What
Buddhists Believe
Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera
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Part Two -
Buddhism: Essence and Comparative Approaches
Chapter 4 -
Timeless Truth of the Buddha
The Lion's
Roar
After hearing the Buddha, many
decided to give up the wrong views they previously held regarding their
religious way of life.
Buddhism
is a beautiful gem of many facets, attracting people of diverse
personalities. Every facet in this gem has tested methods and approaches
that can benefit the Truth seekers with their various levels of
understanding and spiritual maturity.
The Buddha Dhamma is the
fruit resulting from a most intensive search conducted over a long period
of time by a compassionate noble prince whose mission was to help
suffering humanity. Despite being surrounded by all the wealth and
luxuries normally showered on a crown prince, He renounced His luxurious
life and voluntarily embarked on a tough journey to seek the Truth and to
find a panacea to cure the sickness of the worldly life with its attendant
suffering and unsatisfactoriness. He was bent on finding a solution to
alleviate all suffering. In His long search, the prince did not rely on or
resort to divine guidance or traditional beliefs as was fashionable in the
past. He did an intensive search with a free and open mind, guided solely
by His sincerity of purpose, noble resolution, inexhaustible patience, and
a truly compassionate heart with the ardent wish to relieve suffering.
After six long years of intensive experiment, of trial and error, the
noble prince achieved His aim --- He gained Enlightenment and gave the
world His pristine teachings known as Dhamma or Buddhism.
The Buddha once
said, 'Monks, the lion, king of beasts, at eventide comes forth from his
lair. He stretches himself. Having done so, he surveys the four quarters
in all directions. Have done that, he utters thrice his lion's roar.
Having thrice uttered his lion's roar, he sallies forth in search of prey.
'Now, monks,
whatever animals hear the sound of the roaring of the lion, king of
beasts, for the most part, they are afraid; they fall to quaking and
trembling. Those that dwell in holes seek them; water-dwellers make for
the water; forest-dwellers enter the forest; birds mount into the air.
'Then whatsoever
ruler's elephants in village, town or palace are tethered with stout
leather bonds, they burst out and rend those bonds asunder; void their
excrements and in panic run to and fro. Thus potent, is the lion, king of
beasts, over animals. Of such mighty power and majesty is he.
'Just so, monks,
is it when a Buddha arises in the world, an Arahant, a Perfectly
Enlightened One, perfect in wisdom and in conduct, wayfarer, Knower of the
worlds, the unsurpassed trainer of those who can be trained, teacher of
gods and men, a Buddha, an Exalted One. He teaches the Dhamma; "Such
is the nature of concept of Self; this is the way leading to the ending of
such a Self.'
'Whatsoever gods
there be, they too, on hearing the Dhamma of the Tathagata, for the
most part are afraid: they fall to quaking and trembling, saying: 'We who
thought ourselves permanent are after all impermanent: that we who thought
ourselves stable are after all unstable: not to last, though lasting we
thought ourselves. So it seems that we are impermanent, unstable, not to
last, compassed about with a Self.' Thus potent is a Tathagata over
the world of gods and men. (Anguttara Nikaya).
-ooOoo-
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Source: Buddhist
Study and Practice Group, http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/
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Layout: Chan Duc - Nguyen Thao
Update : 01-11-2002
