Hard is the life of beings;
Harder is it to gain the opportunity of hearing the Sublime Truth,and harder to encounter is the arising of the buddhas.
Truly, an evil deed commited does not bear fruit,
like milk that does not turn sour all at once.
But smouldering, it follows the fool like fire covered by ashes.
So long as an evil deed has not ripened,the fool thinks it as sweet as honey.
But when the evil deed ripens,
the fool comes to grief.
Though one may conquer a thousand times a thousand men in battle,
yet he indeed is the noblest victor who conquers himself.
The Buddha's words from the Dhammapada
- We have died on every square metre we keep our foot on.
- Ours heads have being cut so many times when we were born as cows,pigs,goats etc , and if we collect the amount of blood that has poured out of our necks it will be larger than the oceans.
- If we collect the tears we have shed due to separation of loved ones, it will be greater than the oceans.
- if we collect our skulls from previous births we could make a mountain range larger than the Himalayas.
The Buddha
With this supreme knowledge of his, he taught the world what he knew. He taught this way to destroy suffering and there were records of humans who achieved this. Most of them were among monks,some were ordinary lay people(people living a normal lifestyle). These teachings of the Buddha is still applicable for today and it is still practiced in some countries(eg: Sri Lanka).
It is very unfortunate that only a very few in this world has the opportunity to understand the dhamma(buddha's teachings) as it is only for the wise.
The greater danger
The Buddha said that most humans after death are born as animals and in hell. It is so rare that a human being after death will once be born as a human or among the devas(heavenly beings).
The Buddha attained the most supreme attainment of all time, that is enlightenment. That means the Buddha is freed of all defilements(craving,lust,anger,fear etc). Being the one and only person to ever do so, the Buddha had broken the chain of rebirth forever. With this attainment he mentioned that with his divine eye he searched whether there was another being who has ever done this before him, he could not find a single in any world.
All beings born were subjected to suffering
You may not understand this at once if you are born to a rich family, but take a look around you and notice the poor majority. Look at the various kinds of animals, there is always a chance of you being born as an animal.This cycle of rebirh is never ending unless you stop it.
The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism.
Albert Einstein,The Human Side, edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman, Princeton University Press, 1954
Jettho hamasmi lokassa
Settho hamasmi lokassa
Ayamanthima jathi
Natthi dani punabbhavo.
I am the Chief in the world
There is no equal to me
I am Supreme
This is my last birth
No rebirth for me