Before Buddha becomes enlightened, he says:
"Come what may-let my body rot, let my bones be reduced to ashes-I will not get up from here until I have found the way beyond decay and death"(p 38).
I admire Buddha for his actions, for Buddha is expressing stubbornness and maturity in order to find the answer to a life without samsara. In my opinion, I think he is tired of people's addiction to samsara, the concept that the world is full of suffering. The world suffers even more because people do not want to accept change.
When Buddha becomes enlightened, he says:
"Perhaps, there will be a few who will listen. Dust does cover the eyes of all, but for some it is only a thin film. Everyone desires an end to suffering and sorrow. To those who will listen, I will teach the dharma, and for those who follow it, the dharma itself will set them free" (41).
Is Buddha trying to teach his followers the concept of Nirvana? Does he want his followers to try to achieve this difficult task? Do you think attaining Nirvana is even possible in today's society?
After all, Buddha has been charged with a "transcendent power" (42), a power that can only be experienced beyond the normal level or capabilities. He has extinguished the demon of selfish desire.
But how difficult would it be for me to extinguish selfish desire? Maybe I should start wearing an orange robe and sit under a banyan tree....
I suppose I'm answering only part of the post but 'Do you think attaining Nirvana is even possible in today's society?' is an interesting question. In the Theravada countries of Southeast Asia it was doctrine for hundreds of years that the way to Nirvana was cut off. It wasn't until reform movements in the 19th century that the goal of Nirvana was recognized as central to the Buddha's teachings. In Theravada Buddhism Nirvana is the only goal, and it is a human constant the same way the Buddha is a universal archetype. So I suppose that's a round-about way for saying, yes Nirvana is still possible, in fact, without it Buddhism would be irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clarification of Theravada countries. Theravada is a more conservative Buddhism practice in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. Theravada is also the oldest Buddhism school still standing, and it was founded in India. The idea of Nirvana is still possible, but what I mean to say is, do you think it can be fully achieved? Nirvana may be the only goal for Theravada Buddhism, but I am wondering if the followers have attained nirvana, or see it as a goal that they will possibly achieve in the future.
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