Bhaghavan Gautama Buddha is known in India as the “Bhaishajya Guru”, the master healer of physical and mental illness of all living beings.Ayurveda is considered as the ‘Universal Healing Art’.
NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMA SAMBUDDHASSA
Chanting of the above mantra enhances wisdom and compassion which leads one to enlightenment. Inspired by The Buddha, the master healer of all ailments of the universe.
“Your destiny is in your hand for you become what you think. So you should be very careful while thinking itself.
How to be careful while thinking? For that you have to practice Vipassana.What is Vipassana? Vipassana is a training which keeps the mind in the present tense, as present tense is the only reality in life, where you realise life’s basic qualities like impermanence, suffering, and egolessness. How to keep the mind in the present tense? For that, during Vatakala (between 2am to 6am) you have to observe your own physiological process which will be there throughout your life. Which is that process! Breathing!”
“Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya Dhanwantharaye Amritha Kalasha Hasthaya Sarwamaya Vinashanaya Thrilokya Nathaya Shri Maha Vishnave Swaha”
According to ayurveda, by right chanting of the above “Dhanvantari Shloka” 108 times during Brahmi Muhurtha (2-00 to 6-00 a.m.), the human body will be free from all diseases.
Brief History of the Bhaishajya Guru and His Teachings
Even though pleased with his ambitious request, Deepankara checked with his “Divya chakshu” (clairvoyance) whether Sumedha could successfully complete Dasha Pãrami, the ten perfections – Dãna (generosity), Sheela (morality), Nekkamma (renunciation), Panna (wisdom), Veerya (energy) Khanthi (patience), Saccha (truthfulness), Adittãna (resolution), Maithri (loving kindness, friendship), and Upeksha (equanimity) three times which are the pre-requisite for anyone who wants to become the Samma Sam Buddha. Deepankara Buddha saw that Sumedha, in the distant future, would become the Gautama Buddha by fulfilling all the above Parami 3 times, and so he blessed him to become the future Samma Sam Buddha. With his blessings, Sumedha starts his journey of Bodhisattvahood, which took him several lakhs of years to complete Dasha Pãrami three times with great difficulty. Once while perfecting Dãna Pãrami, Bodhisattva offered his own body to save eight hungry tiger cubs and the mother which were dying of starvation. While perfecting Khanthi Pãrami, Bodhisattva patiently tolerated the wicked & cruel king who severed his ears, nose, hands, and requested him to chop off his legs & kill him by piercing his abdomen, so that he could complete the above Pãrami.
Bodhisattva was then born as Siddhartha to King Shuddhodhana 2550 years ago, in Jambudweepa (India). After his 29th year he renounces luxury, leaves his palace and wanders in search of the ultimate truth. In his 35th year, after six years of tremendous struggle Siddhartha got enlightenment under the bodhi tree through vipassana by contemplating the basic qualities of Samsara (life) like Anithya (temporariness), Dhukka (suffering) and Anattha (egolessness), and became the Samma Sam Buddha.
During enlightenment he came to know about Chaturarya Satya (the 4 noble truths) and the existence of Kama loka, Roopa loka and Aroopa loka (i.e. totally 31 planes of existence) in this samsara.
The first noble truth is that Samsara is filled with Dhukka (suffering).
The second noble truth is that the reason for Dhukka is Trishna (craving).
The third noble truth is the solution for Dhukka and it is Nibbãna (moksha/salvation).
The fourth noble truth is the Arya Ashtanga marga or the middle path which leads one to Nibbãna.
They are | 1. Right livelihood 2. Right action 3. Right speech |
Sheela |
4. Right concentration 5. Right mindfulness 6. Right effort |
Samadhi | |
7. Right understanding 8. Right thought |
Prajna |
During vipassana, Buddha says, one develops 4 Brahma Viharas (Brahma = sublime or noble, Vihara=state of living) and actualizes and realizes the Arya Ashtanga marga.
Brahma Vihara:-
(a) Karuna (compassion) the quality one should have when one deals with the poor.
(b) Maithri (loving kindness, friend ship) the quality one should have when one deals with equals.
(c) Mudhitha (Appreciative joy) the quality of enjoying others’ success or the quality one should have when he deals with rich and successful person.
(d) Upeksha (Equanimity) the quality one should have when dealing with wicked & crooked person.
When one develops all these four qualities, he is already in the Brahma level (which is in Roopa loka). That is why it is called Brahma Vihara.
Pancha Sheela :-
Bhaghavan Buddha explained in detail the importance & benefits of adopting Pancha Sheela in one’s life, which are considered to be the basic necessities to attain spiritual development. They are abstinence from (a) lying, (b) stealing, (c) killing (violence), (d) sexual misconduct, and (e) alcohol & drugs. There are celestial beings whose main duty is to protect the person who is following Pancha Sheela, Buddha assures.
Four Possibilities:-
Buddha explains that there are four future possibilities for any human being. They are a) From darkness to darkness b) From darkness to light c) From light to darkness and d) From light to brightness.
From darkness to darkness:-
A poor handicapped youngster with diseased, uneducated parents, living in a slum wrongly thinks that all his miseries are due to the injustice prevailing in the society and hence he decides to start anti-social activities to earn his livelihood and other needs, and thus travels from darkness to darkness.
From darkness to light:-
A poor youngster born in the same circumstance explained above, rightly thinks that no other person is responsible for his miseries and believes and depends on pure mind, and puts selfless effort to overcome all his difficulties and fulfills all his duties in the long run, and thereby travels from darkness to light.
From light to darkness:-
A youngster from a middle class family with healthy educated parents, sees rich people around him, and due to wrong thinking, yearns to reach to their status in a short time by doing wrong deeds, and thereby goes from light to darkness.
From light to brightness:-
A youngster born in the same circumstance explained above, rightly thinks that it the greatest opportunity to be born in human life, and with pure mind and noble intentions he puts selfless effort to fulfill all his duties, and helps the society as well. He, thereby, goes further ahead from light to brightness.
Anattha Lakkhana Sutha:-
Here, Bhaghavan Buddha clearly explains that a person’s basic constituents are six in number and they are the Pancha Mahaboothas (Prathvi, App, Teja, Vayu, Akash) and Chitta (consciousness). All the above constituents are changing in nature and not permanent. Buddha says there is no permanent entity like self or ego inside a person. The person is only carrying the information of his karma vipaka. When he comes to know that there is no permanent self in him, all his loba (craving), moha (delusion) and dwesha (hatredness) disappear. His mind becomes pure and he develops noble intentions in life. He puts selfless effort to materialize his noble intentions.
PLANES OF EXISTENCE
KAMALOKA(11 planes) |
Durgati (4 planes) – Evil States
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Sugati (7) – Happy States
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RUPALOKA(16 planes) |
First Jnana Realm | Brahma Parisaja Brahma Purohita Maha Brahma |
Second Jnana Realm | Parittabha Appamanabha Abhassara |
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Third Jnana Realm | Parittasubha Appamanasubha Subhakinha |
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Fourth Jnana Realm | Vehapphala Asannasatta Suddha Vasa (Pure Abodes) Aviha Atappa Sudassa Sudassi Akanittha |
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ARUPALOKA(4 planes) |
Akasanchayataha (5th Jnana Realm) – Awareness of infinite space | |
Vijnyananchayatana (6th Jnana Realm) – Awareness of infinite knowledge | ||
Akinchanayatana (7th Jnana Realm) – Awareness of nothingness | ||
Neva Sanna Nasanchayatana (8th Jnana Realm) – Awareness of neither perception nor non-perception |
Karma & Vipaka (Cause & Effect)
Destroying life | Shortlived |
Harming others mentally & physically | Disease |
Anger | Ugly |
Jealous | Powerless |
Stingy | Poor |
Arrogant | Low birth |
Non-inquisitiveness | Dull |
Karuna (Compassion) | Long life |
Maithri (Loving Kindness) | Healthy |
Kanthi (Patience) | Handsome |
Muditha (Enjoying others success) | Powerful |
Daana (Charity) | Rich |
Humility | High birth |
Respecting Elders & Wise Men | Prajna (Wisdom) |
International Centre for the Study of Buddhism & Indian Spirituality
According to Ayurveda human being is considered to be healthy only when the mind is pure and blemish less. The first paragraph of Dharmapada, preached by Bhagavan Buddha, says “Your destiny is in your hand, for you become what you think, so be careful while thinking.” To be careful while thinking, he says, “One should practice Vipashyana, which keeps the mind in the present tense. For that you have to observe your own physiological process, which will be there throughout your life, i.e. breathing, every day for half an hour in the morning. This cleanses one’s mind thoroughly.”
“A pure mind is the most powerful thing in the whole Universe.”
Today, people the world over, are looking anxiously towards India for Spiritual solace and mental peace. But, at present, there is not a single institution in India which provides academic courses on Buddhism and Indian Spirituality. So, our institute would like to establish the above said centre in a serene and peaceful village called Muniyal.
Spiritual possibilities by following Buddha’s teachings
- Sammasambuddha: After perfecting 10 paramis 3 times (needs millions of years), one becomes Sammasambuddha, the supremely enlightened one by his own effort, who is capable of bringing enlightenment to millions of men and celestial beings. A person who is in the process of becoming Sammasambuddha is called ‘Bhodhisatva’ .
- Pacchekabuddha: After perfecting 10 paramis twice (needs lakhs of years), one becomes a Pacchekabuddha, who is an enlightened one by his own effort but is not capable of bringing enlightenment to others.
- Arahanth: After perfecting 10 paramis once (needs thousands of years) and gets enlightenment through Sammasambuddha directly or through his teachings.