Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Buddha

In this world the wise one holds onto confidence and wisdom. Those are the greatest treasures; all other riches are pushed aside.

He, who by good deeds covers the evil he has done, illuminates this world like the moon freed from clouds.

H.G. Wells, the distinguished thinker, assigned to Him the first place amongst the seven great men in the world.

The poet Tagore calls Him the Greatest Man ever born

He had realized that whatever truth a man may reach is reached best by a nourished brain in a healthy body -- From H G wells A short History of the world

The starting point of his teaching was his own question as a fortunate young man, “Why am I not completely happy?” It was an introspective question. It was a question very different in quality from the frank and self-forgetful externalized curiosity with which Thales and Heraclitus were attacking the problems of the universe, or the equally self-forgetful burthen of moral obligation that the culminating prophets were imposing upon the Hebrew mind. The Indian teacher did not forget self, he concentrated upon self and sought to destroy it. All suffering, he taught, was due to the greedy desires of the individual. Until man has conquered his personal cravings his life is trouble and his end sorrow. There were three principal forms that the craving for life took and they were all evil. The first was the desire of the appetites, greed and all forms of sensuousness, the second was the desire for a personal and egotistic immortality, the third was the craving for personal success, worldliness, avarice and the like. All these forms of desire had to be overcome to escape from the distresses and chagrins of life. When they were overcome, when self had vanished altogether, then serenity of soul, Nirvana, the highest good was attained.

-- From H G wells A short History of the world

I have not explained that the world is eternal or not eternal. I have not explained that the world is finite or infinite.

Decay is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.

No comments: