THE sacred Buddha Purnima is celebrated on the day of the full-moon of Vesakha. Goutama Buddha was born in the Lumbini Garden at the foot of the Himalayas (563 BC); attained Enlightenment under the Bo-tree at Gaya (528 BC); and Passed into Mahaparinibbana at Kushinara (483 BC). The day has great significance for universal love, peace, happiness, harmony and purity as the most blessed day for humankind.   
Buddha's teachings are very simple, very pragmatic and realistic. The main teachings of the Buddha may be summed up in three words -- Sila (moral), Samadhi (concentration) and Panna (wisdom).
The Buddha discovered the Four Noble Truths: there is suffering; there must be an origin of suffering; there must be cessation of suffering; and there is a way for cessation of suffering. The Noble Eight-fold Path is most essential for eradication of suffering. The eight factors are -- Right understanding, Right thought, Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness and Right concentration.
The conception of Sila is very broad. Unless and until man's body, speech and mind are free from ebullition and perfectly guarded and controlled, and until the purity of his actions is ensured, the attainment of Sila is impossible. Buddha says: “Unless purity of thought, feeling and will are made certain, it is impossible to make any progress.” Based on this splendid behaviour, the mind goes on developing and sheds itself of vestiges of impurities and non-meritorious traits.
Perfect concentration and advancement of the mind help acquire the four noble or exalted states of love, compassion, rejoicing and equilibrium of the mind. Upon this concentration or Samadhi, the light of Panna (wisdom) begins to shine and he realises that behind the phenomena which are subjected to birth, death, disease, defilements, impermanence, there exists the ineffable, never-changing and incomparable safety of Nirvana.
His rebirth is over, his holy life has been properly lived, his duty done, and there is no further mundane existence for him. He attains what may be described as “unshakable emancipation of the mind.” Thus Buddha gave to the world his compact plan of ethical and mental development and progress and termed it as His 'Dhamma,' or the Law. His discovery of the Law of Causation and the Law of Kamma are the triumph of Buddha's genius. The Enlightened teachings exercised profound influence on the social, moral, political, intellectual, religious and aesthetical sides of human life.
Politically, the Buddha favoured representative institutions, and His Sangha or monastic order is an example of the democratic way in which the affairs of the monks were managed. It was called the “Sangha of the Four Quarters.” Every qualified member had to take part in all the meetings of the Sangha; a question was raised and discussed, and decided by majority of votes. He also encouraged republics and never entertained the idea that big kingdoms should be formed at the expense of smaller and less powerful federations.
Socially, Buddha wanted to reconstruct the society of His times on a different basis. He first gave a rude shock to the Brahmanical doctrine, declaring that the division of the society into four castes was illogical and against the natural integrity of humanity. He said that the Brahman or the Vaisya or the Kshatriya or the Sudra is to be determined by the work or Kamma and not by the birth or Jati. His Sangha is an ideal example of a classless society, where the Brahman as well as the Pariah find a place for self-expression and development. His declaration in this respect was a great advancement at that time. In fact, He brought about a social revolution.
Buddha's doctrine of the equality of man paved the way for moral basis of life as the only criterion of success or duty. His scheme of ethics sounded the death knell for the life of ritualism, dogmatism, and mere external purity. He emphasised the fact that purity from within was the main thing to be achieved. Immoral acts were condemned in no unmistakable terms. Social grandees were given the same status as courtesans like Ambapali. He could convert a highway robber like Angulimala without using a weapon. His doctrine is summed up as “not doing evil, attainment of good, and purification of the mind.” His religion was neither metaphysical nor speculative, but based upon psychology and ethics starting with the mind of man, He analysed the various mental processes and divided them into Dharmas or states of consciousness, and showed how to develop the mind so as to include good thoughts.
Intellectually, Buddha always disapproved of speculative views in philosophy. During His own days the subjects that were discussed concerned the first cause, the world and its finite or infinite character, life and soul, whether a man exists or does not exist, or both exists and does not exist. The 62 heresies or speculative views about the soul are described in the Brahmajala Sutta. The Buddha had tried to prove that they were questions which would not lead to the edification of man. In the Sutta Nipata he had given views of sectarians and shown their love for mastery over others.
Buddhism is a progressive religion, and in its passage it has traveled from intellectual analysis and the ideal of the Arahant to the building up of emotionalism on the universal level, which paved the way for the ideal of the Bodhisatta. The Bodhisatta vowed that he would forgo his claim to Nirvana as long as there was a single person suffering in this world. This attitude of an all embracing love for creation began with Asoka's Dharma and paved the way for the humanitarian and altruistic message given by the Buddha. In fact, this is the bedrock upon which it is possible to build up the edifice of Universal Religion. Buddhism tries to raise the standard of life of humanity by elevating the less privileged ones and bringing them on a par with those who are already developed.
Let us realise and understand that Buddhism is not a religion but a true code of life, and it is a fully humanistic religion for mankind all over the world. Sabbe Satta Sukhita Hontu (May all beings be happy. May peace prevail on earth).

The writer is President, World Buddhist Federation-Bangladesh Chapter.               
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