Live and let Live! I am whole Perfect and Complete, Strong and Powerful, Loving and Compassionate, Harmonious and Happy! I Live in Joy and Happiness, in Serenity and Peacefulness, in Gratefulness and Humility, in full Awareness and Mindfulness; I do my best to stay in this state of Consciousness. This was what was going through my mind when I woke up at three am. this morning, which was a few minutes ago and my dream was although not as vividly clear I noticed that my dreams of late are getting less tormenting or hectic, less of a struggle like swimming up the river as I have had in the past; perhaps a good sign that my subconscious mind is finally becoming less negative in nature. Physically other than the fact that my gums are still aching, though not as badly from the removal of two of my teeth, I feel more comfortable with less aches and pain. For all these I am eternally grateful to the AlMighty for the small favors. Despite all the negative happenings around me and around the world and knowing the fact that this too will pass, I am thankful for this moment of respite and I pray the same to all Beings in the six realms and the ten directions the same moment of Peace and Tranquility especially those living homeless in the slums of major cities and those living in the war torn countries.
The cause of our suffering was spelled out by Gautama the historical Buddha who some 2600 years ago, that man suffers from three illnesses namely. Greed, Hate and Delusion or Ignorance and these are the fruits of Desire, he primary cause of human suffering. If I had learned anything of the Buddha's teachings these statements expressed by the Enlightened One stuck in my consciousness to be the Essence. I will never tire myself of echoing these thoughts of the World and Time Honored One, a man who from a Prince became a pauper, a mendicant monk seeking answers to the nature of life and liberation from pain and suffering for the whole of humanity. As the Christians believe Jesus died on the cross to in order to cleanse humanity of sin, the Buddha sat under the Bo tree till He attained Enlightenment refusing food or drink for forty days it is said; He was in essence committing suicide, get the truth or die in the attempt. For their sacrifices humanity has really not benefit much as we forget the virtues they had revealed in their teachings and revert to our animal instincts over the centuries after they were gone. The same rings true with the Prophet of Allah's revelations and that of LaoTzu with His Tao Te Ching, the wisdom of Sri Ramana Maharshi and a host of other great Gurus and Teachers, their teachings are today are mere echoes of the past that only few hear the essence and take them to heart while most of humanity fall prey to their own self seeking, self promoting, self aggrandizement egotistic pursuits that have led today to what is a world on the verge of Chaos.
" My reasons says that Gautama Buddha is certainly the greatest figure in the whole of human history, but although I am not a part of any Christian congregation, although I have completely, although I have completely dissociated myself from Christian mythology, religion, theology, somewhere I cannot put Buddha above Christ. With my reason I understand. but as far as my feelings are concerned Jesus remain higher. and I know he is not." ...Lord Bertrand Russel
As one who has reverted to Islam as my faith, I have somewhat similar conundrum over the status of Jesus as compared to the Buddha and as a Muslim I believe that the Prophet of Allah through the Quranic revelations has placed both in their perspective in so far as both were prophets of Allah in their time and space. Both Jesus and the Buddha inclusive of the rest of the great minds that had made an impact upon our spiritual development, were great minds sent to educate humanity towards knowing who we truly are, that we are all Divine in essence if only we awaken to the truth of who we truly are; it is written in the Quran that Allah has sent many prophets to different cultures and races through out the world that we are not aware of... and the truth shall set us free.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama was asked this question. "When you pray who do you pray to?"
His answer," Buddha!
Question, "And you believe Buddha is listening to you?"
Answer," Oh Yes! But in Buddhist concept, even Buddha himself stated, Oh my followers. Monks and Scholars, should not accept my teachings out of faith and devotion but rather through thorough investigation and experiment and he also stated, You are your own Master.. Therefore ultimately the responsibility lies entirely on your shoulders."
It is never my intention nor will it ever be to gauge one religion over another. All religions to me have their intention towards bringing an end to human suffering through wisdom and understanding. Like most who seek the truth I too am swimming up the river of knowledge towards ultimate liberation of my soul, to become free from this cycle of life, death and rebirth. To merge back into the ocean or the Supreme Consciousness of the Source or the Divine inherent in me.
"The Buddha found what he was searching for!" - Albert Einstein
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