Buddha Poornima - 17th May 2011

"Buddha's emphasis was entirely on purity in every aspect of daily life. Purity in vision, purity in thought, purity in speech and purity in action. He considered the spirit of sacrifice as true yajna. Sacrifice is the means for attaining Nirvaana (freedom from the bondage of mundane existence).

Buddha was totally opposed to anyone being forced to lead a worldly life against his will. When Buddha was going round begging for alms as a mendicant, his father, Shuddhodhana, called him and said: "Son! Why are you going about as a beggar? I am a king and you are leading the life of a beggar. This is not proper at all."

Buddha gave him a fitting reply. "Sire, you are Brahman and I am Brahman. You are not father and I am not son. Both of us are Brahman. In the phenomenal world, you belong to the lineage of rulers. I belong to the lineage of renunciants. All those who follow my ideals are all renunciants. Your lineage is based on Raaga (attachment). My lineage is based on Viraaga (renunciation). To those who have attachment, it becomes a toga (disease). To the renunciants, detachment becomes the means to Nirvaana (liberation from bondage)."

Buddha taught his message in this way to his father, wife and son."

~ Baba ~

(Divine Discourse - 15.5.97)