(Buddhist)
No one can live for himself. He is involved with parents, kinsmen, friends, foes, society, countrymen, etc., in ever widening circles. Buddhists declare, Buddham Sharanam Gacchami, Sangham Sharanam Gacchami ‘I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the Sangha. I take refuge in Dharma (virtue).’ The first is the involvement with the reality in one’s own individual self. One must examine oneself whether he lives according to a mind, free from polluting thoughts and feelings. Buddha is the symbol of the awakened intellect. Is the intellect sharp enough for clear discrimination? This must be one’s question to oneself. For, even an insane person asks for food when hungry. His intellect is alert for limited purposes. But, it has to serve far higher purposes for man.
The second stage is refuge in the Sangha. Just as one yearns for and works towards securing property, welfare and ‘happiness for oneself, one must also yearn for and work towards securing these very things for the sangha (society) to which one belongs. Without society to guard and guide, the individual is lost, like a drop of oil on an expanse of water. One’s welfare is based on the welfare of society. The welfare of a particular society is based on the welfare of the country.
The third stage is refuge in the Dharma. Dharma means the vesture of the Cosmos, that which is its very nature, namely, Prema or Divine Love. When one seeks refuge in Love that sustains and promotes progress, the individual, the society and world become a sublime Trinity. (SSS Vol.11, p. 142)
Krishna commanded Arjuna, ‘Develop a broad mind and expand your vision. You can start with the concept of the individual personality, but do not get stuck there. Do not waste your entire life thinking only of individuals. ‘From the individual you must move on to the concept of the society, which transcends the individual, Individuality and personality are associated with a limited name and form, but let your mind soar beyond name and form. Reach and experience that principle which is full of Dharma. You are still viewing everything in the framework of Dvaita, or duality, and so your life is manifesting only duality; you are caught up in name and form, in subject and object. Make the effort to travel from Dvaita to Vishishtadvaita, from dualism to modified non-dualism, keeping the highest wisdom of pure non-dualism, pure Advaita as your ultimate goal. Make an effort to see the same divine principle everywhere and in everything, until you realize the ultimate truth, that only the Atma exists, that only the Self is real.’
Buddha taught the same great truth, although he may not have made reference to Veda or used Vedantic terms, nevertheless, he experienced and demonstrated the essential spirit of the Veda. First he said, ‘Buddham Sharanam Gacchami’, meaning, ‘I take refuge in the Buddhi, my power of discrimination’. This deals with the individual; it speaks of the limited personality. Gradually, he added, ‘Sangham Sharanam Gacchami’, meaning ‘I take refuge in the community, I take refuge in the Society’. He recognized that feelings associated with individual and personal considerations are selfish and narrow, and cannot take you very far.
Society does not have any particular form; it is made up of individuals. When large number of individuals joins together they become a society. Swami often says, ‘Expansion is My life. When you expand individual life to infinity it becomes divinity’, that is to say, let individual life multiply and broaden and it will eventually reach divinity. Therefore, Krishna told Arjuna, ‘Live in the society, serve the society; and develop broad mindedness’.
The meaning of society in one country may be different from that in another; and a society or community called by one name may have nothing to do with a society or community called by another name. So, you will find that there are limits even for a society, and that the society by itself will not take you all the way to infinity. Therefore, Buddha added one more step, ‘Dharmam Sharanam Gacchami’, meaning ‘1 take refuge in Dharma, I take shelter in ‘truth and righteousness’. Dharma, as used here, has a very broad connotation; it refers to the one who supports the entire world. - When you investigate the general meaning of the word Dharma, you find that it relates to the basic nature of a thing, its essential truth. The ‘thing’ referred to here is the immortal Atma the indwelling divinity. Therefore, the deeper meaning of Dharma is found in the true nature of divinity. To take refuge in Dharma is to become one with the attributes of divinity. It has been said that Maya is the body of God, but it is more correct to say that Dharma is the body of God. It is His very form. That is why Krishna announced, ‘For establishing Dharma, I have come again and again’. Dharma reveals the broad nature of divinity in all its glorious aspects. (DBG, pp. 249-250)
True meaning of the Buddhist prayer
It is not enough to read the lives of avatars and messiahs. Their teachings should be put into practice as much as possible. People must gradually outgrow their material attachments and develop divine love.
Suddhodana tried to protect his son from all external worldly influences by keeping him in the palace and not even sending him to school. What happened ultimately? Buddha decided to renounce everything in quest of the truth about human existence and he declared Ahimsa (non-harming) as the supreme good.
What is it that people need today? These are three things: A heart pure and white like the moon, speech soft and sweet like butter, a face that is loving and kind. These are lacking in the world today The entire atmosphere is frightening. There is harshness in speech. There is no softness in the heart. The heart should be pure and soft like butter. Today, on the contrary, people are hard-hearted.
Fill your hearts with compassion. Let your speech be sweet and truthful. You will then be truly human. Ahimsa is the supreme virtue Buddha taught one great, truth to the world. He declared that it is not what the Vedas and Scriptures say that constitutes truth. People should bear in mind that non-harming is the supreme virtue. Do not cause harm to anyone by thought, word or deed. The tongue is given to you to utter truth. Jayadeva exhorted his tongue to manifest its sweetness by chanting the names of the Lord Govinda, Dhamodhara,Madhava. Whatever be the number of religions, their goal is one and the same. To carry on daily life in the world people pursue many vocations. But does all this constitute real living? Can a life led without remembering God be called life at all? What kind of life is it where there is no purity, no morality and no spirituality? Morality and integrity alone can lead to Nirvana (liberation).
Today these two are absent. People must strive to base their lives on Nethi and Nijayati (morality and integrity). They should become, as Jesus said, messengers of God. (SSS Vol.30), 15-5-1997