Buddha was the genuine conqueror of the world
The enlightenment of Gautama at Bodh Gaya made a great impact on human consciousness and changed our future course. It was Buddha, and not Alexander or Napoleon or America, who had conquered the world.
Buddha spread the message that one should observe moderation in all things, accommodate antithetical points of view, and display a common-sense approach. He advised all to arrive at the middle path by not compromising but by holding harmonious view among conflicting interpretations. This is a difficult task. At a deeper level, it denotes unity of mind and thought.
In Buddha's conception of dharma, there was no place for priest-craft and ritualism. Love and kindness are the very basis of society. Hatred, he said, is never appeased by more hatred - it could only be defused by friendship and sympathy.
Our ordinary sense of love and compassion is involved with attachment. The deep feeling of compassion and love for one's own family is related to attachment, and so is confined to a limited circle. It is centred on familial relationship. Buddha's teachings makes one realize the importance and rights of others and in the process one develops compassion even for one's enemy.
Buddha believed that every individual must find the truth in his own way and should question everything - even his own words and sayings. In this new rationality there was no place for blind faith.
M K Gandhi felt that if we had accepted Buddha's social philosophy there would have been no question of practising untouchability. There would have been no denial of education to women or to certain sections of society.
Buddha is today seen as a rationalist, an empiricist, and a social prophet, and his dharma based on non-violence and compassion presents a practical ideology for a new age. In his teachings, he spoke about the importance of enlightenment.
Buddha's teachings of karuna and love help specially those individuals who have experienced cruelty.
Buddha's scrupulous empiricism, his support of intellectual and personal independence, his belief in dialogue and promotion of the 'middle path' are beacons to help us see our way out of present-day problems. We may not be able to fully practise the method he prescribed or raise ourselves to the level of his conduct but can certainly build a truly compassionate political and social architecture by following his teachings.
Buddhism teaches that the approach of rational self-enquiry also enables a person to achieve a higher state of discipline and harmony beyond narrow sectarian and national prejudices. Here is the well-known Buddhist maxim: 'Be a lamp unto yourself'.
The enlightenment of Gautama at Bodh Gaya made a great impact on human consciousness and changed our future course. It was Buddha, and not Alexander or Napoleon or America, who had conquered the world.
Buddha spread the message that one should observe moderation in all things, accommodate antithetical points of view, and display a common-sense approach. He advised all to arrive at the middle path by not compromising but by holding harmonious view among conflicting interpretations. This is a difficult task. At a deeper level, it denotes unity of mind and thought.
In Buddha's conception of dharma, there was no place for priest-craft and ritualism. Love and kindness are the very basis of society. Hatred, he said, is never appeased by more hatred - it could only be defused by friendship and sympathy.
Our ordinary sense of love and compassion is involved with attachment. The deep feeling of compassion and love for one's own family is related to attachment, and so is confined to a limited circle. It is centred on familial relationship. Buddha's teachings makes one realize the importance and rights of others and in the process one develops compassion even for one's enemy.
Buddha believed that every individual must find the truth in his own way and should question everything - even his own words and sayings. In this new rationality there was no place for blind faith.
M K Gandhi felt that if we had accepted Buddha's social philosophy there would have been no question of practising untouchability. There would have been no denial of education to women or to certain sections of society.
Buddha is today seen as a rationalist, an empiricist, and a social prophet, and his dharma based on non-violence and compassion presents a practical ideology for a new age. In his teachings, he spoke about the importance of enlightenment.
Buddha's teachings of karuna and love help specially those individuals who have experienced cruelty.
Buddha's scrupulous empiricism, his support of intellectual and personal independence, his belief in dialogue and promotion of the 'middle path' are beacons to help us see our way out of present-day problems. We may not be able to fully practise the method he prescribed or raise ourselves to the level of his conduct but can certainly build a truly compassionate political and social architecture by following his teachings.
Buddhism teaches that the approach of rational self-enquiry also enables a person to achieve a higher state of discipline and harmony beyond narrow sectarian and national prejudices. Here is the well-known Buddhist maxim: 'Be a lamp unto yourself'.
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