December 24, 2020 | Compassion {Karuṇā}
"Ceasing to do evil, Cultivating the good, Purifying the heart: This is the teaching of the Buddhas." ~ The Buddha
The Story of Buddha Summary:
Around 430 BCE, in the Kingdom of Shakya, Prince Siddhartha was born to Queen Maya and King Suddhodana. Tragedy struck the kingdom seven days later with the death of Queen Maya. Nevertheless, Prince Siddhartha was raised by his mother’s sister, Mahapajapati, as the precious son of a great kingdom. Siddhartha often conducted himself in his father’s court with compassion, wisdom, and mercy as a young prince. Early on in his blessed life, it was prophesied that Prince Siddhartha would someday rule as a great king or a great teacher. His Father King Suddhodana provided the Prince with every comfort that his money and power could afford. At the age of 29 years, after a celebrated marriage to his beautiful wife, Prince Siddhartha saw something outside the palace walls that changed his perspective forever. (This event is known as the Four Sights). Siddhartha witnessed incarnations of aging, sickness, and death, which are the emblems of the inevitable suffering of humanity. He also met an ascetic (a monk) who appeared to be at peace. Siddhartha knew that there must be a way to free oneself from this pain and suffering, and he felt an extreme burden to relieve mankind from it. He abruptly left the palace, even after his young son was born, in search of this noble endeavor. Siddhartha searched far and wide and studied with many erudite teachers. Finally, he realized that he needed to find enlightenment within himself and not through others. After 49 days underneath the Bodhi Tree, Siddhartha overcame the enemies of the mind and body. From Renunciation to finding The Middle Path and attaining Supreme Enlightenment, Prince Siddhartha became the Buddha.
One of the main motivations for the Buddha to seek liberation, starting from his Bodhicitta mind, is mercy for all living beings and all living creatures in the process of suffering, aging, and death.
The most precious thing for us to do is to practice Lovingkindness, practice meditation, and compassion for all sentient beings rather than thinking of one’s own benefit. Remove your selfishness through meditation, which is the key to wisdom.
Two characteristics of the Buddha's Truth can be seen through Meditation and Service.
The mind is the most dangerous enemy and the weapons that conquer it can be found in the Middle Path and the Eight Precepts. The three essentials of the Buddha’s teachings - in order to train and be disciplined in the Noble Eightfold Path - are:
Ethical Conduct (Sila) based on love and compassion are included in the three factors of Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood.
Mental Discipline (Samadhi) includes the three factors of Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, and Right Effort.
Wisdom (Panna) includes the two factors of Right View and Right Intention that constitute wisdom in the Noble Eightfold Path.
The exhortation of the Shakyamuni Buddha is for Continuous and Persistent Efforts towards developing a strong, positive mind in spiritual practice. Once we are on the path of liberation, even amid danger and difficulties, we will not regress. We must practice the virtue of perseverance like the Buddha when meditating under the Bodhi tree.
The Bodhi Tree (Bodhgaya) signifies Enlightenment, in understanding the Four Noble Truths:
The Truth of the Way that leads to the End of Suffering, which is also the Noble Eight-fold Path.
The Truth of Shakyamuni Buddha is the ultimate Truth that leads to Enlightenment:
To find the way to liberation from the cycle of accumulation of depression, full of affliction and suffering (old age, sickness, and death)
To destroy all forms of craving, mental and physical
And to attain real liberation, freedom, and peace (Nirvàna)
We should generate a positive and powerful mind. Through the life of the Buddha from birth to enlightenment, we learn many respectful lessons in many different precious ways. Most importantly, we should generate a positive and powerful mind.
“We will develop and cultivate the liberation of mind by lovingkindness, make it our vehicle, make it our basis, stabilize it, exercise ourselves in it, and fully perfect it.” ~ The Buddha
To be continued...
May you all be free from suffering and all the causes of suffering!
Namo Shakyamuni Buddha.
References:
“Chơn Lý,” Tác Giả Đức Tổ Sư Minh Đăng Quang (Language in Vietnamese)
“Phật Học Phổ Thông,” Tác Giả Hòa Thượng Thích Thiện Hoa (Language in Vietnamese)
“The Seeker’s Glossary of BUDDHISM,” Edited by the Van Hien-Study Group, Sutra Translation Committee of the United States & Canada
“A Simple Path – Basic Buddhist Teachings,” by His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama
“The Buddha and His Teachings,” by Venerable Narada Mahathera (Sri Lanka 1970), Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc.
"Kinh Tụng Hằng Ngày," Biên Soạn Thượng Tọa Thích Nhật Từ (Language Vietnamese)
