The Buddha and Buddhism

What are your views on Buddhatva ( Enlightement) of Gautam Buddha ? Sure. This is one of the great events that happened in our Indian history. Before moving on to enlightenment, let me tell you a little something. When he(Buddha) experienced detachment, when he saw a sick man, a dead man, an old man and a saint, then in his mind came a thought to get liberation from it. Then his search started. We read about it. We must read the Miland Sutta. In that, Anand, his disciple, has recorded his most intimate things. First he went to a yogi named Allam and Practiced rigorous yoga for five years. When a solution was not found there also so he went in the forest and Started living alone. Where it is said that five monks were also influenced by his penance. Started doing penance around him.

He had completely given up food etc. So at one place Gautam Buddha himself says this while describing himself That when I touched my stomach, my hand touched the back, that is, there was nothing left in his body. He reduced his diet continuously for one year and finally reached to the point where he ate only a grain daily. Then he realized that all this was also useless as I did not achieve enlightenment yet. At that time nature blesses him. I would say that only mother can bless in such a way. this is the story that we read in Miland Sutta. You must read Miland sutta. It is a very important book. There was a great cow farm owner named Sujata. Can also be called cowherder. But she was a cow farmer.

She had thousands of cows. So she selected the 1000 cows with the best traits. Got those cows milked. She fed that milk to 500 cows. Got those 500 cows milked in the second time and she fed 250 cows. The milk of 250 cows was fed to 125 cows. In this way, decreasing the count she got milk from the final one cow. If we analyze it from Ayurvedic point of view, the essence of the milk of 1000 cows was contained in the milk of that one cow, in this way. Then she mixed rice with some herbal medicines in a golden vessel. Made Kheer (Rice Pudding) from that milk. She went to the forest because her wish was fulfilled. and she Was going to offer it to the forest deity.

when she went there, Gautam Buddha was sitting under the tree. He was sitting below what we call the Bodhi tree. Seeing his form, she thought him to be the forest god and offered Kheer (Rice Pudding) to him. When your penance reaches its peak, Mother Nature will always bless you in some form or the other. Gautam Buddha ate that pudding And he threw the golden plate in a river flowing in front of him and he went into a trance by sitting in Padmasana. We read that he remained in that state for a long time. Remained meditative for a week or more and when he lost his concentration, his Realization was achieved.

Here is what I have to say about this from Ayurvedic perspective, He received this world's most powerful brain tonic from And we have to accept that we must also have a brain capable of absorbing knowledge. So When nature saw his penance, the greatest and the most powerful brain tonic was prepared for him, which he took And after that he attained enlightenment and Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment. I drew your attention to the cooperation of nature in this. Very few people have thought about this subject. Although You will get the formula for making Kheer (Rice Pudding) if you read Miland Sutta. So those who can, can Definitely try it. Who knows, more people may attain enlightenment.

BUDDHISM AND KRIYA YOGA

So are there many cases of secret identities?

Guruji: Yes. Alara Kalam – as they write in buddhism, he was a very accomplished yogi, and Buddha spent a few years with him.

But then he moved on, though he was offered to stay…

Guruji: This is what they say; but maybe he was asked to move on – to practice in a jungle alone? I would say – Buddha was practicing Kriya yoga. In ancient buddhism khechari is mentioned, sitting in padmasana is mentioned, and sitting in a cellar is mentioned; and Buddha looked like his body had been developed by a serious practice of yoga.

Can we make an assumption that buddhism is just another branch of Kriya yoga?

Guruji: Which went in a different direction. Allama is mentioned in the list of siddhas in Hatha Yoga Pradipika; Alara Kalama, Allama – it sounds very similar phonetically to me. Buddha is sitting in padmasana – and padmasana is known by everybody from yoga, it’s not a buddhist invention.

And the realization of the emptiness, and a middle way…

Guruji: It is yoga, yes. Maybe a nerve – yes.

But he never explored the consciousness of the emptiness, he never went further, did he?

Guruji: He just said «emptiness» or «shunya» – and that was that. Consciousness was never mentioned; even Hatha Yoga Pradipika – it is not mentioned there. Shunya – they are going to shunya; consciousness is missing.

Do they deny the existence of the consciousness of the higher levels?

Guruji: They don’t deny. They keep the question open.

So there is mind and there is a higher consciousness, isn’t it?

Guruji: Of course, they differentiate that.

Many sculptures of Buddha are also depicting kundals – not of the same type, but…

Guruji: There was one cult in Thailand or somewhere; they used to pierce the ears and make the holes bigger and bigger – so it looked like kundals.

Buddha always holds his hands like that…

Guruji: Is it left hand over the right hand? It’s the most comfortable position when your left leg is first. Many people sit like this – but the left first is the most comfortable position.

Maybe it was the sister of Babaji who provided this catalytic result. Sujata may have been Babaji’s sister – who came to enlighten him and gave him enough nourishment for the brain; so he started suffering from enlightenment eventually.

But those descriptions of how he looked and what he underwent – when he became enlightened…

Guruji: Whenever he talked – the golden aura was shimmering around him, this is on record, Milendasotta. It is described how he was walking, how he was talking; he had a great sense of humor also – it is also described there.

If I remember correctly – some of his monks were discussing something in the inner room; then he came out and asked – what are you discussing? They said: «We are discussing who was the originator of the Creation.» And he told them a story: one being just appeared from nowhere, saying «I’m the oldest thing, and this and that…» Then one buddha went to him and asked: «Who is the first one to appear?» And he sighed and told him: «I don’t know.» It was a great joke of that time.

ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE BUDDHA

Guruji, what do you think about Gautam Buddha ?

Well I now suddenly ,I have very high opinion on him. He was a real Buddha.

And the story that he went for a tribe in his chariot . And he saw a sick man,

and old man and the dead man, and a sadhu.

And he left his home. And he started his journey

for enlightenment.

Many people have presented it in many different angles,. But just I just realised, that sickness

will lead to old age, old age will lead to Death.

So that is a journey ,from sickness to death is the journey.

And the sadhu which he saw , sadhu was happy because they already declared themselves as dead, then they move in society. So he will look happy. And I am sure now that his intent was: what actually happens after Death?

That was his main search. Because this is a physical thing. Sickness, Old age and Death.

The real life starts after Death.

And that is greatest of the great mystery.

So, in this search he stated his journey, tapas.

And I am sure when he was sitting there, after practicing so much Yoga, under Āḷāra Kālāmaa

and all this things; they say he is stop eating food and just reduce to one hand seed a day. He was trying to experience absolute near Death experience.

When you are actually almost dying, then you begin to sense what happens after that.

And then Adi Shakti graced him, and the Sujātā, with rice cooked and milk with so many herbs came, and that was a very potent brain tonic, and suddenly he begin to experience what happens after Death and what happened before

taking birth!

That is the real mystery!

All religions are discussing it, but there is no definite thing. I am sure the enlightenment we discuss about Buddha, he is discovered what happens after Death, what realms are waiting for anybody, and what happens before taking birth. He himself rememberedmany of his birth.

That was his search for enlightenment. They got actually what happens after Death.

So hats off to him!

All the best!

early Buddhists are saying that Samadhi could have different levels?

Guruji: do you aware of how Buddha died? He ate pork and die with great suffering and great pain.

there are different explanations of his death

Guruji: but the result is one. One simple point to think: wherever Buddhism was practiced – great sufferings followed. Buddhists came to this world to create confusion. Even in Shiva Purana it is written. When he saw sick man and dead body he left everything to find the way how to avoid it. But was he successful? He was ageing, he was sick, and finally die because of old age and sickness. And one more point: when he was asked, he said that Buddhism will exist for 500 years. But it exists for more than 1000 years. What does it mean? Nowadays it is not Buddhism at all. This is something else. Do you know Steven Seagull? His career was broke after he became Buddhist.

Buddhists are saying that so much spiritual beings are coming to their teachers

Guruji: yogic lineage are much more ancient than Buddhist. For practice yoga you must have sincere desire to practice and complete body.

so people with some lack of limbs could not attain realization?

Guruji: for them true devotion is described. Only with the whole body practice will be successful. In the next birth such people could made the step on yoga. All religions are to make you slave.

Buddha had different yoga technics

Guruji: maybe he was not a good disciple and failed?

he said that Samadhi is not the final destination for him

Guruji: if you are not able to achieve something – you will behave that way. Actually he never gave so many technics. I’m very grass-root level man, not philosophical. Let me ask you one question. Do you like we’re sitting together, drinking chai and discussing everything under the sun or you like to fasting every time and keeping silence talking with nobody? I need the honest answer.

what is wrong with fasting?

Guruji: fasting is not recommended for the yogis – even in Gita it is said.

Buddha said that we must choose the middle way – not fasting and not overeating, not do ascetic practice…

Guruji: this is another confusing thing. I’m sure he was talking about sushumna as a middle path, but people understand it as they can. Same thing with jesus – when he was saying that you can not enter the heaven until you will be like a child. He was talking about absolute different mental state. Same happened with “ I am the way” and “I – is the way”. You know what the word “Buddha” means in Chinese?

???

Guruji: it means “durak”. Original word sounds like “buddhu”, and it means the fool.

WHERE BUDDHISM CAME FROM

why in Buddhism exists the wrathful and peaceful forms of the deity?

Guruji: that came from Tibet: it wasn’t in original Buddhism.

why they limit the deity by form of only anger or peace?

Guruji: it is intermixing – it’s not pure form of the deity.

is it some similarity in notion of yoga in Buddhism with the real yoga?

Guruji: Marpa came to India and learn from two yogis – Tilopa and Naropa, took these teachings to Tibet and to his disciple Milarepa who become very famous. What Milarepa practice is very similar to what we’re teaching you. Then the transference of the consciousness as they call “phowa” - it will also come. But it is just translated into Tibetan – so it is look different. Maybe so many intermixes also take place.

Q : what I’ve discovered – Tibetan Buddhism are very different from Gautama’s Buddhism?

Guruji : there is a big mixture of Bon program there and local traditions also into the Buddhism – it is not Buddhism in its pure form.

Remember what Buddha said, you must take Buddha’s words very seriously and literally. When the ladies will allowed to their cult, their organization – he said that his discipline were live for thousand years; now it will last only for 5 hundred years. Now ladies have entered it. That means the Buddhism that Buddha was preaching, disappeared 15 centuries before. What we see today is just a shadow of it. If we respect Gautama Buddha we should take his words literally.

Every hindu are cremated will enter a new body to take another birth.

Q : it is possible to take a body of particular person?

Guruji : It is believed that there are certain siddhas who can do that. All memory will remain. It is very difficult; the sadhana will take you to the death and beyond death and you must have enough power to come back again. If you don’t have this much power or ability – you will remain dead. You’re dying in one body and again taking another life in another body. You have to go cross over death and be able to come back again consciously. This power will come. When we read about it – it sounds very interesting, but the actual achievement is the very difficult to achieve.

DECLINE OF BUDDHISM IN INDIA (KUMARIL BHATT’S STORY)

Buddhism dominated India for nearly 1000 years – after Buddha many kings followed him. Then, like it happened with every great starting, they became decadent after some centuries. It was happening when they were dominating: one Brahmin – he was the very great scholar- Kumaril Bhatt – learnt about Buddhism from Buddhist very famous monk(I don’t remember his name). by becoming his disciple he learnt everything, studying Buddhism; then came out and challenged him in theological challenge. In that debate Kumaril Bhatt defeated that Buddhist scholar. As historian say – that was the beginning of decline of Buddhism in India. They were already becoming decadent because too much powers always corrupts – everybody knows that.

But I will say – I’ve read history – but no comparison with all respectful Kumaril Bhatt. There is a sort of a repentance, described in hindu books, that if you were become a disciple of some Guru and learn from him, and then you challenged him and defeat him – is considered as a great sin. You’re going against the Guru. And the only repentance or prayashchitta that: you should burn yourself in tushagni: tushagni means the fleets of rice, it burns very slowly: you need to sit on it and let yourself burn very slowly.

So he did that. And when he was sitting on that slow-burning fire – in that exact moment Shankaracharya appeared and challenged him on the debate. This I also considered not very good thing to do. He said: I’m not ready to debate now – but you go to my disciple, Mandala Mishra, he will debate with you for me. I’m still respect Kumaril Bhatt because he’s the honest and saintly person, he was repenting… but he won – and it was the decline of the Buddhism in India.

RASAYANA FOR BUDDHA

I like books on Buddhism, I read them time to time, I like the idea in general – but I learn that you oppose them?

Guruji: not exactly; actually we discuss with the very open mind on everything. When the question comes – I think it is better to discuss from every possible point of view. This is what we have done so far. Buddhism started from India – we need to remember that. And also we must one thing to remember: how he achieved buddhattwa. As we know – sitting under the Bodhi tree. But everybody missed the most important ingredient of illumination. I will just point it out and you begin to think in a different way. He was practicing a very severe fast – he was going without food for some time and he became very thin. As Buddha describes himself: when he was touching his stomach – he was able to touch his spinal column, he became so thin. Then he thought that fast is not working. There was one very rich cowherds woman, Sujata. She had asked to offer something to the god of the woods because some wish was fulfilled. Now most important formula: she choose 1000 best of her cows, milk them, gave this milk to 500 cows, then next time she milked that 500 cows, gave this milk to 250 cows and so when it finally came down to one cow. Then she milked that cow, make rice and milk together in the pot of gold, out some herbs in it; and that thing she was taking to the jungle to offer to the jungle god. There she saw Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree. He was Buddha – and she thought he was the god of the wood himself and she offered this thing to him which he ate – because he have already concluded that fasting is not the way. According to Ayurveda this is the most potent powerful brain tonic, which Buddha ate – that was his destiny, remember that. He threw the golden pot in the river and sat continuously for seven days and nights – and he became Buddha after that. My point is: all the tapas is ok, all dhyan and meditation is ok – but this thing is playing the most important role in his life, this most potent brain tonic, which opened his mind. Nobody talks like this, but this is written in the history of Buddha’s life – so we need to consider everything, which help him in reaching this state. I’ve did enough research: this experiment was never repeated after Buddha – maybe nobody deserves it after him.

GAUTAMA BUDDHA; ATTACHMENT;

people are saying – you’re not a big fan of Gautama Buddha?

Guruji: no, this is not true. But as a yogi, if somebody is asking, it is my duty to point out the obvious facts of his life. I just want people who are coming to me to open they mind more. I just will ask you the very simple question, you know about Chinese history. How many kings and emperors you know, who just ran away to save their own life, leaving all people behind to suffer? How many emperors and kings you know? From China, India or Russia – anywhere? They run away from the country or from the city where they were ruling just to save their own life leaving all the public, who were depending on them, suffering?

So never ever trust a monk. He have no attachment, he will never consider you as a friend. Babaji told to Lahiri Mahasaya to teach yoga to normal people, not to monks. They can say bye-bye any time and you cannot stop them because they’re supposed to be beyond attachments and friendship. Be careful.

If we come back to Gautama Buddha – we just make a general observation. And it is just an observation, we have not give any judgement to him. Wherever Buddhism was practiced – suffering came. Buddhism was ruling in India for thousand years – Buddha appeared in India, remember that; and after him for thousand years Buddhism prevailed. Then we became slaves, islam came, and so many bad things happened to our country. For more then thousand years we suffered and suffered. Japan – epicenter of zen-buddhism - two atom bomb drop on them. Tibet: for centuries Buddhism were practiced – dalay-lama run away from there. You must be smart enough to observe.

I will tell you the story from Shiva Purana. There were three sons of asura, Tarakasura. They created three cities of gold, silver and copper in the space. And they were so righteous and observing dharma, that they become more prosperous then heavenly gods. Gods became very jealous of their prosperity and happiness. They went to the Creator. Creator took them to Vishnu. He said: “don’t afraid, gods! I will go down and take incarnation as Buddha; I will go down and preach against dharma and they will be deviated from the right path – then Shiva will destroy them”. This is exactly what happened. That is how he came down – he was the incarnation of Vishnu. It is written in Shiva purana and in other puranas also. But the dangerous conclusion is: he was born in India, and after his coming India was ruined. So maybe we’re asuras – that remains to be analyzed.