A Contemplation 🤔

A Contemplation 

Once I was having a conversation on Buddha’s life with a female friend, when she quickly reacted saying that Buddha founded Buddhism, gave a great path of enlightenment to the whole world but He did injustice with his wife and son. Why did he even marry when he had to leave them? I kept quiet at her instant reaction, I had answers to her questioning Buddhas action but seeing her fragile state of mind I chose not to say anything. This resistance, judgment, questioning on the life and action of The Great One, Buddha left me with a deep contemplation.

What makes people be judgemental and so questionable towards the lives of great enlightened people? Sharing my contemplation here.

Firstly when someone becomes Enlightened or Self Realised, of course he cannot to injustice towards any sentient being otherwise he would not have attained that Mystic state. His bad karma would create a barrier. He has purified all his karma that’s why he could reach there! Second thing, we cannot have a superficial view over their lives and reach a conclusion. We need to analyze their lives in depth, study about them to get a clear while picture, picking up fragments and perceiving it is not the right thing to do to get a true idea about them. 

To answer my friend, she has to study Buddha’s life in depth before attacking such a Great Being Of Compassion and Wisdom. When Buddha was Siddhartha, he had this ascetic bent of mind from the very beginning of his childhood. His whole family knew the predictions of sages who predicted that he would renounce his family life for greater benefit to mankind, this truth was not hidden from his wife too who was his childhood friend and close associate to his family. Siddhartha always said that I need to find answers and path to allievate the suffering of sentient beings. That’s my purpose. His wife married him knowing his state and wanted to be helpful to this great being for the great purpose. Sacrifice is the prime essence of these peoples life. If we also see in Ramayana, Rama sacrificed Sita for the greater cause of Dharma so should we attack Rama also?

Our perspective is very narrow and coloured by instant material gratification with lot of selfishness. Where we see this crashing, in an attempt to safeguard that we attack others. So probably when my friend red about Buddha’s personal life, the attachment in her towards material worldly life kind of got eroded, which gave her pain and to protect that, she attacked Buddha. So basically our attachment is the only factor for our suffering nothing else. Our attachments to the pleasures of the world makes us very selfish and narrow minded. We immediately get aggressive where we find this pleasure being threatened. 

Buddha’s wife and his son and lot of people of his Royal family took the path of Dharma and surrendered in the Sangha made for protecting and spreading the  dharma in this world. Buddha said Samsarik life would give you suffering, you don’t need to leave that but yes leave attachment towards that. Buddha’s wife and son were also enlightened following him, that is what they seeked. Their lives were uplifted and liberated. Also when Siddhartha left for finding the answers his questions, he made sure that his wife and son are well taken care of in the palace. So  he didn’t abandon any of his duties towards them, also he left after taking permission from his wife who happily agreed to bear the separation for the greater good of mankind.

So yes friends, Sacrifice is essential for greater benevolence of mankind which the lives of great men teach us. They are living embodiments of these virtues. Let’s not judge them from superficial perspective. 🙏

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