The Buddha is known as the foremost among men in view of the fact that he attributed all his attainments and achievements to human endeavour and human understanding. He pointed out to an ailing humanity a path that leads to final deliverance and Nibbana, namely the Path or morality (Sila),concentration or meditation (Samadhi) and true wisdom or Insight (Panna).This is called the three-fold training (Tividha Sikkha).
Following the footsteps of the Master, his disciples who were the early Buddhist teachers instructed the people to practise the three-fold training. These teachers made full use of the Dhammapada verses to instruct the people according to their temperaments and aptitudes. These stanzas were also meant to be a valuable guide and easy reference work for teacher-monks who were looking for a suitable subject to discourse upon. Even today, it would be most difficult for any speaker or writer to discuss Buddhism without some reference to the Dhammapada.
The Buddha never claimed to have invented or created the Dhamma which he taught. Like the Buddhas before him he removed the Ignorance which prevented man from perceiving the Ultimate Truth and he showed the Way to this Truth. Therefore some of the truth which he uttered through these verses are also contained in the scriptures of other religions. Roy C. Amore in his book Two Masters, One Message quotes the following:
'One cannot read the Sermon on the Mount without feeling that it is an abridged version of parts of the Dhammapada.' (Soma Thera - The Contribution of Buddhism to World Culture.)
'The moral teaching of the Buddha has a remarkable resemblance to that of the Sermon on the Mount.' (B.H. Streeter- The Buddha and the Christ.)
'To love one's enemies, to bless them that curse, to do good to them that hate, to turn the other cheek, to leave the cloak with him who takes the cloak, to give all to him who asks, which are the teachings of Jesus, are precepts not only taught but practised in their extreme rigour by the Buddha.' (Dr. S. Radhakrishnan - Eastern Religion and Western Thought.)
The Bhagavad Gita and the Thirkural are Hindu works in Sanskrit and Tamil Languages of great antiquity. The former is an ancient work of literature and the latter was composed just before the Christian era. But both contain many of the truths which are expressed in the Dhammapada.
Hence the Dhammapada may be considered to be a work that reaches out to all of humanity, which underscores our common heritage on this earth. The Dhammapada transcends narrow sectarian loyalties. It is indeed a book for all mankind.
Mythology, Legend or Exaggeration?
The reading, understanding and appreciation of the Dhammapada in its classical form generally presents no difficulties to traditional Buddhists who are familiar with the cultural milieu in which it was composed. However, modern readers, especially those who come from non-Asian religious backgrounds, may be skeptical and wonder whether the stories which relate the circumstances under which they were uttered represent actual historical occurences or whether they are merely fanciful folktales imagined by their authors. They would find some of the stories trivial, repetitious, and even far fetched. It is true that some of these stories are not completely free from mythology, legend and exaggeration.
Possibly the best attitude to adopt is to keep an open mind and concern oneself more with the moral of the story and the point that is being illustrated. In this connection, Jawaharlal Nehru, the late Premier of India has commented in 'Discovery of India', that people waste a lot of time arguing about the authenticity of stories. They should rather try to understand the message that these stories are intended to convey. It would also be good to remember Hamlet's remark to Horatio in Shakespeare's play: 'There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in thy philosophy'. What is important and significant in this book are the sayings of the Buddha - the verses. Without the verses the accompanying stories are meaningless and ineffective. Their primary purpose is to relate the incidents which prompted the Buddha to utter the stanzas.
We should however not quibble about the authenticity of the actual stories but consider the psychological impact they will have on the devout listener who receives the message with devotion and confidence (saddha). For example, we should consider how these stories create moral shame and moral fear and also aversion to hate, anger, greed, jealousy, lust and so on. In traditional Buddhist communities these stories which are heard from an early age form an effective means of moulding one's character and in inculcating the virtues of love, compassion, generosity, equanimity and so on. In any case even sceptics would agree that these stories can be enjoyed for their own sake, whether they are authentic or not. In the next section, we will attempt to explain some of the problems which will present themselves to uninitiated readers.
Achema – 2005
http://www.satrakshita.be/Books/dhammapada.pdf
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