Chitta Suddha Hos Mero Boli Buddha Hos….

♦ Dr. Narayan Narsingh Khatri

Today is the Buddha Purnima day. People across the world in general and Nepalis in particular observe the day with a great zeal, fervor and devotion. We celebrate this day having visited Bouddhanath Stupa, Swoyambhunath Stupa and the other Buddhist shrines with the saffron dresses. Many of us organize special worships, pujas and prayers with the following hymns:

We hold many more discourses on ‘Buddhatwa and its inner meaning’. But people like me keep pondering over how ‘Buddhatwa’ could enlighten today’s humans so as to help them attain a long lasting peace for their  livable and workable lives. I keep getting moved emotionally when I hear the following song:

थोरै मात्र बचेको यो शान्ती लुकाउ कहाँ
काडै काडा जता ततै  राखु म पाउ कहाँ

Buddhism is a condition  that focuses on personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life through practicing and developing morality, meditation and wisdom. Buddhism is not at all a religious taboo. It is rather a philosophy of peace and compassion – the major destination of humanity for healing the pain and grief having achieved enlightenment. Today’s humans are much more materialists and do not think of giving up today’s pleasure no matter what amount of pains they may have to bear tomorrow. When put simply, they are not prepared to abstain from any comforts and amenities today  for tomorrow’s pleasure.  But Buddha did it.

Buddha deserted the throne, wife and children at midnight  for  his journey to searching ‘Nirvana—a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, nor desire, nor sense of self,  nor fear of death and rebirth— the final goal of Buddhism—the true ‘Mokshya’. It is something really difficult for anyone which Buddha did. How beautiful the world could be if all of us, especially the people at the helm could learn even a minute fraction of what Buddha did ?

No leader, no  government, and no sadhus—no matter how much they pretend—can work for peace unless they get transformed inwardly. It is because outward actions and behaviors are the mirror image of inward state of mind.   When our inward state of mind is not pure, our every action remains flawed and creates chaos, quarrels and ‘mine and thine’ demarcation. This demarcation makes us be at each other’s throats notwithstanding of our  brotherhood preaching. The man who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima did so because of a confusion between the brotherhood preaching and a disturbed  inward state of mind.

A true Buddhist is obviously the one who toils hard to spread the message of peace, harmony and non-violence among the entire humanity with a brotherhood compassion. A true Buddhist is the one who is reasonably good to the entire living beings and works for seeing good of them , hearing good of them having always talked good of them. Call it an irony that most people today—especially the people at the upper rungs of our community— keep making mockery of Buddha’s teachings by way of doing for oneself and just for oneself.

Buddhism lies in identifying oneself with nature. It calls for preserving, protecting and developing nature and its habitat.  The deadly catastrophes  the entire human race is facing  one after the other is because of the harm we have done to the natural environment and and the animals living therein. The Covid-19 that has terrorized today’s world has not come for nothing in exchange. Let us love nature to help it love us too.

To me, a true Buddhist is the one who follows the ‘Chitta Suddha Hos Mero Boli Buddha Hos; Mero Paintala le Kirai Namaros’ hymns as the ultimate ideal. To me, it should be everybody’s song for I find the entire essence of Buddhism in the song and believe that never ever did anybody except Ani Choying, a Nepalese Buddhist nun, sing a song like this to express the true meaning of Buddhism. I salute the composer of the song and also salute Ani Choying for singing such a beautiful song and wish everyone to act according to the letter and spirit of the song.

I wish everyone a very happy Buddha Jayanti.