"Nevertheless history proves us that there are persons who did not want to conquer the world (but world made them conquerors) & in spite of them they could conquer it. One such person is Buddha. Born into a royal family, kingship being at his hand, he left the palace in order to become an ascetic in search of truth. As a fortunate prince he had every thing to lead a very luxurious life." _______________________________
(January 29, Paris, France, Sri Lanka Guardian) This expression seems to be rather contradictory & paradoxical. A person who renounces the world conquers it afterwards. What does it mean? In order to conquer the world one has to remain attach to it. If he intends to conquer it by renouncing it can be seen as a folly. Hitler, Mussolini did not renounce & instead waged wars to get the world for themselves. Ultimately they had to leave it with frustration.
Nevertheless history proves us that there are persons who did not want to conquer the world (but world made them conquerors) & in spite of them they could conquer it. One such person is Buddha. Born into a royal family, kingship being at his hand, he left the palace in order to become an ascetic in search of truth. As a fortunate prince he had every thing to lead a very luxurious life. But having been blasé of all these worldly things he embarked on a great spiritual journey. He went on a pilgrimage looking for realization of truth. This great incident is called The Great Renunciation!
After having spent 6 years in the forest as a hermit he could find what he was looking for. He obtained enlightenment or Buddhahood. Then only he decided to leave the forest in the hope of making a silent revolution in the society. His life is marked with special happenings: he was born under a tree, attained Buddhahood under a tree & passed away under a tree. Although he was offered with many mansions as Viharas, he never wanted to lead a sedentary life being confined to those temples. Usually he spent nights in places like potters’ halls etc. talking to people of various categories. He did not sleep hours.
With one meal he could satisfy his hunger. He had only 2 robes & a begging bawl. He had almost nothing. In the modern sense he did not have any economic value. Here comes the paradox I mentioned at the beginning. Today he has conquered the world. Especially in the western hemisphere of the world Buddha’s aged old teachings are being studied with a new open spirit.
The Western man who is lost in a consumerist, unsatisfied, stressed world is greatly in need of a new way of thinking, new way of looking at the life. Ecological devastation done by man’s craving has left a destroyed planet for the future generations. In this tragic context man has no other alternative but true spirituality.
Arrogant science thought to have discovered the secrets of the universe. Francis Bacon said: Nature should be put “on the rock” & her secrets forced out of her by torture! As a consequence of this machismo world view Mother nature had to under go a torture! She was devastated, raped, violated & all this was done in the name of development! Descartes added salt to the above declaration of Bacon. He wanted to “make ourselves masters & possessors of nature. He proclaimed: mind, knowing, thinking part of us is completely separate from the universe. According to him man, angels are capable to think, feel, know! Other beings, plants, animals have no thoughts, therefore no mind at all. They are mechanical. He also said: if we see an animal behaving as if it were excited or affectionate or in pain, this is merely a mechanical effect! Animals feel non of these things!
By these teachings man was allowed to exploit nature & planet as he pleases. Today in front of the ecological catastrophe man is unable to do anything. At this precise moment the Western man turns to the east. In the West it was advocated to exploit & conquer nature. In Buddhism, Hinduism & Taoism man was not advised to defeat nature, instead he was taught to be co-existant with her. Though man has a predominant place in Buddha’s teaching the Buddhism is not anthropocentric. In this context Buddha is conquering world! The great RENOUNCER has become a great CONQUEROR but not by devastating arms but by non-violent teaching!
(Bhikkhu Mandawala Pannawansa thero is a well known Buddhist monk born in Sri Lanka, currently lives in France. Contact Email- pannawansa@aol.com)
(January 29, Paris, France, Sri Lanka Guardian) This expression seems to be rather contradictory & paradoxical. A person who renounces the world conquers it afterwards. What does it mean? In order to conquer the world one has to remain attach to it. If he intends to conquer it by renouncing it can be seen as a folly. Hitler, Mussolini did not renounce & instead waged wars to get the world for themselves. Ultimately they had to leave it with frustration.
Nevertheless history proves us that there are persons who did not want to conquer the world (but world made them conquerors) & in spite of them they could conquer it. One such person is Buddha. Born into a royal family, kingship being at his hand, he left the palace in order to become an ascetic in search of truth. As a fortunate prince he had every thing to lead a very luxurious life. But having been blasé of all these worldly things he embarked on a great spiritual journey. He went on a pilgrimage looking for realization of truth. This great incident is called The Great Renunciation!After having spent 6 years in the forest as a hermit he could find what he was looking for. He obtained enlightenment or Buddhahood. Then only he decided to leave the forest in the hope of making a silent revolution in the society. His life is marked with special happenings: he was born under a tree, attained Buddhahood under a tree & passed away under a tree. Although he was offered with many mansions as Viharas, he never wanted to lead a sedentary life being confined to those temples. Usually he spent nights in places like potters’ halls etc. talking to people of various categories. He did not sleep hours.
With one meal he could satisfy his hunger. He had only 2 robes & a begging bawl. He had almost nothing. In the modern sense he did not have any economic value. Here comes the paradox I mentioned at the beginning. Today he has conquered the world. Especially in the western hemisphere of the world Buddha’s aged old teachings are being studied with a new open spirit.
The Western man who is lost in a consumerist, unsatisfied, stressed world is greatly in need of a new way of thinking, new way of looking at the life. Ecological devastation done by man’s craving has left a destroyed planet for the future generations. In this tragic context man has no other alternative but true spirituality.
Arrogant science thought to have discovered the secrets of the universe. Francis Bacon said: Nature should be put “on the rock” & her secrets forced out of her by torture! As a consequence of this machismo world view Mother nature had to under go a torture! She was devastated, raped, violated & all this was done in the name of development! Descartes added salt to the above declaration of Bacon. He wanted to “make ourselves masters & possessors of nature. He proclaimed: mind, knowing, thinking part of us is completely separate from the universe. According to him man, angels are capable to think, feel, know! Other beings, plants, animals have no thoughts, therefore no mind at all. They are mechanical. He also said: if we see an animal behaving as if it were excited or affectionate or in pain, this is merely a mechanical effect! Animals feel non of these things!
By these teachings man was allowed to exploit nature & planet as he pleases. Today in front of the ecological catastrophe man is unable to do anything. At this precise moment the Western man turns to the east. In the West it was advocated to exploit & conquer nature. In Buddhism, Hinduism & Taoism man was not advised to defeat nature, instead he was taught to be co-existant with her. Though man has a predominant place in Buddha’s teaching the Buddhism is not anthropocentric. In this context Buddha is conquering world! The great RENOUNCER has become a great CONQUEROR but not by devastating arms but by non-violent teaching!
(Bhikkhu Mandawala Pannawansa thero is a well known Buddhist monk born in Sri Lanka, currently lives in France. Contact Email- pannawansa@aol.com)
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