The Buddha's Truth

The Buddha 'came' or become into this world at a certain time for one reason alone.

He came to be the Buddha to specifically and systematically teach - to all that expressed a desire to hear - just one simple lesson. This lesson was given it is said, person to person (transmitted) to 14,000 individual disciples of the Historical Buddha in India between the years c 566-486 BC

These 14,000 disciples had 14,000 different natures, 14,000 ways of hearing things, 14,000 different ways of saying things. It might then be said that Buddhism began/has roots in 14,000 different understandings and 14,000 expressions of the same simple teaching.

Buddhism is today regarded as one of the Worlds 6 Great Religions. Colour, class, education, culture, or ethnic background however cannot identify devotees. They/We are simply 'people' - sentient beings - of every conceivable nature.

Two thousand years and various cultural, social and technological 'revolutions' local and global have of course had an effect on Buddhism and in effect 'shaped' it. Nevertheless, whether it is an understanding and expressions of the Buddha's teaching that emits from India, China, Japan, Nepal, Europe or America (to name but a few!) it is, or should be, an understanding of the same Original Truth. This is The Truth that the Historical Buddha came into being to transmit.

With some understanding that the truth is the truth (Dharma) further individual expressions of gratitude, praise or endeavour need then be simply spontaneous; they need not be 'thought out' or intellectual.

The longer one spends comparing the expression or understanding of one person, one community, one culture with another, the more of ones own time one wastes. Time that could be better spent being not judgmental or actively looking for something to object to. Carried through to its (un-attainable) conclusion this exercise would anyway prove only one thing would it not? I am not you and you are not I!

If one is not expressing oneself - one is expressing nothing. A million words distilled from billion more thoughts to the power of infinity will assist us no further in enabling to hear what cannot be said.

The Buddha's Truth can be expressed in a single silent breath. The Truth does have a ring about it and it can be heard by all choose to listen.

If one has any awareness at all one is always absolutely certain when the chime of a bell begins. That is - only when someone or something commands or urges it to begin - it then does so immediately. Depending upon the size and type of bell it may, when heard - cause a room full of people to become at once alert and attentive; in some cases it may even cause an evacuation! The sound of a bell may encourage some people to smile at a pleasant memory that the sound evokes, or cry a tear of melancholy.

The truth - that "all we perceive is mind made" is in the sound of the bell that You can hear.

Be aware also of our human trait of 'selective hearing'. Is it not so that in the World, in this Country, in this Town, maybe even in this Street there is cruelty, intolerance, anger, malice, jealousy and resentment? Are we all not at times greedy, possessive or ambitious at the cost of others? The truth is that sometimes we do behave this way. The truth is as clear as a bell; we choose much of the time to ignore it. We may excuse ourselves -"oh yes, but in the real world". Be aware. The World is the World, Reality is what our minds make it.

As it is that the bell itself is not melancholy or joy; so it is that we human beings are not greed, anger and ignorance. All of these things are our perceptions alone and they can be as misleading as this world itself that we perceive. Reality is the perception that we each have of it and this reality is inclined to change as one by one our question is answered. This makes little difference as new questions in equal proportions are raised "What is Reality -What is the Truth?" These questions have no certain answer.

I personally believe that our intellect will never be satisfied with any answer that any third party divine or human may venture to provide, ... even it were The Truth. Perhaps it is hard to accept because It Is The Truth; and sceptical of the divine or human because they are either divine or human! Understanding must anyway come before any expressions become meaningful.