principal debility would not? A difficult condition, but certainly a

wealthy prince of good family had the best chance of obtaining such a first wife.

And so the King found for him in the Sakya family, in the house of Dandapani, a

woman that the priest could admire, called Gopa.

If the legend is accepted, what can we see from his demands? Certainly a just

attitude that servants should be treated well, but there was not the slightest

condemnation of the caste idea in principle. Women were expected to serve and

remain in their position, so there was no idea of real equality present. What is

interesting also is his wish that she think of no others but him. Why? By custom or

Identity? He wanted to be sure that the woman was educated. Why? He wanted

her to be of good family and lineage. Why? Probably because he thought as most

 did at the time, and remember that his education was that of a Prince, a warrior

educated by Brahmins.

It is fantastic that in these legends they have failed to completely “whitewash” the

image. So we see Buddha acting as a human creature, very special to be sure, but a

human creature privileged with a fortunate birth,

Lest we continue to see only a quiet contemplative intelligent man, let us say that

his competitive performance in “the arts”, the war games given to obtain the hand

of Gopa, were superb and he excelled in them, particularly in archery where he

overcame all competitors in a manner which would have made Robin Hood and

William Tell appear quite amateur.

Now we find an inconsistency among texts with regard the name of his chosen first

wife. In the Lalitavistara she is Gopa, but in Pali texts she is Bhaddakaccana

Bimbdevi, while the name Yasodara is also used. It is highly likely that the

confusion stems from mixing the names of Gotama’s wives, and it has been

suggested by scholars that Gopa and Yasodara were sisters, for at that time it was

the custom for Princes to marry women of the same family. The Lalitavistara,

prone to exaggerate the prowess of Gotama, gives him the availability of eighty

four thousand women, while other legends, with more modesty, give him just forty

thousand.

All the legends are in agreement on one point. Gotama lived a life of games and

sensual pleasure until he was 29 years old. It was then that his first son was born to

Yasodara. Hero or not, with eighty four thousand women and at least eleven years

of sensual pleasure and only one son appears to be not a great tribute to his success

in that direction, but no doubt the legends are speaking of his accepted first

legitimate heir. His son was named Rahula.

It is logical to assume that Gopa was probably infertile and Yodasa was then

passed the responsibility to sire the new heir to the throne. This is pure

speculation, of course, which is based only upon the legends presented.

This first son was essential for the continuation of the royal lineage within the two

families. Without this blessed arrival, Buddha would not have been permitted to

escape the responsibility of his line and leave the palace without grave

repercussions, because the Brahmanic law was clear on that point.

So Gotama enters into the life of a normal prince. It would be expected that he would have enjoyed that way of life, as most would have done. He had all that could be desired and a normal person attached to the world of security and pleasure would undoubtedly have been completely happy with that situation. A certain internal conflict was present in his life, as there always is when someone of a temperament of latent aversion, meets with such a situation which is unchallenging.

There is a sort of easy attachment with the “status quo” but also a desire for change. The senses bids one to indulge them but the true nature says, “climb the mountain and see what’s on the other side”, “sail one handed round the world” or “That is unjust, I will fight it at all cost.” It is not the normal human curiosity. It is a drive, which people of aversion have, to encounter a challenge and conquer.  Buddha had that temperament, so it was natural that at some time he would find his cause.

The Conflict that Led to Cause

So we come to the important legend where he goes out of the palace city for the

first time after having been essentially psychologically retained within the

palace by passion and duty.

We meet now Gotama’s two companions, his coachman Chandaka and his trusty

horse Kanthaka. This trio then left the palace and went into the royal park.

Dingha Nikaya

“Later the young lord encountered in his path in the park an old man twisted like

the last distorted tile on a roof, decrepit, supporting himself with a stick, tottering

as he walked and exhausted.

“Well, coachman what has this man done that his hair and body are not like other

men?”

“This man is what one calls an ancient one, Lord.  He is called thus, Lord, because

he has not much time to live.”

“Then my good coachman, am I too subject to this aging? Am I not out of its

reach?”

“You sir, as I , are threatened by old age; no one is out of its reach.

Affected by this sight, Gotama returned to the palace.

The king, hearing of the episode, further increased the pressure upon Gotama to

remain in the palace. We are told that these pressures were all sensual in nature

and we my imagine what form they may have taken.

Anyway, after a while, Gotama went once more into the park.

And Gotama, when he directed his coach to the park, encountered a sick man in

pain and weak, spread-eagled on the ground, writhing in his own excrement, alone,

fed and clothed by alms. Seeing him Gotama asked,

“This man, my good coachman what crime has he committed, that his look and his

speech are not like other men?”

“This man, Lord is called a sick person.”

“And what does sick signify?”

“It signifies that the recuperation of his health is difficult.”

“And I, coachman, could also be claimed by this sickness?”

“You and I sir, may also fall sick. We are not beyond the reach of sickness.”

The King, the legend says, took even greater measures of temptation to keep

Gotama in the palace, but once more he went forth.

This time was his third encounter.

And passing in the park he saw a mass of people dressed in diverse colors occupied

in building a funeral pyre. On seeing this Gotama asked,

“Why are all these people gathered here making this pyre?”

“Because someone has finished this life, Lord”.

“Then take the carriage close to he who has terminated this life.”

Thus the carriage was directed close to this man. Gotama saw the body of he who

had died and asked,

“What does this signify ending his life?”

“This signifies, Lord, that neither his father, nor mother nor other relatives will

see him again.”

“And am I then available for death? The king, his wife, and my other relatives will

never more see me nor I them?”

“You lord, as I, are available to death; no one can escape its reach.”

Once more Gotama, upset by the encounter, returned to the palace.

What can we make really of these encounters? One account gives us a better

picture of the encounter with the old man:

…destroyed, decrepit, with the veins of his body bulging, his teeth crooked, his

body covered with wrinkles, his hair gray, inclined forward, and crooked like the

beams of a roof, …from his mouth only came a babble of words badly articulated

and his limbs trembling.

It was clearly not that he had not seen aging before, but it was the extreme which

had such an effect upon him.  See here the concept of dependent origination which

is so important in Buddhism. If his father had permitted his free access to the

townspeople, such sights would have been commonplace and he would have been

unaffected. It was precisely this over-protection which was a contributing factor to

his taking the dharma path.

It was clearly the same with the second encounter. He had seen illness before

within the palace; it was the extremity which had the effect upon him.

We must bear in mind too the nature of his character as a savage beast of aversion.

One part of that style is that there is very little attention paid to anything that is

not of great interest personally. The walls could fall around a savage beast

studying, for example, and he would barely notice. There is always this intensity,

this egoism, which is not directed at self or possessions but ideas and concepts.

Thus it would take an extreme case to set his inquisitive mind in motion.

The third case becomes more difficult to see, for he could not be unfamiliar with

the idea of death. His martial art training alone would have emphasized that. What

then caused that rejection of death? Clearly it was not the death itself but the effect

of the death of that person on relatives and friends, who no doubt wailed and cried,

threw themselves upon the ground and lashed themselves with thin branches,

pounding their chests in grief, with their heads covered with ashes. It was this

that provided the extreme case which took his attention, adding to his prior

experiences.

Look too at his three questions. Did you really notice them? In each case he asked:

“Could this too happen to me?” He did not ask why did this happen to them, nor

will this happen to my father and mother, or my friends, only, could this happen to

me? Here is shown the element of his egoism. Why deny it? It makes his trajectory

all the more marvelous. It makes available the same path for you, because we all

are egoists, depending on our character.

What Gotama did alone, each person in this world can do, based upon his

experiences and the help of able teachers.

There is then left the fourth encounter. Remember that Gotama would have been

thinking about these experiences and would be driven to find out more. In the

palace, clearly he could find out nothing. The king, informed of Gotama’s

escapades, increased vigilance day and night and the women were ordered to use

all their sensuality and wiles to retain the Prince, clearly to no avail, because

Gotama escaped once more.

This fourth time his path crossed that of a holy man who was not an ascetic.

Gotama, being Brahmin trained, knew of the ascetic customs, the sramanic system,

and the wanderer ideas, but now, because of his previous encounters, saw things in

a slightly different way. It shows us too that in the palace all was completely

Brahmin oriented, for he had never seen the shaven head or ochre robes before.

…he encountered a man with his head shaved, walking without company, dressed

in ochre robes. Seeing him, Gotama addressed his coachman:

“This man, my good coachman, what has he done? His head is not the same as that

of other men, and his clothes are different than everyone else’s.”

“This man is what is called a homeless man, Lord, because he has abandoned his

home.

After this encounter in which Gotama saw the simplicity of the holy man’s life and

the inner calm, he returned to the palace, his mind weighing all he had seen, trying

to make sense of everything. To this was added, naturally, his Brahmanic

teachings. But these four encounters, important though they were, were not the

final event, for we see later this interesting episode.

Vinayapitaka of the Mahisasaka

The Bodhisattva, after having enjoyed himself with the courtesans, went

immediately to sleep. The spirits of all the courtesans disturbed him as they slept.

The Bodhisattva awoke and immediately saw the women who still remained in

their places, supporting one another, naked like statues of wood, the eyes moist,

saliva slipping from the corners of their mouths, the guitars and flutes that they

had abandoned lay about the floor in disorder. He saw too the palace which

appeared like a funeral sepulcher.

In the presence of all this, the Bodhisattva exclaimed three times. “ Badly done!

Badly done! We will leave! I have seen the palace where the king my father lives.

Badly done! and within him rose disgust and (the impulse) to renounce it all.

So  the Bodhisattva called to his diligent slave,

“Wake up and prepare me my horse in a way that no one is aware.”

Thus Gotama left the palace.

Here too we see the personality of Gotama clearly: his capacity to see the state of

his own life and, what is more, his own participation in that life. His disgust was as

much for his own comportment in being a part of such an orgy as in the moral

condemnation. Life simply made no sense at all as it was.

His decision was immediate and clear. The contrast on one hand with the

experiences of the extremes of suffering, and the folly and artifice of his life led

him to look elsewhere. Education, skills, money and fame led nowhere. The only

solution available was that presented by his fourth encounter.

The Homeless Life

It was at this point that the Bodhisattva yet-to-be converted from Savage Beast to

Human. You see, just the resolution and determination not to remain anymore in

the world of the senses makes a significant change in one. We shall see in the next

lesson these changes in personal psychological states and the use of these terms

more closely. Thus was born He who was to tread the path. As yet he was not a

teacher, but he had his first mission. To find a better path. For whom? For all

sentient creatures? No, -to find the truth for himself.

Not a popular remark I am sure, but nonetheless true, for such was his nature.

Gotama was a Bodhisattva in spirit, but the flesh is always weak. It is wise to see

that, lest we fall into the traps of modern idolatry and worship, dogma, ceremony

and ritual that have no real utility as a viable method, reducing thus all the

magnificent methods of Theravada and Mahayana to inert ashes. Revere with joy

and awe the Bodhisattva which was within him that flourished and rose out of the

flesh and thus revere with joy and awe the Bodhisattva which is also within you.

Those who come to Buddhism today also come with egoistic motives. Some come to

find a comfortable nest to avoid the confusion of life. These are the Animal

Demons of Doubt and Confusion. Some come to escape their suffering which they

do not see arising from their desire and clinging. These are the Hungry Ghosts.

Some come to seek Awakening; those are the Savage Beasts of Hell. Then there are

those few, impelled by their karma and favorable circumstances who are either

Demons, Ghosts or Savage Beasts, who come to discover the truth no matter what

that may be.

With the true view of Buddha, we can identify with him. We can take strength

from him. We can see his renouncement of all that others crave, for he could have

accepted the comfortable nest, the life of luxury and egoism, or all the fame and

power he could ever want.  But in this life, with Identity as his master, neither he

nor any human creature could discover the truth.

He had the courage to let everything go, losing everything that belongs to the

senses. It is not easy to do. But where he led, others can follow.

In the next period of Gotama’s life, we see his path change but not his mission. Do

you remember his visit to Brighus Ashram? This was his first major stop. Do you

remember Brighus words?

Seeing his resolve, Brighu, the chief of the hermitage, said:

"Prince, brave indeed is thy purpose, who, young as thou art, having pondered thoroughly between heaven and liberation have made up thy mind for liberation, ye are indeed brave!

If what ye have said is thy settled purpose, go quickly to Vindhyakoshtha; the Muni Arada lives there who has gained an insight into absolute bliss.

From him thou wilt learn the path, but as I foresee, this purpose of thine will go further after having studied his theory."

His Teacher Alara Kalama

So leaving the Brighu’s ashram with the group of student ascetics practicing with Brighu, and being impressed by their honesty and endeavor without being attracted to the path, he went to find the known teacher Arada Kalam. The encounter stayed with him and, as we shall see, influenced him in the future.

The second event of importance that formed his resolution and direction was his

decision to find another way through a master. He knew well the fundamental idea

of the existence of a consummate peace. But we must be aware and understand

that present too was the latent identity of the hostile person who, without a craving

for sensory rewards or emotional responses, and although he was a Bodhisattva,

sought for himself.

He says, “Why do I not …pursue the consummate peace of Nirvana”?

It is clear too that he did not enter instinctively but by way of cognitive thought

and reason. Thus he sought the master.

Yes, I myself too, in the days before my full enlightenment, when I was but a bodhisattva, and not yet fully awakened, - I too, being subject in myself to rebirth, decay and the rest of it, pursued what was no less subject thereto. But the thought came to me: -Why do I pursue what, like myself, is subject to rebirth and rest? Why, being myself subject thereto, should I not, with my eyes open to the perils which these things entail, pursue instead the consummate peace of Nirvana,-which knows neither rebirth nor decay, neither disease nor death, neither sorrow nor impurity?

There came a time when I, being young, with a wealth of coal-black hair untouched by grey and in all the beauty of my early prime despite the wishes of my parents, who wept and lamented -cut off my hair and beard, donned the yellow robes and went forth from home to homelessness on Pilgrimage. A pilgrim now, in search of the right, and in quest of the excellent road to peace beyond compare, I came to A1ara Kalama and said --It is my wish, reverend Kalama, to lead the higher life in this your Doctrine and Rule.

Stay with us, venerable sir, was his answer; my Doctrine is such that ere long, an intelligent man can for himself discern, realize, enter on, and abide in, the full scope of his master's teaching.

Before long, indeed very soon, I had his Doctrine by heart. So far as regards mere lip-recital and oral repetition, I could say off the (founder's) original message and the elders' exposition of it, and could profess, with others, that I knew and saw it to the full.

Then it struck me that it was no Doctrine merely accepted by him on trust that Alara Ka1ama, preached, but one which he professed to have entered on and  abided in after having discerned and realized it for himself; and assuredly he had real knowledge and vision thereof. So I went to him and asked him up to what point he had for himself discerned and realized the Doctrine he had entered on and now abode in.

Up to the plane of Naught, answered he.

Hereupon, I reflected that Alara Kalama was not alone in possessing faith, perseverance, mindfulness, rapt concentration, and intellectual insight; for all these were mine too. Why, I asked myself, should not I strive to realize the Doctrine which he claims to have entered on and abided in after discerning and realizing it for himself? Before long, indeed very soon, I had discerned and realized his Doctrine for myself and had entered on it and abode therein. Then I went to him and asked him whether this was the point up to which he had discerned and realized for himself the Doctrine which he professed. He said yes; and I said that I had reached the same point for myself.

It is a great thing, said he, a very great thing for us, that in you, reverend sir, we find such a fellow in the higher life. That same Doctrine which I for myself have discerned, realized, entered on, and profess, -that have you for yourself discerned, realized, entered on and abided in; and that same Doctrine which you have for yourself discerned, realized, entered on and profess, -that have I for myself discerned, realized, entered on, and profess. The Doctrine which I know, you too know; and the Doctrine which you know, I too know. As I am, so are you; and as you are, so am 1. Pray, sir, let us be joint wardens of this company!

In such wise did Alara Kalama, being my master, set me, his pupil, on precisely the same footing as himself and showed me great worship. But, as I bethought me that his Doctrine merely led to attaining the plane of Naught and not to renunciation, passionlessness, cessation, peace, discernment, enlightenment and Nirvana,-I was not taken with his Doctrine but turned away from it to go my way.

His Teacher Uddaka Ramaputta

Still in search of the right, and in quest of the excellent road to peace beyond compare, I came to Uddaka Ramaputta and said; -It is my wish, reverend sir, to lead the higher life in this your Doctrine and Rule.

-Then stay with us,” was the reply.

So Buddha stayed and sought the truth with Uddaka Ramaputta and finally, after reaching the highest plane of meditation, went also to Uddaka Ramaputta and asked him up to what point he had for himself discerned and realized the Doctrine he had entered on and now abode in.

“Up to the plane of neither perception or non-perception,” answered he.

Hereupon, I reflected that Uddaka Ramaputta was not alone in possessing faith . . . But, as I bethought me that his Doctrine merely led to attaining the plane of neither perception nor non-perception, and not to full restraint, passionlessness, cessation, peace, discernment, enlightenment and Nirvana, I was not taken with his Doctrine but turned away from it to go my way.

Still in search of the right, and in quest of the excellent road to peace beyond compare, I came, in the course of an alms-pilgrimage through Magadha, to the Camp township at Uruveld and there took up my abode. Said I to myself on surveying the place: -Truly a delightful spot, with its goodly groves and clear flowing river with ghats and amenities, hard by a village for sustenance. What more for his striving can a young man need whose heart is set on striving? So there I sat me down, needing nothing further for my striving.

Subject in myself to rebirth-decay-disease-death-sorrow and impurity, and seeing peril in what is subject thereto, I sought after the consummate peace of Nirvana, which knows neither sorrow nor decay, neither disease nor death, neither sorrow nor impurity.

Note that there is more certainty now in his Mission. He wants now “ the consummate peace of Nirvana.” Remember too these words, for they are central to understanding his doctrine of human suffering.

Perhaps you have in this autobiography seen  one important thing that may help you understand your own path, and that is that Gotama entered much the same way as any of those who read this may enter. Note that his initial approach to Kalama’s teachings was to learn his Doctrine by heart. Buddha declares, “So far as regards mere lip-recital and oral repetition, I could say off (by rote) the (founder's) original message and the elders' exposition of it, and could profess, with others, that I knew and saw it to the full.”

Then we get another glance at his character for, without false modesty, he declares that his master had “faith, perseverance, mindfulness, rapt concentration, and intellectual insight;” and  that “all these were mine too.”

The question was where he must look for this realization, for we see now that his mission has changed. From wanting to know the truth he has advanced to the point where he sees that this truth can only be realized by direct experience, in fact, the same direct experience which the Brahmins spoke of, a oneness with the unknown, Brahmin, the state of no return.

A Change of Course

Thus briefly considering his earlier encounter at the ashram, he decided upon a radical change to the ascetic way. Once more we see the young Siddharta Gotama’s style. No ruminating. A quick review of the situation and a quick decision.

That he was had a quick mind there was no doubt, because his decisions, whether correct or not, were always rapid. He was reflective and at the same time showed aversion in his attitude towards things, and a passion for whatever task he chose for himself or was given. The question is why he took the extreme particular path of asceticism, for there were many other paths, including meditative systems, clearly available. The secret lies within his inherited characteristics and his prior experience.

Thus he was naturally inclined to seek the most extreme and difficult path and one that was most distant to the life he had led of luxury and the adulation of the senses.

He was not the type of person to blindly follow others, and the idea to forge his own future must also have been uppermost. So there gathered about him five fellow travellers,

In the company of Kondanna, Bhaddiya, Vappa, Mahanama, and Assaji, who we mentioned before, Siddharta entered the forests near Mount Dandaka in Gand in order to practice the austerities of self-mortification in the belief that this denial of the body would lead to a liberation of the mind. There was no ordered plan and each was left to find his own way, although in company, through the jungle of pain and rejection of the senses.

This did not mean that he simply had to do nothing and await the effect of the austerities. Those conditions had to be inflicted. The pain had to be self-inflicted and then ignored in order to defeat the mind that was clearly seen as the enemy. At one time Siddhartha tried to stop all breathing, closing his nose and mouth, only to have his ears begin to breathe, which he stopped for a while with the greatest effort. He experienced pain as strong as if a "man were to bore one's skull with a sharp drill" or to "bind one's head tightly with a hard leather thong" or to "rip up the belly with a sharp butcher's knife" or to "seize a man by his arms and scorch and thoroughly burn him in a pit of charcoal."

Finally he began a great fast, gradually reducing the amount of food he ate until he no longer required food. He became progressively more emaciated, his hair fell out, his skin hung loose in folds, the skin of his stomach clinging to his backbone, and his body was in constant pain.

This is part of his account which we have seen before in the first unit.

Monastery.

“To such a pitch of asceticism have I gone that naked was I, flouting life's decencies, licking my hands after meals….I have visited only one house a day … or one every seven days, or only once a fortnight … and there taken only one morsel of food. …I have plucked out the hair of my head and the hair of my beard, … have couched on thorns, have gone down to the water punctually thrice before night fall to wash away the evil within. In such a fashion have I lived to torment and torture my body, to such a length in asceticism have I gone.”

He discovered the fundamental truth: that practices of austerity and self-mortification produce reactions of the mind in protest and defence. Delusions arise. Fears and doubts, magnified by delusions and the natural impulse to act to end these torments rather than release the mind, imprisons it further. Thus it cannot be free. Thus it cannot discover the truth within. For six years he continued to extremes that his companions dared not go. We saw his conclusions in the last unit. Do you remember them?

“… and [the result was still the same]. Never did this practice or these courses or these dire austerities bring me to the ennobling gifts of super-human knowledge and insight. And why? Because none of them lead to that noble understanding which, when won, leads on to Deliverance and guides him who lives up to it onward to the utter extinction of all ill.”

His cause was understanding and freedom, but in those six years of asceticism it had eluded him. He had exhausted all means of that path. His still eager mind you see did not abandon his search.

New Frontiers

Look now once more at the following response:

“A memory came to me of how once, seated in the cool shade of a rose-apple tree on the lands of my father the Shakyan, I, divested of pleasures of sense and of wrong states of mind, entered upon, and abode in the First Ecstasy, with all its zest and satisfactions, a state bred of inward aloofness but not divorced from observation and reflection. Could this be the path to Enlightenment? In prompt response to this memory, my consciousness told me that here lay the true path to Enlightenment.

Thought I to myself: -Am I afraid of a bliss which eschews pleasures of sense and wrong states of mind? And my heart told me I was not afraid.

His companions left in disgust and he was left to continue his mission which had taken another subtle turn. His mission now was the Awakening itself.

He had used the meditative technique with his earlier masters and reached both the plane which is the fourth Jhana of Nought where all feeling of body pleasure ceases, there is imperturbable concentration without breath and also the eighth Jhana which is Neither perception nor non perception with complete equanimity and onepointedness. 

Now note that he remembered his first meditation.

…seated in the cool shade of a rose-apple tree … I, divested of pleasures of sense and of wrong states of mind, entered upon, and abode in the First Ecstasy… inward aloofness but not divorced from observation and reflection.

Note that Meditation was “not divorced from observation and reflection”.

In other words, he meditated but not with an empty mind. You see that warning thousands of times when speaking with masters yet never understand it. Hui Neng said that those who sit facing a wall and attain an empty mind find nothing except that they are sitting facing a wall with an empty mind. That is true. Buddha was correct. All the good masters are correct. An empty mind is just an empty mind. The truth is only to be found in the presence of vacuity and form, not in form alone and not in vacuity alone.

With that realization Buddha continues:

“Thought I to myself: -It is no easy matter to attain that bliss with a body so emaciated. Come, let me take some solid food, rice and junket; and this I ate accordingly.

Having thus eaten solid food and regained strength, I entered on, and abode in, the First Ecstasy.-Yet, such pleasant feelings as then arose in me did not take possession of my mind; nor did they, as I successively entered on, and abode in, the Second, Third, and Fourth Ecstasies.”

Note too an important statement, “… pleasant feelings as then arose in me did not take possession of my mind.” His mind was, at this point, beginning to let go of Identity. It was not simply masked by the meditation, which can occur quite easily. It was perhaps at this moment that we can consider, in the light of this meditation, that he became a Bodhisattva.

Seated then beneath the fig tree, the Bodhisattva entered in his meditations.

“Even should my body and skin dry up, my bones, my flesh dissolve upon this place, I will not move from this place without obtaining the awakening so far away and difficult to secure.”

At first, without great difficulty, in the presence of the mind of samsara, he passed through the stage of mindful attention, reflection, and the pseudo Nirvanic stage of arising and passing away, reaching that stage where realizations lead to a desire to escape. There then came the realizations of the dreadful, unsatisfactory and wearisome nature of physical and mental phenomena. It was accompanied by physical pain and a desire to escape those phenomena.

There are two alternatives at this point. Go back or go forward. At this point perception is rapid and without flaws and there is a disappearance of lights and all previous states of ecstasy.

This is the moment when Mara always enters the picture. The identities are fighting their ultimate great battle. Doubt and temptations enter his mind at that moment.

The Inevitable Battle with Mara

There are many legends and variations about these encounters with Mara. They are important to the extent that one must be aware that even within meditation and higher levels of consciousness, one is not free from Mara.

Who is this Mara? Far from being the satanic figure which non Buddhists might imagine, the Lalitavistra gives a magnificent picture of the first encounter which is long and impressive. An extract declares:

“The demon Mara entered into combat, his army of four brigades of troops powerful and valiant …They had their hands, feet and body wrapped with one hundred thousand serpents: with swords, bows and arrows, spears, maces, hatchets, missiles, cudgels, chains and lightning bolts. Their bodies protected by magnificent armour: Their heads, feet and hands were deformed, faces flashing with a terrible splendour, faces and teeth deformed, with giant and terrible rough tongues extended like braids, enormous terrible canines: vermilion eyes like those of a black serpent full of venom.”

You perhaps get the idea which the authors are presenting. The stuff of which nightmares are made. In other words, the provocation of internal fear.

Centuries ago the coming Buddha sat under the Bodhi-tree and vowed not to move until he learned to eradicate suffering, unfolding Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi, the Consummation of Incomparable Enlightenment. But Mara, the personification of evil, tried to usurp his plans by sending his three daughters Tanha (desire), Raga (lust), and Arati (aversion), to seduce him and break his concentration. However, the coming Buddha was too strong for Mara.

The idea that most people get is that Buddha eradicated “the cause of suffering” (Samudaya).  However, interpreting Samudaya  as "the cause of suffering" is incorrect and is the influence of prior Hindu thought.

Sam, as used in the word Samudaya, means "with" and Ud means "up." A more correct interpretation of Samudaya is "what comes up with suffering." What normally comes up is craving or thirst for something. What this means is that after Dukkha arises, there is a corresponding experience. But what is experienced is not Dukkha itself. The experience that “comes up” with Dukkha is not something we can do anything about.

The principle cause of suffering is the attachment to "desire." Both the desire to have (wanting) and the desire not to have (aversion), seemingly opposites, are the same, both are desires, which we call craving.

1. desire for sense-pleasures - kama-tanha,

2. desire to become – bhava-tanha,

3. desire to get rid of – vibhava-tanha.

The desire for sense pleasures manifests itself as wanting to have pleasant experiences: the taste of good food, pleasant sexual experiences, delightful music. As Tanha, she is considered one of The Three Daughters of Mara, also one of The Three Poisons.

The desire to “become” is the ambition that comes with wanting attaiments or recognition or fame, which brings security. It is the craving of lust. As Raga, she is considered one of The Three Daughters of Mara.

This is the desire to get rid of the unpleasant experiences in life: unpleasant sensations, anger, fear, jealousy, aversion. As Arati, she is considered one of The Three Daughters of Mara.

The clinging to desire comes from our experience that short-term satisfaction comes from following desire. We ignore the fact that satisfying our desires doesn't bring an end to them.

Mara ("death" or "thirst"), also called Papiyan ("more wicked") and Varsavarti ("he who fills desires"), is the evil spirit (or sometimes simply the personification of evil) in Buddhism who tempted Siddharta during the time he searched for the way, and as he sat beneath the Bo Tree and meditated. During this confrontation, Mara, whose attributes include blindness, murkiness, death, and darkness, attempts to guide Siddharta from the path of enlightenment by tempting him to return to his former ways.

In the Padhana Sutta, the Buddha's response to Mara's temptations during his time of asceticism was:

"Lust thy first army is called; discontent they second; thy third is called hunger and thirst; thy fourth desire; thy fifth is called sloth and drowsiness; thy sixth cowardice; thy seventh doubt; thy eighth hypocrisy and stupor, gain, fame, honor, and what celebrity is falsely obtained by him who exalts himself and despises others. This, O Namuche, is thine, the Black One's fighting army. None but a hero conquers it, and whoever conquers it obtains joy. Woe upon life in this world! Death in battle is better for me than that I should live defeated."

Known as the god of lightning, seduction, temptation, sensuality and death, Mara , as we have said, sent his three daughters - the Lust goddess, the Thirst goddess, and the Delight goddess to distract Siddharta from his meditations. Having failed with this attempt, he and his army of demons began an assault on Siddharta.

Mara attacked with a whirlwind, but that failed. He then caused a rainstorm to drown Siddharta, but Siddharta didn't even get wet. Next, he caused a shower of rocks, but the rocks changed into bouquets; he caused a shower of weapons, but they became celestial flowers. He cast a shower of live coals, but they came down harmless, as did hot ashes, a shower of sand, and a shower of mud. Finally, he caused a darkness, but the darkness disappeared before the Buddha. With that, Mara fled, and Siddharta became the Enlightened One.

Mara is said to be homeless, wandering the earth capturing the souls of the dying, and in Hinduism, personifies evil and death and is associated with the demon, Namuche ("Not letting go the waters"). He sometimes takes the shape of a vulture.

Sutta Nipata III.2

Padhana Sutta

The Great Struggle

"When, near the river Nerañjara, I exerted myself in meditation for attaining to security from bondage, there came Namuci (Mara as temptation) speaking words of compassion:

'You are emaciated and ill-looking, you are near to death! A thousand parts of you belong to death and only a fraction of you is alive. Live, good Sir! It is better to live. Living you may perform meritorious deeds. From practicing celibacy and tending the sacrificial fire much merit is made, but what is obtained from striving? It is difficult to enter the path of exertion, it is difficult to do, difficult to maintain.'

Mara spoke these words whilst standing in the presence of the Awakened One. To Mara speaking thus, the Lord replied:

"You who are the friend of the negligent, O Evil One, for what reason have you come here? Those who still have use for merit Mara may consider worthwhile addressing. I have faith and energy and wisdom. Being thus bent on striving why do you ask me to live? This wind will wither the currents of the rivers, why should not my exertion dry up even the blood? When the blood dries up, the bile and phlegm wither. On the wasting away of the flesh the mind becomes more and more serene and my mindfulness, wisdom and concentration are established more firmly. In me, who abides enduring such an extreme experience, the mind does not long for sensual pleasures. See the purity of a being!

"Seeing the surrounding army ready and Mara mounted (on his elephant), I am going out to fight so that he may not shift me from my position. This army of yours which the world together with the devas is unable to subdue, that I will destroy with wisdom, like an unbaked clay-bowl with a stone. Having mastered the mind and firmly established mindfulness I shall wander from country to country guiding many disciples. And they will be diligent and energetic in practicing my teaching, the teaching of one without sensual desire, and they will go where, having gone, one does not grieve."

Mara: "For seven years I followed the Lord step by step but did not find an opportunity to defeat that mindful Awakened One. A crow flew around a stone having the colour of fat: 'Can we find even here something tender? May it be something to eat?'

"Not finding anything edible the crow left that place. As with the crow and the stone, we leave Gotama, having approached and become disheartened."

Overcome by sorrow his lute fell from his arm and thereupon the unhappy spirit disappeared from that place.

The Great Bodhisattva Dilemma

Finally came the Bodhisattva’s liberation , his Awakening and the great first dilemma, which all Bodhisattvas at one time or another face..                                        

('Majjhima-nikaya,' XXVI ['Ariya-pariyesana-sutta’)

“I have attained, thought I, to this Doctrine profound, recondite, hard to comprehend, serene, excellent, beyond dialectic, abstruse, and only to be perceived by the learned. But mankind delights, takes delight, and is happy in what it clings on to, so that for it, being thus minded, it is hard to understand causal relations and the chain of causation, hard to understand the stilling of all artificial forces, or the renunciation of all worldly ties, the extirpation of craving, passionless, peaceful and in Nirvana. Were I to preach the Doctrine, and were others not to understand it, that would be labour and annoyance to me ! Yes, and on the instant, there flashed across my mind these verses, which no man had heard before:-

Must I now preach what I so hardly won?

Men sunk in sin and lusts would find it hard

to plumb this Doctrine,-up stream all the way,

abstruse, profound, most subtle, hard to grasp.

Dear lusts will blind them that they shall not see,

-in densest mists of ignorance befogged.

As thus I pondered, my heart inclined to rest quiet and not to preach my Doctrine. But, Brahma Sahampati's mind came to know what thoughts were passing within my mind, and he thought to himself: The world is undone, quite undone, inasmuch as the heart of the Truth-finder inclines to rest quiet and not to preach his Doctrine.

Hereupon, as swiftly as a strong man might stretch out his arm or might draw back his outstretched arm, Brahma Sahampati vanished from the Brahma-world and appeared before me. Towards me he came with his right shoulder bared, and with his clasped hands stretched out to me in reverence, saying: -May it please the Lord, may it please the Blessed One, to preach his doctrine ! Beings there are whose vision is but little dimmed, who are perishing because they do not hear the Doctrine;-these will understand it !

And so at that moment was born the Teacher with a new mission: the awakening of all who were wished to understand and hear, who were with open and flexible minds free of great impediments.

The Boddhisattva Mission

We have seen that Gotama’s first mission was to make some sense out of his personal disgust with his own life and his confusion about the necessity of the suffering of old age sickness and death. His mission changed to that of Liberation and finally to aid all sentient creatures (see below) teaching them how to obtain that liberation.

Now it is always a great temptation to link the apparent objectives of Buddhism with suffering, but that would be an error. What really is this Liberation. It is a magnificent thing when you divorce it from intellectual and philosophical ideas. It is the liberation of the unstained mind to soar where only the human mind can. To caress a tree, to climb a mountain for no reason at all, to play with a dog, to throw pebbles in the see, to run to laugh, to be. That is liberation. It is to float without identity to music, to fly with a bird. It is to sense and to discriminate and to sleep and to meditate with tranquility. It is to sit down and stand up when it is appropriate. It is to sacrifice for the benefit of others. It is to be the world. From wanting to get off this weary world it is wanting to stay on it and dress its wounds. It is to save a life no matter how insignificant. It is to understand, to be curious and to be creative. It is these and thousands of other magnificent things. So don’t think that Buddhas liberation or your liberation is simply the removal of suffering. Don’t set goals to end Suffering, don’t set goals to achieve Awakening. Don’t set goals to end your confusion and doubt. Just go about the task of liberating the apparently separate mind and body which appears to be yours.

Liberation is just that, to unite and free the mind and body. Free them from what? From the chains that bind them. From the chains of craving and clinging to be sure, but also from the chains of sensations and emotions that have no utility, from perceptions that are hollow and false, from an agitated consciousness, from Volition that is tainted, from believing that what the senses see is reality and all there is, from Becoming with duality, from giving continual new birth to Identity, from the folly of false views of old age, illness and death and from Ignorance.

That is what Buddhas Liberation is about. It is true that one consequence of this is that Suffering dissolves. It is true there may be n Awakening.  But there are magnificent experiences that arise of sensitivity, discrimination, natural intelligence, true compassion, benevolent love, the joy of equanimity and natural happiness.

So when you think of Buddha and his Mission think of these things and know that what Buddha offers as a master teacher is True Liberation for every sentient creature.

Buddha was a Teacher, a man of passion with a Mission, which he himself could not reject. The Liberation of all sentient creatures.

But Buddha declared that there are no sentient creatures.

                                        The Diamond Sutra Part XXV

Subhuti What do you think?  That no one says that the Tathagata clarifies the idea: that he has to liberate all sentient creatures.

Do not permit such a thought Subhuti. Why? because in reality there are no sentient creatures that have to be liberated by the Tathagata

If there were sentient creatures which the Tathagata believed he could liberate he would be participating in the concept of Identity, personality, an entity or separate individuality.

Subuti, although ordinary people accept the identity as if it were real, the Tathagata declares that the Identity is no different than the No Identity. Those who the Tathagata refers to as “ordinary people” are not really ordinary people , this is really just a name.

It is certainly true, but why did he insist on this point. It was precisely because he had the strong character which he had. He held a great aversion to all that prevented human liberation, but he did not perceive the oppression in a personal way. It was the abstract idea of the oppression of the mind on which he fixed his attention. What he saw immediately around him, what he had seen in himself and the lives of all around him in the palace was Clinging and Craving. It was the easiest to see. The Vedas, Mahabharata, all the sacred texts showed that to be true. Despite all the Brahmanic learning he had received he had fallen into the trap. He knew how easy it was. He saw too with clear vision that clinging and craving, with the other members of the cycle of dependant origination, was a universal phenomenon, an all encompassing stain in the human mind. As such no single person was chained . All wore the same chain. Thus one single person could be free while the chain remained. Thus there was in his mind no question of there being the necessity of individual liberation.

There had to be Universal Liberation from the disease of the stained mind, which caused Universal Suffering.

Why then de we repeatedly say in Buddhism that we act for the benefit of all sentient human creatures. Foolish Buddhists who chant without understanding tie themselves into this knot which Buddha avoided.

What then do we mean? It is clear that there are not individuals to be liberated and it is clear that the probability that we as apparent individuals can liberate humankind in its totality, let alone relieve all other sentient creatures from our oppression.

It means that we take the pledge to carry the truth of Buddhism, an ever lit lamp of Liberation. If we carry that lamp we light the darkness in some small corner of this world. It is then the availability of the Dharma lamp that we speak. We make then the pledge to carry the light to all “ordinary people” not individuals and thus make available that which they might never have seen before in the darkness, their own mind of Duality and the availability of the understanding of natural Union with all sentient creatures.

Why is the little that we might be able to do so important? Because it might be that the candle you light, that small slim candle, white and pure, passed on to others may be the only candle one day left in the world to light the way.  You are then a light bearer, a preserver and champion of the truth, available for the future. You individually, absurd though it may seem,  could be the only hope for all sentient creatures.

This is how Buddha saw his cause, his mission. At one point he declared that most people run up and down on one side of the river without crossing. He saw that, but continued with his own candle.

With the force of the revulsion of his own apparent captivity his revulsion was greatest for what was most apparent, universal clinging and craving. We saw that his rejection of the Materialists was much greater than the Eternalists for precisely that reason. It was the universal tendency to cling to and crave to the world of the senses that was his prime enemy. It is that same enemy that we face today, often clothed in religious robes.

Thus Clinging and craving became the focus and Mental restraint, called often in error renunciation, the first orange banner to fly over India.

Later we will see that a new Buddhist idea provided ways to change that focus and provided another great tool to obtain that same Liberation. That idea would be eventually the direct attack upon Ignorance which took the form of Duality.

But what did he teach? That we shall see in later lessons.

EXERCISE 1

The exercise for this first lesson in course 102 is to explain in your own words why there is no individual Identity and in what ways you personally are aware of your Individual identity each day.