WHAT IS A BUDDHA?

A Buddha is a person who has developed all positive qualities and eliminated all negative qualities.

Buddha was an "ordinary" human like you and me before he became enlightened.

Enlightenment is compared to awakening, as a person suddenly experiences a complete transformation of body and mind from sleeping to waking up.

One could say that a Buddha represents the very peak of evolution, as he/she is omniscient or all-knowing.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama writes in 'The Buddhism of Tibet':

"Our teacher, Sakyamuni Buddha, is one among the thousand Buddhas of this aeon. These Buddhas were not Buddhas from the beginning, but were once sentient beings like ourselves. How they came to be Buddhas is this.

Of body and mind, mind is predominant, for body and speech are under the influence of the mind.

Afflictions such as desire do not contaminate the nature of the mind, for the nature of the mind is pure, uncontaminated by any taint.

Afflictions are peripheral factors of a mind, and through gradually transforming all types of defects, such as these afflictions, the adventitious taints can be completely removed. This state of complete purification is Buddhahood; therefore, Buddhists do not assert that there is any Buddha who has been enlightened from the beginning."

The historical Buddha, Shakyamuni or Gautama Buddha, lived about 2,500 years ago in India.

  However, he was not the first Buddha, and will not be the last either. 

He taught that during this eon (very long time period, maybe comparable to the life-time of the universe as we know it), there would be 1,000 fully enlightened Buddhas who would introduce Buddhism (after it has been totally forgotten). 

The numbers one to three in this eon are Krakucchanda, Kanakamuni, Kashyapa, then comes Shakyamuni (the historical Buddha some 2,500 years ago), and the next Buddha will be called Maitreya.

The community of Humanity

Actually, we are all part of the community of humanity.

If humanity is happy, has a successful life, a happy future, automatically, I will benefit.

If humanity suffers, I too will suffer.

Humanity is like one body, and we are part of that body. Once you realize this, once you cultivate this kind of attitude, you can bring about a change in your way of thinking.

A sense of caring, commitment, discipline, oneness with humanity--these are very relevant in today's world.

I call this secular ethics, and this is the first level to counter negative emotions.

The second level in this connection is taught by all major religious traditions, whether Christian or Muslim or Jewish or Hindu.

They all carry the message of love, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment, and discipline.

These are countermeasures for negative emotions. When anger is about to surface, when hatred is about to flare up, think of tolerance. It is important to stop any mental dissatisfaction when we feel it because it leads to anger and hatred.

Patience is the countermeasure for mental dissatisfaction.

Greed and its self-centeredness bring unhappiness, and also destruction of the environment, exploitation of others, and increases the gap between the rich and the poor.

The countermeasure is contentment.

So practicing contentment is useful in our daily lives.

....All religious traditions talk about methods of compassion and forgiveness.

If we accept religion, we should take the religious methods seriously and sincerely and use them in our daily lives. Then, a meaningful life can develop.

from "Many Ways to Nirvana: Reflections and Advice on Right Living"

by His Holiness the Dalai Lama,

edited by Renuka Singh

Community of humanity

Actually, we are all part of the community of humanity.

If humanity is happy, has a successful life, a happy future, automatically, I will benefit.
If humanity suffers, I too will suffer.


Humanity is like one body, and we are part of that body. Once you realize this, once you cultivate this kind of attitude, you can bring about a change in your way of thinking. A sense of caring, commitment, discipline, oneness with humanity - these are very relevant in today's world.





I call this secular ethics, and this is the first level to counter negative emotions.
The second level in this connection is taught by all major religious traditions, whether Christian or Muslim or Jewish or Hindu.

They all carry the message of love, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment, and discipline.
These are countermeasures for negative emotions.


When anger is about to surface, when hatred is about to flare up, think of tolerance.

It is important to stop any mental dissatisfaction when we feel it because it leads to anger and hatred.
Patience is the countermeasure for mental dissatisfaction.

Greed and its self-centeredness bring unhappiness, and also destruction of the environment, exploitation of others, and increases the gap between the rich and the poor.
The countermeasure is contentment.


So practicing contentment is useful in our daily lives.

...All religious traditions talk about methods of compassion and forgiveness.
If we accept religion, we should take the religious methods seriously and sincerely and use them in our daily lives. Then, a meaningful life can develop."



- from Many Ways to Nirvana: Reflections and Advice on Right Living by His Holiness the Dalai Lama