Let us look at the life of Buddha, and not how he got enlightenment, because that subject has been dealt with extensively in this website; it is the sacred knowledge of the secrets of Nature. It opens the gate to the mysteries of universe, miracles to human mind and their laws, which are most guarded secrets of Nature.
It is a science that goes beyond mind and mind’s logic. It has a message for mankind – a message to open up itself to this sacred knowledge and move forward towards a glittering future of divinity on earth.
Siddharth Gautam, the prince of Shakya kingdom with its capital at Kapilvastu and the son of its king Suddhodhan, was a kind hearted and contemplative young man. In his early life, even after leaving his palace and worldly life, he was not the “Buddha” – or the “Enlightened One”. But he was resolutely determined to know the “Ultimate Truth” of life, disease, old age and death – the sacred secret of universe.
Later on he recalled those early days of his life – that are described in ‘Lalit Vistar’ – and said, “I thought that since fire cannot be produced without rubbing ‘dry woods’ I similarly need to dry my body. In those days I ate very little; in the whole day I put few grains of rice, seasom in my mouth … slowly my body dried up and the spot of my sitting looked like a camel’s foot-print”.
Because of his weakness one day he fainted and fell down like a dead there in the forest; his body remained there in this condition for several days. By chance then a boy appeared there from somewhere and fed him milk for several days and nourished him to life. It was not by chance; it was the design of providence. He realized that it was of no use to dry-up the body.
Now he sat up with the most earnestness of his heart and resolute determination of mind to know the “Ultimate Truth” of universe, and absorbed in deep thought. It was not a thought of mind; it was a journey of consciousness beyond the realm of mind. He continued to remain in that state of consciousness and condition of body for long time.
What did Siddharth Gautam achieve by enlightenment? What is enlightenment? Buddha did not tell what this enlightenment is; he told how to achieve enlightenment – he showed the way; he emphatically insisted, “Appa Dipak Bhav – You be the Light Unto Yourself” and said, “Do not even stick to what I say”.
Buddha did not tell what is enlightenment but he surely showed the path to move on to the destination of enlightenment. It is all described in detail in the voluminous literature of Buddhism; it short, it is known as “Enght-fold Path”.
Later on, when Buddha was preaching his Dharma, one day he put some leaves in his hand and questioned one of his disciples to answer: “tell me if there more leaves in my hand or there are more leaves out there in the forest?” The disciple replied, “Surely, in the forest”. Buddha said, “Likewise, it is what I tell you, and it is more that I did not tell you”.
Similarly, when one of his disciples requested him to answer, “Is there God?”, Buddha kept mum; again, on being put a question, “Is there no God?”, he again kept mum. Why did he keep mum? Because it is of no utility to humans to know whether there is God or no God.
What is the import of these three teachings of Buddha (Be the Light Unto Thyself; There is more that I did not tell you than what I did tell you; and keeping mum on the question whether there is or is not God)? The import is that one cannot fully describe to humans what is beyond human mind; it is of no use to describe it because it breeds confusion in human mind; and yet, it is necessary to make efforts to describe it because it shows the path to move towards what is beyond human mind. In this context, Kabeer – a realized soul of medieval age – very beautifully said this situation in these words, “If you make the entire forest a pen to write and the entire ocean the ink for that pen, yet you cannot describe that one”.
One day, when after having his bath in ‘Nairanjana’ river, he was sitting under a tree absorbed in meditation, again by providence, a woman named Sujata came there – she had come to the forest to do a ‘Puja’ (worship) of forest-God. She stopped and saw that frail bodied but radiating Siddharth Gautam sitting there absorbed in meditation; she took him to be her freset-God sitting in person before her eyes and gave her offerings to him. He accepted the offering and blessed her. Since that day it became a vow for Sujata to come there daily and feed him. This continued before and after he became Buddha.
How Siddharth Gautam attained enlightenment, what knowledge he achieved in his enlightenment and what is this enlightenment are all beautifully narrated – so far as it was humanly possible – by Aswaghosha around 127 AD in his ‘Buddhacharita’ or Life of Buddha. It is said that while Siddharth Gautam was deeply immersed in meditation, he faced serious threats to his life if he persisted in his pursuit; he was warned to desist from his determination to uncover the secret of universe. He refused to budge in his resolve. Then, he was offered the allurements of world – an unchallenged kingship of the world – or Chakravarti samrat; damsels of unparalleled beauty. But he still refused to budge in his resolve; he took a leaf of grass in his hand and promised to himself, “You are my witness that I would prefer to die than to stop in my pursuit of knowing the secret (of life and death, the universe)”. It was then that the universe opened up and its sacred secret was divulge to him; first the memory of his previous five hundred births was opened to him, and then he knew the secret; he became ‘Buddha’ – or got enlightenment. It is said that on happening this auspicious event the Nature became soothing; flowers opened and spread their welcome scent; devine beings rejoiced with musical sounds in the environment. Of course, we human beings do not believe in such claims; but there are many incredible things in Nature that happen; we simply dismiss them as untrue or if faced with their reality we call them miracles!
How Siddharth Gautam got enlightenment – what is the secret of opening oneself to this enlightenment?
Getting enlightenment is opening oneself to the supreme secret of universe. Way to opening oneself is not difficult – not complicated – but to walk on that way, path, is not easy for humans. It is changing one’s life; it is a new birth; it is dedicating oneself to a new faith, new purpose of life; and changing one’s life is the most difficult thing humans, because involves one’s mind, heart, emotions and every element of human life.
This secret is beautifully summarized in few words by Sri Aurobindo thus: ” (I)f we desire to make the most of the opportunity that this life gives us, if we wish to respond adequately to the call we have received and to attain to the goal we have glimpsed, not merely advance a little towards it, it is essential that there should be an entire self-giving … (T) here must be a decision of the mind and the will and, as its result, a complete and effective self-consecration … Every vital fiber has to be persuaded to accept an entire renunciation of all that hitherto represented to it its own existence … Our whole being – soul, mind, sense, heart, will, life, body – must consecrate all its energies so entirely and in such a way that it shall become a fit vehicle for the Divine.”
This secret to the way to enlightenment or divine realization has been said again and again by all great Rishis, sages Yogis and realized souls through out the long history of India, although in different words.
The Guru of Bulle Shah, a medieval Sufi saint, said this secret in these words: ” Shah Inayat said, “O Bulla, it is not a big deal to realize Divine Being. It is so simple a work to accomplish. It is like transplanting of a thing from one place to another place {like he was transplanting the onions from one place to another place}! It is the work of plucking of one’s self (self composed of one’s body, desires and thoughts) from one place (that is, from the worldly pursuits and concerns) to another place (that is, to the cherishment of Divine).”
One doubt arises in one’s mind: are all these allegedly supernatural things in one’s mind not merely states of mental conditions, calling for medical attention? This doubt is quickly removed when one is faced with miracles routinely performed to be observed by all by those who claim to have achieved that enlightenment or communion with Divine. Performance of miracles by Yogis do happen and since ancient times. Modern science denies the existence of miracles but does not dare to investigate and explain them.
One day while Buddha was having a walk in the forest, he saw two merchants – named Tapusas and Bhallik – who were having their carts laden with merchandise and were accompanied by their servants. They were returning home from Southern country. Their carts stuck in the mud and stopped; it was difficult time for them since it was forest there and there was no help available to pull out their carts. Buddha saw their plight; he told the merchants to move the carts as he directed; merchants followed the direction and their carts came out of the mud. They were astonished at this feat. They touched the feet of Buddha and offered their food to him. Buddha, after eating the food, preached the Dharma to them.