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The BUDDHA ?... briefly

( 8 ) Who was The BUDDHA ?... briefly

Who was The BUDDHA ? – Question Authority !
3 Jewels • Buddha • Dharma • Sangha
• " BELIEVE NOTHING ! " – Constantly Question !
• Take a Quote-Scroll Down Buddha's Maverick Path
• BUDDHA The ICONOCLAST: see next section
To read Here just begin to SCROLL ▼DOWN

This traditional Buddha-image is only an ancient 'symbol',
a 'metaphor', using a 'form' as a useful outer visual 'reminder'
of truly wholesome inner-qualities. Yet, an image is not 'Real'.

___________________‘BUDDHA’_______________________

Question Authority !

“ What is accepted

by the majority of people -

does not mean it is Real ”

" Believe nothing on the faith of 'traditions' –

even though they have been held in honor

for many generations and in diverse places.

Do not believe a thing because many people speak of it.

Do not believe in the 'faith' of the prophets of the past.

Do not believe what you yourself have 'imagined',

persuading yourself that a ghost or a 'god' inspires you.

Believe nothing on the sole authority of your elders or priests.

After careful examination - know what you yourself have tested

and found to be reasonable, and conform your conduct thereto."

~ Gautama The Buddha

5th century B.C. ( short Kalama Sutra version )

Respect ‘authority’ - since you are not the ultimate authority.

Question ‘authority’ - since You are to be the ultimate authority.

Always find the ‘Middle Path’ in between.

~ Stonepeace

"If we don't question what we ‘believe’,

we're destined to live it out."

~ Byron Katie

"Gautama The Buddha Shakyamuni"
The former Prince Siddhartha Gautama (Gotama)
of the Shakya Tribal Clan in Nepal - North India
Birthplace: Kapilvastu, Nepal 563 BC
Awakened: Uruwala, India 528 BC
a small oasis that became Bodh Gaya

Died @ 80: Kusinara, India 483 BC
Never to be re-incarnated or
resurrected again. Done. Gone.
Job-commission fully completed.
'Para-Nirvana' fully blown away
Nibbana: 'to blow out' like a flame
We do have his Maha Dharma
to use for Practice. Use it well. ~A~

The Maha Bodhi Maha Vihara

An ancient single temple tower now sits to the East
of the foot of The Sacred Bodhi Tree under whose
arms Siddhartha Gautama the 'Buddha-to-be' sat
vowing to remain there till Enlightenment occurred.

_______________________________________

♦ 'The Buddha' ( from Budhi / Bodhi: to Awaken

in classical Sanskrit )

A Buddha is only the 'way-pointer', a self-evolved

'human model', the founding-teacher.

Now gone 2500 plus years. An intelligent, savvy,

compassionate, pioneering man – dedicated to

a 'Humanist' view of life and all existence.

A 'prophet' of sorts, not a God. Definitely a 'heretic'.

"Buddha's advanced spiritual practice

is not a search for God or the Divine.

It is a totally 'humanistic' path – totally

in one's own hands, head& heart.

With the Buddha's Enlightenment,

a great 'spiritual-revolutionary' awakened !

He became an authentically free person

entirely through his very own efforts.”

~ Henri Van Zeyst

___________________________________________________¬______

The mantra I continuously say to myself is –

"I Will Stop Searching Outside."

~ Sri Ramana Maharshi 1879-1950

"It is the experience of advanced advaita-yogis

who no longer perceive things 'dualistically' -

And even for them –

That 'Things' simply spontaneously do 'manifest'

without even 'truly existing' - is still so amazing,

that these yogis burst out in uproarious laughter"

--------------------------------------------------------

"Since everything is but an 'Apparition',

Perfect in just being 'What It Is' ~ As It Is.

Having nothing to do with 'good' or 'bad',

'acceptance' or 'rejection' – or with ME.

Again, you might as well just burst out

in uproarious laughter, as well.!"

~ Longchenpa (1308-1369 AD)

from The Choying Dzod Tans. ~A~

________________________

A sweet little Asian legend

– it's just a legend . . .

They say, when the Buddha was born,

he sprang easily out of his mother's hip,

walked seven steps, on seven lotus pads

that appeared instantly under his feet,

He pointed to the sky with one arm raised -

and the other to the ground - and he said:

"Heaven above, Earth below

I am in between them - but not of them -

I am completely, truly Awakened."

... Can we too – “Be Between” and “Not of”’ ?

Are Buddha and You the Same or Different?

~ Zenmaster Seung Sahn – Soen Sah Nim

_________________________________

A new student monk asked

The Buddha,..

Are you The Messiah?

"No", answered The Buddha.

Are you a Deva-Deity-God?

"No", responded Buddha.

Then are you a mystic?

"No", Buddha replied.

Then are you a healer?

the student persisted.

"No, I am not a healer."

Then what are you?

he asked, exasperated.

"I am Awake", Buddha replied.

_______________________

"A common mistake is to think

that 'your' reality, is THE Reality –

You must always be prepared to

leave your reality for a greater one."

~ Amaji Meera

_______________________________

Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit, or Gotama in Pali, was a spiritual teacher from ancient India and

the founder of Buddhism. He is recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha ( Samma-sambuddha )

of our age. The precise nature of such a supreme Buddha whether "merely" human or a transcendental,

immortal, god-transcending being - is differently construed in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.

Theravada tends to view him as a super-human personage of supreme teaching skill & wisdom (uncon-

tactable after his physical death), whereas Mahayana Buddhism goes further and tends to see him as

a projection of an eternal, ultimate principle of Buddhahood (see Dharmakaya), present in all phenomena,

immortal and transcendent.

Gautama, also known as Shakyamuni literally means “silent sage of the Shakya clan” – is the key figure

in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules were said to have been summarized

after his death and memorized by the monastic Sangha. Passed down by oral tradition, the Tipitaka, the

collection of teachings attributed to Gotama, was committed to writing some centuries later. The commen-

taries to the Tipitaka tell the story of Siddharta Gautama, Prince of Kapilavastu, who lived during 6th cen-

tury B.C. He was born on Vaisakha Poornima. The history of his family - The Ikshvaku Dynasty is traceable

way back to pre-Ramayana times. Renouncing the life and responsibility of a king, Siddhartha Gautama

sought a solution to human misery. Ever in the midst of the great Indian religious and spiritual traditions,

he again noticed what was most needed by all people – Dharma teachings and Non-violence. He sought

a direct path to salvation. He was a lone pathfinder who inspired the religions that eventually spread to

China, Japan, and to the United States and Europe as late as the 20th Century.

Leaf of the Ficus Religiosa

___________________________________
__________________________________

The Buddhist Holy Ground Zero

The holiest place in all of Buddhism
is simply sitting quietly, calmly directly
under this ancient beloved Bodhi Tree
where a noble prince, Siddhartha
who was the 'Buddha-to-be' –
sat that momentous full moon night
in May around 500 BC, some 2500
short years ago – and by morning
he Awakened to Enlightenment
as his contribution to the benefit
of all living beings.
That giant tree still stands
at a bend in the dry river in the
small desert village of Bodh Gaya,
Northeast India on the Varanasi-side.
This most holy of places, Buddha'gaya,
is Buddhism's Mecca or Jerusalem.

__________________________________

Who was The BUDDHA ? – “Question Authority” !

3 Jewels • Buddha • Dharma • Sangha

• " BELIEVE NOTHING ! " – Constantly Question !

• Take a Quote-Scroll Down Buddha's Maverick Path

• BUDDHA The ICONOCLAST: see next section

to read just begin to SCROLL DOWN

zentrance( 8 ) Who was The BUDDHA ?... briefly

This traditional Buddha-image is only an ancient 'symbol',

a 'metaphor', using a 'form' as a useful outer visual 'reminder'

of truly wholesome inner-qualities. Yet, an image is not 'Real'.

_______________________________________________________

_______________________‘BUDDHA’_________________________

Question Authority !

“ What is accepted

by the majority of people -

does not mean it is Real ”

" Believe nothing on the faith of 'traditions'

-- even though they have been held in honor

for many generations and in diverse places.

Do not believe a thing because many people speak of it.

Do not believe in the 'faith' of the prophets of the past.

Do not believe what you yourself have 'imagined',

persuading yourself that a ghost or a 'god' inspires you.

Believe nothing on the sole authority of your elders or priests.

After careful examination - know what you yourself have tested

and found to be reasonable, and conform your conduct thereto."

~ Gautama The Buddha ~ 5th century B.C.

( short Kalama Sutra version )

___________________________________

♦ The Buddha' ( from Budhi / Bodhi:

to Awaken in classical Sanskrit ) a Buddha is only

the 'way-pointer', a self-evolved 'human model',

the founding-teacher. Now gone 2500 plus years.

An intelligent, savvy, compassionate, pioneering man –

dedicated to a 'Humanist' view of life and all existence.

A 'prophet' of sorts, not a God. Definitely a 'heretic'.

"Buddha's advanced spiritual practice

is not a search for God or the Divine."

It is a totally 'humanistic' path – totally

in one's own hands, head & heart.

With the Buddha's Enlightenment,

a great 'spiritual-revolutionary' awakened.

He became an authentically free person

entirely through his very own efforts.