बुद्धको आर्य सत्य – Sw Anand Arun Article In Nagarik News Daily

After his Enlightenment, Buddha spoke about truth for another 45 years. Speaking directly to listeners was his way, and not through books. He understood well that those who listened to him were filled with assumptions and could not fully understand what he was talking about. To expect people to understand his written words would be futile. Another reason was that if people would listen and write at the same time, they would be divided and could understand only partially. He believed that the crux of religion could be understood only by total and aware listening. This principle held true in Buddha’s lifetime. He did not allow his words to be transcribed when he was alive. His disciples used to convey his messages and discourses out of memory. But when Buddha left his body, people felt the need to collect his discourses in written form. Various monks from all over the region gathered and started writing. In this process an interesting thing was observed. Each writer had his own different version of the interpretation of Buddha’s teachings. Each of them claimed that his interpretation was correct. Due to this difference in understanding the words of Buddha, spoken to these monks, 32 sects of Buddhism were created.

Anand was the closet disciple of Buddha as well as his caretaker. He watched Buddha in close proximity and was aware of all the events of his life. Another quality of Anand was his sharp memory; he could remember and repeat things exactly, even after many years. Mahakashyapa requested Anand to remember and write the precious discourses of Buddha. But Anand politely replied, “I was not enlightened at the time Tathagat Buddha was speaking, so there is no certainty that I would have heard exactly what the Buddha was trying to say. I might not be able to deliver the same discourse with the same purity.” But the sangha insisted again, “Nobody else has been so close to Buddha and no one here has such a brilliant memory as yours, so you are the best person to write down Buddha’s words from your remembrance.” Anand could not reject this humble request from his fellow travelers. He started writing honestly about events, locations, people, conversations, and discourses. Anand’s writing served as the fundamental scripture of Buddhism.

The monks of the 32 schools of Buddhism were brilliant and extraordinary. Their interpretations about Buddha’s teachings start with, “The Buddha said…” However, Anand starts with, “I heard Buddha speak…” Finally, all other scriptures slowly vanished except the ones written by Anand. His stories and writings were widely accepted.

Anand writes about one of his days when he and Buddha were going through a forest. It was winter and the leaves of the trees were falling. The entire forest was covered by dry leaves. Anand inquired, “I have this question in my mind for many days. I was hesitant to ask in front of other people. I thought I’d ask since we are alone. Did you tell us all about your truth or are you holding something back from us?” Buddha stopped, picked up some dry leaves, and said, “Whatever I have shared is just like this one leaf but what I have experienced is much more than all the leaves that have fallen on the ground in this forest. It’s not that I am trying to hide anything from you. You have so much difficulty in understanding this handful of truth. And that, too, you understand with your own capacity of mind. How can you understand the truth by your mind, which is beyond your mind? But my effort to explain the truth to you is total. However, I am helpless and cannot explain more than this. I would consider myself successful if I were able to make you understand even that little bit. All I am trying to say is – attain nirvana through meditation. Only then will you be able to understand what I am trying to express.”

After every master’s departure, the disciples always have differences about the master’s teachings. This is because the disciples interpret according to their own limited understanding and capabilities. I remember one related incident. Some friends had organized a talk program for Osho in Bodhgaya. Osho gave a very poetic description of Buddha’s enlightenment and many were touched by his talks and their eyes were moist with tears. But some Buddhist monks stood up and chose to differ, saying that whatever he had described was very touching but not according to the scriptures. Osho said, “I am not talking with reference to Scriptures, but through Samadhi. I am seeing it this way and that is the truth. Scriptures are edited at various periods in history according to different circumstances. What I have seen is affirmative and pure. Kabir has also said, “You say what you have seen written, but I see through my own eyes.” If you have so much faith in writing, then bring your scriptures, I will write with my own hands.”

Only an enlightened person can have so much confidence and insight. According to scriptures, the events went this way. Before enlightenment, Buddha ate the pudding prepared by Sujata, sat in his meditation posture, and said to himself that he would not come out of meditation until he had realized the truth, even if his life was at stake. With this commitment, he sat in that posture and realized the truth, becoming the Awakened One.

Osho’s description was as follows. Buddha has been practicing austerities with strict discipline and never would eat or meet any girl at night. He used to eat less and was fasting most of the time. One day he was crossing the Niranjana River and was almost swept away by the shallow current. He thought: This stringent discipline is not right. With this frail body, if I am not able to cross this small river, how will I cross the vast worldly ocean? I have given up everything but truth has not dawned yet. After that incident, he dropped the desire of searching for truth. This desire was the only obstacle to his enlightenment. He broke his rules and heartily ate the pudding brought by Sujata, then slept on the grass bed made by Swati. Looking at this, his five friends, Kaudanya, Vaspa, Mahish, Mahanam, and Ashwajit thought that Buddha had gone astray, and they left him. Buddha had a very good night’s sleep without any desire, not even the desire of enlightenment. He woke up in the early dawn of the full moon day. There was no desire to do anything and nowhere to go. The sun was rising slowly and the stars were disappearing from the sky. There was no excitement or desires in his mind. Slowly the sun came out and the last star in the sky disappeared, and with that disappearance, Buddha’s mind also disappeared. He went into a state of no-mind, nirvana. He found the truth that he was intensely searching for after many lives. From that very morning, Gautam Siddhartha became the Buddha. That full moon morning turned out to be an awakening for the entire world.

It is my great fortune that I was born in the same land where Buddha was born, and am now a disciple of the modern day Buddha “Osho.”  I am on the same journey as him, to find the truth.