The timelessness of Buddhism may be traced to the eternal values enshrined in it. Let us very briefly touch on these eternal values that make Buddhism timeless.
The way of life the Buddha preached was very simple. To the layman it consisted of just five simple precepts: abstain from killing, abstain from stealing, abstain from sexual misconduct, abstain from telling lies and abstain from taking intoxicants – a very simple set of precepts indeed. But the Bud-dhist way of life, the way the Buddha described, did not end with this kind of precept. Simplified in a manner that anyone could understand, there are three things that a person is expected to do, namely DîNA, SçLA and BHîVANî.
DŒna literally means generosity – the act of giving. It is very important that Buddhism begins with dana as the first virtuous act, which one should engage in, in order to put one on the correct path, because giving is an act of sacrifice. To be able to give something that you have – a treasure to which you are attached. There by you counter one of the biggest of problems which is called LOBHA or greed. DŒna counteracts desires, greediness and the clinging nature.
S´la may be defined as moral conduct. S´la is one of the antidotes for dealing with DOSA or anger, ill will, hatred. When we cultivate s´la we control or rather completely eliminate the cause of dosa. Buddha was very conscious of the many effects of dosa. We deal with dosa by cultivating METTî, KARUïî, MUDITî and UPEKKHî – the four states of sublime life.
MettΠloving kindness, benevolence, goodwill Рis defined as that which softens one's heart. Buddha gave the example of mettΠas the love a mother has for her only child. The culmination of mettΠis the identification of oneself with all beings. Benevolent attitude is the chief characteristic. It discards ill will.
Karun . Πcompassion is defined as that which makes the hearts of the good quiver when others are subject to suffering. Its chief characteristic is the wish to remove the sufferings of others. Compassion embraces sorrow-stricken beings and it eliminates cruelty.
MuditŒ is sympathetic joy. Its chief characteristic is happy acquiescence in others’ prosperity and success.
UpekkhΠmeans to view impartially with neither attachment or aversion. It is perfect equanimity or well balanced mind. UpekkhΠdiscards clinging and aversion. Impartial attitude is its chief characteristic.
Once you are able to live a life in which all these four characteristics govern your actions, there is no place for hatred rivalry or competition. Thus in being able to live a life governed by mettŒ, karun . Œ, muditŒ and upekkhŒ we bring inner peace in our lives.
BhŒvanŒ means training of the mind. As everything emanates from the mind, by training the mind to become pure, and well developed that can be controlled at will, to keep it alert, and keep on developing itself and discovering within itself the secret of life, the problems of life and the reality of life mean that one has succeeded in gaining Man’s greatest treasure.
From the above we can realize just how much we can gain by DîNA, SçLA and BHîVANî by reducing attachment, by developing morality and training to develop and control our minds. It is because of these eternal values so beautifully woven into the fabric of Buddhism that the teaching of Buddha has become timeless.
Conclusion
Buddhism is a way of salvation which is open to all and does not depend for its attainment on faith but only on understanding the way things really are. Such understanding can be achieved only after careful moral and psychological preparation. Salvation consists in a state of blissful calm, so long as this life lasts and no rebirth when it comes to an end.
This paper has provided moral message that should prove simple and appealing. Buddhism is not tied to community or locality but is a universalistic religion residing in men’s hearts.
Man’s freedom and power, which are both creative and destructive provide possibilities for leading us along a path leading to peace and happiness or discarding reason we could choose to continue along the road that would lead to suffering and misery. Man who has been able to bring himself to such an advanced and developed stage, should be possessed of sufficient reason to guide him towards the realization of a peaceful life by treading the Noble Eightfold Path.
This paper should be able to show that Buddhism has much to offer to the world in terms of dealing with the problem of suffering so rife today. Understanding the message of the Buddha is good, but actual application by translating the message into action is best in that it produces results that are beneficial to mankind as proved by the experiences of those attending VipassanΠmeditation courses.
May man find time and understanding to translate the message of the Buddha into practical application and help to make our world more peaceful and a happier place to live in.