[Based on the book: “The Buddha and His Dhamma” by B.R. Ambedkar]
In his book, B.R. Ambedkar writes: “Bodhisatta, named Sumedha, appeared before Mahamaya in her dream and said, “I have decided to take my last and final birth on this earth, will you consent to be my mother?” She said, “Yes, with great pleasure.” The dream was interpreted by Brahmins in these words: “Be not anxious. You will have a son, and if he leads a householder’s life he will become a universal monarch, and if he leaves his home and goes forth into a homeless state, and becomes a sanyasi, he will become a Buddha, a dispeller of illusions in the world.” Buddhists are of opinion that Buddha obtained enlightenment only on the basis of his own quest. If that is so, then what is the relevance of this story? Who is this Sumedha who has continued to take births and who is taking a final birth, knowing fully well that this is going to be the last birth? Does this not show Buddha’s link to some other power?
The interpretation of the dream by the Brahmins shows that the high and the mighty, including the universal monarchs, owe their position to somebody else’s plan. If kingdom has to remain in the hands of one who is given this kingdom by God, how can we conclude that the spiritual teacher has no relationship with God and is merely a worldly guru. Such a teacher, one who shows us the true path, has to be appointed by God.
* * * * *
As per Ambedkar, Buddha was born in the year 563 B.C. on the Vaishaka Purnima day.
* * * * *
B.R. Ambedkar writes that when the child (Siddharth Gotama) was born, “there dwelt on the Himalayas a great sage named Asita,” who “heard that the gods (read ‘devas’) over the space of the sky were shouting the word “Buddha” and making it resound. He beheld them waving their garments and coursing hither and thither in delight.”
This statement showed that this child’s birth made the gods (translation for the word devas) happy. Buddha surely was a person of great eminence who had descended to show the right direction and path. But this statement also shows that there were some beings – the devas – translated as gods by commentators, who were clearly of higher position than Buddha and were greatly happy at the birth of Buddha. These devas are one, who kept sending spirits in this world to accomplish the task that they had voluntarily taken upon themselves at the beginning of creation – to lead the entire cosmos to the worship of One God.
Asita came to Sidhharth Gotama’s house at the time of his birth. Does this not show that it was a selfless act by Asita, based on what he had seen and observed? This also shows that it was certain even at birth that Buddha was the enlightened one. Those who claim that Buddha reached enlightenment, after self-study and at a particular age, are invited to introspect.
Some people say of Prophet Mohammad that he was given Prophethood at the age of 40. Their view too is based on falsehood. Miracles at the time of Prophet’s birth, the predictions of the Christian Priest upon seeing Mohammad in his youth and several other incidents from Mohammad’s life show clearly that his position was a predestined one and if he did not talk of it during the initial phase, it was either because he was waiting for the right time or he wanted the people to recognize the higher traits of his personality, acknowledge that he was one who was always just and truthful, before delivering the teachings.
If you have reading our views of the Upanishads and the Vedas, you must have seen that at innumerable instances these scriptures talk of an invisible Absolute God creating a visible form, to which it bestowed the power of creation, preservation and destruction. The beings emanated from this power and to keep them on the true path always, messengers or avatars were sent from time to time. That Rama and Krishna formed part of this chain is evident. Siddharth Gotama too formed a part of this system created by the Manifest Self. Proofs of this are manifest in Siddharth’s mother, Mahamaya’s dream wherein Bodhsatta named Sumedha spoke of his last and final birth and also in the incident regarding Asita.
* * * * *
Asita was a person of such great eminence. B.R.Ambedkar writes: “Surveying with his divine eyes the whole of the Jambudvipa, Asita saw that a boy was born in the house of Suddhodhana shining with all brilliance and that it was over his birth that the gods were excited.” Let us accept for a moment the theory that Buddha attained enlightenment at a latter stage. The fact that gods were happy over his birth proves that they were aware of the events of the future. If events of the birth and life of devas are disclosed through Vedas, why should we have doubt.
Asita wept at the fact that he was old and would not be able to live till the day Buddha “attain supreme and complete enlightenment and having done so, will turn the supreme wheel of the Doctrine that has not been turned before him by any other being in the world; for the weal and happiness of the world will he teach his Doctrine.” This statement shows that supreme and complete enlightenment was to be attained at a later age.
Perhaps at a predestined time or when people had already started acknowledging the high traits of Siddharth Gotama’s personality.
There is one more point! Krishna says in Gita that the self inside us has two parts – lower and upper. Lower part leads the person to the material world and it is the duty of each of us to transcend this and dwell in the higher part of the self, which is directly related to the Manifest Self. Purushottama or the Ideal person even transcends this stage and starts showing the characteristics of the God Himself. This is true enlightenment that leads to salvation, called nirvana by Buddha. You will agree that this does not prove that the person who has attained enlightenment gains supremacy over the God or His Manifest Self, which, we repeatedly proved, is visible in fourteen forms.
Any person who takes his self to the stage where it gets directly attached to the Manifest Self, starts getting revelations from the Manifest Self directly? This is why we see a similar pattern of evolution of teachings all across the world. Wherever any person uplifted himself to the stage where his self got attuned to the frequency of the Manifest Self, he became an Arahat, as per Buddha’s terminology, and became the teacher of the true path. That is why when a revered Brahmin of the time came to Buddha and said that an Arahat should not tell others of his position, Buddha had to explain to him why it was necessary for an Arahat to say so and preach the true teachings to all.
However, we are of the opinion that though becoming an Arahat is prerequisite for Divine Messengers, it is not necessary that all Arahats are Avatars having direct relationship with Noor or Manifest Self. This is evident in the example of Asita, who had reached a stage where he was able to hear and see the devas move and who could search with his divine eye where the child was born, but who was not a Divinely appointed Messenger and who even wept at the fact that he would not be alive to witness the time when Buddha would reach the highest level of Arahatship and would be given the position of a Divine Messenger. As Asita said: “The religious life, the Doctrine, that he will proclaim will be good in the beginning, good in the middle, complete in the letter and the spirit, whole and pure.”
“Just as an Oudumbara flower at some time and place arises in the world, even so at some time and place after countless cycles, revered Buddhas arise in the world.”
This statement of Asita further shows that such people of great eminence, who may also be the teachers of Doctrine of True Path (Messengers) keep appearing from time to time and birth of Buddha was perhaps the last of the Messenger in a region (say India) or the last birth of a particular spirit assigned this task.
After this, Asita again tells the reason why devas were happy and what is expected of all of us. He says:
“So also, O Raja! This boy will without doubt obtain supreme, complete enlightenment, and having done so will take countless beings across the ocean of sorrow and misery to a state of happiness.”
Is the same not the theme of Krishna’s conversation all through Gita?
* * * * *
Buddha’s chief role was also to remove the ills in the society which earlier messengers were unable to accomplish fully. This, however, does not mean that they did not try or impart teachings in these areas. Just as those claiming to be his followers are not adhering to most of Buddha’s teachings, the adherents of the doctrine preached by earlier Messengers too had forgotten their teachings.
One of the chief reforms ascribed to Buddha was to eradicate the age-old belief as per which “a worker was born to serve and that in serving his master he was only fulfilling his destiny.” You will be surprised to read that even Krishna was against the evil of casteism, and if he did not dwell too much on the subject it was either because he was engaged in dealing with more pressing problems or because of the fact that we know too little of his teachings during his life-time, other than those mentioned in Gita.
* * * * *
To be continued...
In his book, B.R. Ambedkar writes: “Bodhisatta, named Sumedha, appeared before Mahamaya in her dream and said, “I have decided to take my last and final birth on this earth, will you consent to be my mother?” She said, “Yes, with great pleasure.” The dream was interpreted by Brahmins in these words: “Be not anxious. You will have a son, and if he leads a householder’s life he will become a universal monarch, and if he leaves his home and goes forth into a homeless state, and becomes a sanyasi, he will become a Buddha, a dispeller of illusions in the world.” Buddhists are of opinion that Buddha obtained enlightenment only on the basis of his own quest. If that is so, then what is the relevance of this story? Who is this Sumedha who has continued to take births and who is taking a final birth, knowing fully well that this is going to be the last birth? Does this not show Buddha’s link to some other power?
The interpretation of the dream by the Brahmins shows that the high and the mighty, including the universal monarchs, owe their position to somebody else’s plan. If kingdom has to remain in the hands of one who is given this kingdom by God, how can we conclude that the spiritual teacher has no relationship with God and is merely a worldly guru. Such a teacher, one who shows us the true path, has to be appointed by God.
* * * * *
As per Ambedkar, Buddha was born in the year 563 B.C. on the Vaishaka Purnima day.
* * * * *
B.R. Ambedkar writes that when the child (Siddharth Gotama) was born, “there dwelt on the Himalayas a great sage named Asita,” who “heard that the gods (read ‘devas’) over the space of the sky were shouting the word “Buddha” and making it resound. He beheld them waving their garments and coursing hither and thither in delight.”
This statement showed that this child’s birth made the gods (translation for the word devas) happy. Buddha surely was a person of great eminence who had descended to show the right direction and path. But this statement also shows that there were some beings – the devas – translated as gods by commentators, who were clearly of higher position than Buddha and were greatly happy at the birth of Buddha. These devas are one, who kept sending spirits in this world to accomplish the task that they had voluntarily taken upon themselves at the beginning of creation – to lead the entire cosmos to the worship of One God.
Asita came to Sidhharth Gotama’s house at the time of his birth. Does this not show that it was a selfless act by Asita, based on what he had seen and observed? This also shows that it was certain even at birth that Buddha was the enlightened one. Those who claim that Buddha reached enlightenment, after self-study and at a particular age, are invited to introspect.
Some people say of Prophet Mohammad that he was given Prophethood at the age of 40. Their view too is based on falsehood. Miracles at the time of Prophet’s birth, the predictions of the Christian Priest upon seeing Mohammad in his youth and several other incidents from Mohammad’s life show clearly that his position was a predestined one and if he did not talk of it during the initial phase, it was either because he was waiting for the right time or he wanted the people to recognize the higher traits of his personality, acknowledge that he was one who was always just and truthful, before delivering the teachings.
If you have reading our views of the Upanishads and the Vedas, you must have seen that at innumerable instances these scriptures talk of an invisible Absolute God creating a visible form, to which it bestowed the power of creation, preservation and destruction. The beings emanated from this power and to keep them on the true path always, messengers or avatars were sent from time to time. That Rama and Krishna formed part of this chain is evident. Siddharth Gotama too formed a part of this system created by the Manifest Self. Proofs of this are manifest in Siddharth’s mother, Mahamaya’s dream wherein Bodhsatta named Sumedha spoke of his last and final birth and also in the incident regarding Asita.
* * * * *
Asita was a person of such great eminence. B.R.Ambedkar writes: “Surveying with his divine eyes the whole of the Jambudvipa, Asita saw that a boy was born in the house of Suddhodhana shining with all brilliance and that it was over his birth that the gods were excited.” Let us accept for a moment the theory that Buddha attained enlightenment at a latter stage. The fact that gods were happy over his birth proves that they were aware of the events of the future. If events of the birth and life of devas are disclosed through Vedas, why should we have doubt.
Asita wept at the fact that he was old and would not be able to live till the day Buddha “attain supreme and complete enlightenment and having done so, will turn the supreme wheel of the Doctrine that has not been turned before him by any other being in the world; for the weal and happiness of the world will he teach his Doctrine.” This statement shows that supreme and complete enlightenment was to be attained at a later age.
Perhaps at a predestined time or when people had already started acknowledging the high traits of Siddharth Gotama’s personality.
There is one more point! Krishna says in Gita that the self inside us has two parts – lower and upper. Lower part leads the person to the material world and it is the duty of each of us to transcend this and dwell in the higher part of the self, which is directly related to the Manifest Self. Purushottama or the Ideal person even transcends this stage and starts showing the characteristics of the God Himself. This is true enlightenment that leads to salvation, called nirvana by Buddha. You will agree that this does not prove that the person who has attained enlightenment gains supremacy over the God or His Manifest Self, which, we repeatedly proved, is visible in fourteen forms.
Any person who takes his self to the stage where it gets directly attached to the Manifest Self, starts getting revelations from the Manifest Self directly? This is why we see a similar pattern of evolution of teachings all across the world. Wherever any person uplifted himself to the stage where his self got attuned to the frequency of the Manifest Self, he became an Arahat, as per Buddha’s terminology, and became the teacher of the true path. That is why when a revered Brahmin of the time came to Buddha and said that an Arahat should not tell others of his position, Buddha had to explain to him why it was necessary for an Arahat to say so and preach the true teachings to all.
However, we are of the opinion that though becoming an Arahat is prerequisite for Divine Messengers, it is not necessary that all Arahats are Avatars having direct relationship with Noor or Manifest Self. This is evident in the example of Asita, who had reached a stage where he was able to hear and see the devas move and who could search with his divine eye where the child was born, but who was not a Divinely appointed Messenger and who even wept at the fact that he would not be alive to witness the time when Buddha would reach the highest level of Arahatship and would be given the position of a Divine Messenger. As Asita said: “The religious life, the Doctrine, that he will proclaim will be good in the beginning, good in the middle, complete in the letter and the spirit, whole and pure.”
“Just as an Oudumbara flower at some time and place arises in the world, even so at some time and place after countless cycles, revered Buddhas arise in the world.”
This statement of Asita further shows that such people of great eminence, who may also be the teachers of Doctrine of True Path (Messengers) keep appearing from time to time and birth of Buddha was perhaps the last of the Messenger in a region (say India) or the last birth of a particular spirit assigned this task.
After this, Asita again tells the reason why devas were happy and what is expected of all of us. He says:
“So also, O Raja! This boy will without doubt obtain supreme, complete enlightenment, and having done so will take countless beings across the ocean of sorrow and misery to a state of happiness.”
Is the same not the theme of Krishna’s conversation all through Gita?
* * * * *
Buddha’s chief role was also to remove the ills in the society which earlier messengers were unable to accomplish fully. This, however, does not mean that they did not try or impart teachings in these areas. Just as those claiming to be his followers are not adhering to most of Buddha’s teachings, the adherents of the doctrine preached by earlier Messengers too had forgotten their teachings.
One of the chief reforms ascribed to Buddha was to eradicate the age-old belief as per which “a worker was born to serve and that in serving his master he was only fulfilling his destiny.” You will be surprised to read that even Krishna was against the evil of casteism, and if he did not dwell too much on the subject it was either because he was engaged in dealing with more pressing problems or because of the fact that we know too little of his teachings during his life-time, other than those mentioned in Gita.
* * * * *
To be continued...
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