Learning from the Masters::Gautam Buddha - I

For some time now, I have been thinking of sharing some of the insights I have gained through 16 years of my spiritual seeking with a wider audience in a manner which might be easy to relate to. 

There are many giants who walked on this earth before us and about whom there is a large enough literature to be able to learn about them. These are those I would refer to as "Masters" in this series. And the biggest of them in my mind, the man who lived a huge, titanic life was Gautam Buddha (as we call him in India or Shakyamuni Buddha as he is referred to in historical accounts).

One of his teachings which I find the most enlightening is the concept of "dependent origination".

Wikipedia defines it as:

Pratītyasamutpāda (Sanskrit: प्रतीत्यसमुत्पाद), commonly translated as dependent origination or dependent arising, states that all dharmas ("things") arise in dependence upon other dharmas: "if this exists, that exists; if this ceases to exist, that also ceases to exist." 

So basically when we try to understand the Buddha's teaching, we must keep in mind how he used to think. As we all know, the Prince Siddhartha Gautam, left his family one night and went out in the search for the truth of life. The questions which used to trouble him immensely were the basic questions of life - why is there so much suffering in human life associated with birth, sickness, old age and death?

As legend goes, once he had awakened to the truth of life in the universe, he came back to relieve other humans of their suffering. And to help them get out of their lives filled with misery associated in some way or the other with problems related to birth (circumstances), sickness, old age and death, he taught them this profound concept of dependent origination. 

To put it simply this concept teaches us that instead of being creatures who are independent, and who are born (as our ego would like us to believe) as isolated individuals, in reality our lives exist because of a number of other factors of life. To take a simple example, the Sun that seems so far away, provides all the energy that sustains our life. If the Sun were to stop shining, what would happen? So clearly, we exist in this current form because the Sun exits. Hence our life is dependent on the Sun. Similarly, this earth produces a number of wonderful fruits and vegetables which we eat. If we don't get food for just a week, we cannot exist. So our lives are dependent on products of the earth! As I type this blog, I am using a computer which is the creation of a number of human lives. All this "gyan" that I am sharing, has not emerged in my mind just randomly. Rather I a 39 year old individual, am a sum total of all influences and learning I have been fortunate to receive from my teachers, family, friends and numerous thinkers and philosophers whose writings I have read and processed to be in a state where I can write this blog. Hence my life as it stands in this moment is dependent on all those influences. 

How does this awareness help? It helps because it helps me realize that it is not "I" who is important. Rather it is the influences I have been subject to that determine who I become. Of course there are things like my nature, my desires which make me unique but ultimately it is this web of connection that has caused me to become who I am,  

To summarize, life is not like a boat on which we are riding alone. Rather it is like being on a vast ship where we survive, thrive and grow due to the team work of a number of people and natural phenomena!

So let's be more humble, less egoistic and have gratitude for people around us and the natural environment for helping us BE what we ARE!! 

And lastly deepest gratitude to the Budhha for teaching us this profound concept!!