05/05/2012
Purnima or the full moon night has always been considered potent with spiritual possibilities in the Indian culture. This was amply evident in the Gautama Buddha, who was born, enlightened and attained nirvana on full moon nights. However, people do not revere one because of the date or time of birth, but more because of what he did with his gift of life. He is revered not necessarily because he was enlightened, but because of the manner in which he spent the 40 years, following his enlightenment dedicated to establishing a spiritual path for millions people to walk on.
Born close to 2,500 years ago, at a time when contemporary spiritual movements had turned rather too rigid and ritualistic, Gautama Buddha made it a point to cut through the layers of rituals and scriptures and for the first time created direct access to spirituality for the masses. His revolutionary endeavor constantly pitched him against the priests and the order of the day. He often denied, negated and even derided the sacrosanct beliefs of his contemporaries. Yet, he was not persecuted – in any other culture, this would have meant death sentence, but not here in India.
Gautama Buddha was often challenged to debates on his ideas of spirituality, which he always won; he was feared and perhaps even hated by the orthodox of the day, yet, even the thought of threatening him with physical harm never occurred to them. On the contrary, more often than not, the people who lost the debate became his disciples along with their own followers. In the course of his long and active life as an Enlightened Master, Gautama Buddha came to earn the enmity of some people and it is believed that several attempts were made on his life; but these came not from people who disagreed with his teachings, but more from his erstwhile followers, who had other ideas about how his order and legacy should be handled.
All said and done, Gautama Buddha unleashed the largest spiritual wave ever on the planet, which continues to make ripples and splash on the shores of a humanity that is increasingly becoming rudderless. His simple and subtle teachings continue to draw hordes of seekers from all walks of life across the world. So, on this auspicious full moon day, as we celebrate the birth, enlightenment and dissolution of a blessed being, we also celebrate the plurality and the maturity of the Indian culture, which has for long been the crucible of all spirituality on the planet.
On this sacred occasion, we share with you a special article by His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa, the present head of the prestigious Drukpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, on the significance of the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha.
- Guru Sangamam Webteam
