November 28th,
2001
Week five
Jeremy Vigil
INSTRUCTOR
Tim
Bryan
Siddhartha Gautam, Buddha, has been an inspiration for over two thousand years. He has become the root of Buddhism. He was born by his mother Maya, who died of joy seven days after his birth. It was predicted before his birth that if he lives the household life he will become a universal monarch, but if he leaves the household life and retire from the world, he would become a Buddha. When Siddhartha Gautam grew up he choose to leave the household life and he obtained enlightenment at the age of 35.
Siddhartha Gautam was an intelligent person. As a boy he was taught many trades and he mastered them all. He knew that none of these trades was his calling. He lived a wealthy life style yet he was unhappy. It seems as a boy, he believed that there was something more than wealth. He was starved for knowledge. One day outside the walls of his home, Siddhartha Gautam saw an old man, a sick man, and a corpse. He began to contemplate life and death. The next day he talked to some religious leaders. These conversations convinced Siddhartha Gautam to become a holy man. He left his family and possessions for a personal quest of discovery and enlightenment. He studied with many religious leaders for many years, but his personal questions were unanswered. You begin to notice how dedicated he was for his quest.
After many years of trying to obtain enlightenment, Siddhartha Gautam decided he would sit in front of a Bodhi tree, which is also described as the tree of wisdom. He would not leave the tree until he obtained enlightenment. Mara, an Indian god of lust, saw Siddhartha Gautam sit in front of the tree of wisdom and proclaim he would obtain enlightenment. Mara didn’t want Siddhartha Gautam to obtain enlightenment so he tempted Siddhartha with physical pleasure and threatened him with physical harm, but Siddhartha Gautam refused all temptations and avoided any harm. Siddhartha Gautam did this for seven days. After seven days Siddhartha Gautam became enlightened and he became a Buddha. He signified his enlightenment by touching the ground. That is why many Buddha statues are touching the ground. They are representing the moment of enlightenment. He stayed at the tree for an additional six weeks meditating. After the full seven weeks, Buddha drank and ate. He then assembled many followers and taught how one can become enlightened.
Buddha’s conflict was more of an inner struggle than a physical trial. It seems to me, he transformed the weapons Mara threw at him by will alone. Refusing three sisters was in my opinion a willful act. I would have folded with that temptation, especially if they were triplets. Buddha demonstrated great courage and will power. He showed courage by not backing away from Mara’s threats. He showed will power by refusing the temptations. He, by far, demonstrated he deserved to be enlightened.
Buddha’s trial reflects there is more to this world than wealth and possessions. The only way to become enlightened is through meditation and self-discovery. Buddha’s actions tell us that wisdom outweighs wealth by a great margin. Buddha’s motivation to become enlightened did have a price. I was disturbed to learn that he left his wife and child for his quest for enlightenment. His desire to become enlightened was very powerful but his teachings say not to have desire. I think he became enlightened when he lost the desire to become enlightened.
Everyday we can learn from Buddha’s teachings. The most prominent teaching is to avoid desire. This in turn will help you avoid addictions. Addictions are very common today. Our addictions range from drugs to food. Anytime you over indulge it can become an addiction and a powerful driving force in your life.
I don’t think I can ever become a Buddha, but I do take some of his teaching to heart. One of my personal goals is to rid myself of destructive desires. One way I did this was by not smoking. I have been smoke free for over two years now. I do admire Buddhism’s for their respect of other religions. I believe that everyone should have a choice in what they believe. Buddhist do not push their religion like Christians. Their approach is to teach and let the students decide for themselves.
Buddha has many teachings. The one thing I try to keep in mind is karma.
I believe there is karma so I try to be friendly and pleasant to other people I
meet and know. It is as the saying goes
“Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you.”