The Full Moon tomorrow, the 26th May 2021 is celebrated as the Buddha Poornima, the 2583rd Birth day (563 BCE). It is very interesting to know how Siddhartha Gourami became 'the Buddha', the Enlightened! Siddhartha, son of King Shakya Kingdom in Nepal, Shuddhodana and Queen Maya Devi was born in Lumbini on the auspicious Full Moon day and the King consulted the Court astrologer who told him that the child is an illustrious one that would rule the world! But, the King became worried since he though that his son would not rule the Kingdom and leave him. He ordered his servants to strictly guard the young Prince and see that he will not go out of the palace and everything is provided within the premises. However, the young boy got bored of the restrictions, cajoled his servants to take him out for a round in the city. On the way, he saw first an old man coughing and limping, and then a person walking with a stick in hand for support, and then a dead body carried to cremation. It is this incident that changed his life!
The young Prince Siddhartha Gautama became curious to know how a jiva becomes sick, old and dies, This problem of sickness, old age and death bothered him so much that he decided to find a solution. Even now, it is still a question whether he ever found a solution to the problem of old age, sickness, and death? Gautama was married and had a son when he stealthily left the palace at night and walked away! He wandered for over seventeen years and finally reached Bodh Gaya. He took several rigorous steps, vrata, upavasa, and meditated up on. Almost a month after strict meditation without food, he became so weak that he could not stand in knee deep water when he went to take bath and fell down. A pious lady who was nearby took him out, gave him milk and fruits, and chastised him for his foolishness. She remarked, 'how can a man who cannot even stand in knee-deep water, cross the ocean of sansar'! This made Siddhartha think seriously about the reality and quietly sat under a Banyan tree (Bodhi Vruksha). May be, he realized that it was foolish of him to think of the inevitable and drop the very search! Thus, he got enlightened as to the 'Truth'! The Reality, the 'truth' is that the phenomenal objective world that comes within the grip, of Time, Space and Causality, called maya, cannot be cured but endured. If possible one should try to meditate on the Reality, the 'brahmn' and cross these limitations, staying in nirvikalpa samadhi.
Thus Siddhartha Gautama became 'the Buddha', the 'Enlightened' not by acquiring but by giving up! Gautama gave up the search of the 'inevitable'! The moment truth dawned on him, realized that it is the nature, prakruti svabhava, that things happen! It is beyond one's ability to overcome the powerful 'maya'. the limitations, niyati. Once Gautama became the Buddha, he never spoke a word! His first and the last sermon was to the birds, deer, and the peacock, as seen in a statue of the Buddha in Darjeeling!
Budha is also known as an avatar of Vishnu. The Buddha is also known as Budhanilakantha in Nepal. Actually, the Buddha is shown either as seated or in a reclined position. The Ananta Padmanabha temple shows Sri Maha vishnu in an inclined position and the Buddhists think it is the Buddha! Anyways, the Buddha is worshiped all over the world and is known better for 'meditation'. The Buddhists monks spend most of their time in meditation!
Now, what is the difference between a 'buddhu' (fool), buddhi (Intellect), and the Buddha (Enlightened). Etymologically, it is just 'u' , lack of knowledge in the first, it is 'i', knowledge in the second, that finally leads to 'a' brahmn in the last! So, anybody as a buddhu can also become the Buddha by developing his Intellect (jnyan)!
Now, it is open to question whether the young Prince Siddhartha Gautama was influenced by the Bhagavad-Gita? It seems Siddhartha Gautama was influenced by the teachings of Bhagavan Shree Krishna who as Yogacharya instructed 'brahma vidya' and 'yoga shastra' and it is but natural that the young mind was influenced by the sayings! Moreover, it is certain that anybody can reach the highest state of 'brahmn' by mere yogabhyasa and Self-realization!
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