Gautama Buddha is an illuminator; his birth anniversary is celebrated as Buddha Purnima; his attainment of knowledge was fulfilled on the full moon night; and his Nirvana Day’ was also accomplished on the full moon day. That’s why Buddha has lightened up the human race. It was the day when Buddha was born, got knowledge, sacrificed his body, and attained salvation. Buddha is also called ‘Tathagata’, which means to attain the ultimate truth through the practice of enlightenment. Over two-and-a-half thousand years ago, the knowledge that he imbibed and the preaching of that knowledge that he shared among his followers still have significance in today’s time. For this, he gave the mantra “Appo Deepo Bhava’, that is, to become light yourself, one cannot reach the destination through the other’s support. Self-realisation is important.
Buddha Purnima is an important day not only for the followers of Buddhism but also for the entire human race. Buddha became the most popular Indian spiritual saint, social reformer, and spiritual teacher with his high values and knowledge. He touched the hearts of not only many effective personalities but also the common people and brought positive changes to their lives. We can also call him the person and ideologue of the spiritual revolution. His ideologies are not only a reflection of his revolutionary personality but also an inspiration of intense sarcasm and change on religious, social, and blind people, which changed the life direction of innumerable human beings. He preached about ‘sorrow prevention’ and said that this world is full of sorrows, but the end of sorrows is possible, which he called Nirvana.
Siddhartha was the prince of Kapilavastu before becoming a monk. In search of peace, he left home at the age of 27, leaving the royal life. While travelling, Siddharth reached Sarnath, near Kashi, where he converted into a monk. Here he meditated hard under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya. After rigorous penance, Siddhartha attained enlightenment, and he came to be known as the great monk Gautama Buddha. With his knowledge, he lit up the whole world. When Buddha saw the people of his era engulfed in ignorance about religious-social, spiritual, and other sacrificial rituals, ordinary people in ignorance in the name of religion, women being humiliated, and atrocities against Shudras, he felt pity.
He himself took the fast for the attainment of the first knowledge and, after wandering in the forests for years, did penance and enlightened the soul with knowledge. The enlightenment and light with which he has lived each moment of his life is an important chapter in the history of the Indian sage tradition. He himself received the light of truth, lived an inspiring life, and then raised his voice against the evils in the public. The efforts he made to elevate folk life are amazing and surprising. Expressing the essence of his knowledge, he said that there is a reason for every grief. The most important reason why human problems are so widespread on the world stage is human ignorance, indulgent lifestyles, indiscipline, and perverted food. Buddha says that at the core of the things for which people seek happiness, sorrow ultimately comes out of grief. Presently, even in the transition phase of the crisis, for the person who finds himself drowning in pleasures, convenience, and narcotics in search of happiness, the end of it is sure to be more sad and painful. Therefore, it is important for a person to make his lifestyle eco-friendly and intoxicating.
In this way, by becoming a monk, Gautam Buddha paid more attention to social welfare than to getting himself trapped in the fruitless disputes of the soul and the divine. His teachings became the means of liberating human beings from sorrow and suffering, as well as inspiring the solution of social and worldly problems, which have their own special place in making life beautiful and transmitting honourable values in public opinion. This is the reason that his words started coming into the people’s minds easily. While Mahatma Buddha propagated the ten pupils with non-violence while adopting the middle way, people found them easily connected to his words. He believed that if a man conquers his desires, he can attain nirvana. Thus he attacked the priesthood and established its importance.
Gautama Buddha practised Buddhism and very efficiently organised Buddhist monks and developed a sense of unity among them in a democratic form. Its doctrine of non-violence and compassion was so intriguing that after two thousand years, Emperor Ashoka, influenced by it, accepted Buddhism and stopped the wars. In this way, Buddhism crossed the boundaries of the country and spread its light to every corner of the world. Even today, the humanistic, intellectual, and populist hypotheses of this religion cannot be denied, and through them, a strong system of discrimination can be attacked. This Buddhism is able to provide peace and well-being to grieving, afflicted, and restless humanity. It is developing religious unity in the minds of the people by attacking discrimination and casteism. It has an important role in paving the way for the development of art, literature, and culture by creating an environment of world peace and mutual brotherhood.
Mahatma Buddha was the pinnacle of the social revolution.
His philosophy is not only a philosophy of non-violence and compassion but also a philosophy of revolution. Not only did he enforce the pilgrimage culture, but he also created new values and standards for an advanced and healthy society. He not only gave the right direction to progressive ideas, but he broke the stagnation in them and heralded a new revolution. Buddha said, “Hurry up and do great deeds as soon as possible; otherwise, sins overlap with good deeds. It is a great expectation of the present era to highlight his contribution in the context of the social revolution. Only by doing this will we be able to build a healthy society. The Buddha preached an egalitarian society. Asymmetry arises where there is attachment and malice. A person wanders in the corridors of inequality to nurture his selfishness, display his ego, degrade others, and grab power and property.
The Buddha made himself alone and empty before coming among the people, before sharing his life experiences, before performing rigorous penance, and before knowing the truth of life. Then he said, “Do not let anything inside you pollute the inner world. Look neither bad, nor listen bad, nor say bad. This is the message of emptiness, the path to happiness, peace, and good health. He spoke of ‘Appo Deepo Bhava”—becoming your own lamp. Because, surrounded by day-night resolutions and choices, happiness and sorrow, joy and sorrow, scorching in the anxiety of tomorrow, carrying the load of stress, how can the mind be empty in such a situation? How can it be balanced? How can it be grasped? The practise of living in the present is necessary to cope with these conditions. Neither the memory of the past nor the worry of the future One who learns to live today must understand that he has attained the meaning of human life, and only a society made of such human beings can be balanced, healthy, and equitable. It takes time to establish Buddhist qualities among the masses. Do not limit Buddha in only preaching, but make Buddha a part of life, shape your life with Buddhism culture.