Regarding the above-titled two excellent articles in The Island of 12 May 2025, I would like to add these thoughts as a lay follower of Buddha.
The word, Sarana, has several meanings, including ‘in someone’s footsteps’, ‘seeking refuge’, ‘thinking about’, and ‘even marriage’, depending on the context.
After enlightenment, the Buddha reflected that his teaching was difficult to understand and follow for the majority of the world enamoured with seeking happiness in sensory indulgence. Only a few realise even impermanent happy or pleasant experiences ultimately bring further unhappiness when they do not last. In addition, illness, old age and death adds up to a sum total unsatisfactory nature of life, Dukkha. However, he did not exclude those who did not have the insight to understand Dukkha or resources, the time and the will to grasp his deep teaching to escape from the relentless cycle of life and death named samsara accompanied by Dukkha.
For them he prescribed the Dhamma of moral discipline with five precepts and their positive applications such as generosity, compassion and tranquillity of mind and avoiding spontaneous action to lead a life in harmony with the world. These are the first steps of his eightfold path. He even advised the laity on social ethics (sigalovada sutta), how to earn and spend wealth righteously (vyggapaccha sutta), to avoid wrong habits leading to social decay (parabhava sutta) and explained one becomes an outcast by action and not by birth (vasala sutta).
For them, looking at the peaceful and tranquil Buddha image as well as reciting Dhammam saranam gacchami is a mantra that serves as psychological support to encourage Buddhist practice and a beacon of hope in lieu of a powerful Deus in times of trouble. This culture has given solace to humankind for over 2500 years. This is the meaning of the phrase ‘Dhammo have rakkathi dhammacari’ meaning living according to Dhamma provides protection. It is psychological protection to be strong in adversity.
For some of them not believing or wandering about after death also he advocated this level of practice. Buddha explained in his discourse named Apannaka Sutta, such action would win the wager on after life.
We should not bemoan that they do not follow the essence of his teachings but accept and encourage them to practise the basic steps.
For those who are fortunate to be able to grasp and follow his deep teaching to escape from the cycle of samsara, Dhammam saranam gacchami is a promise (gacchami is a first-person verb) to themselves to be repeated as many times as possible to follow his footsteps or the path he prescribed. According to modern neurology repetition of a promise will make a strong circuit of connected neurons in the brain for determination by neuroplasticity. As everybody else, they are also subjected to the hindrances to following Buddha’s path as eightfold vicissitudes of life: gain/loss, fame/shame, happiness/ misery, praise/ blame. Both pleasant and unpleasant circumstances may become a hindrance. Such a strong determination made latent in the mind will come to their help to overcome the hindrances and progress in the path.
Light of Asia
There is a story that Edwin Arnold named his book Light of the world, but was persuaded by his publishers to change it to Light of Asia as they thought it would cause much displeasure among the Christian population. However, in time it proved to be the Light of the world as the article explained. Not having read the book by Jairam R, I do not know whether this fact is mentioned in it.
Upali Abeysiri
from The Island https://ift.tt/nlNFB17
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