Maha Bodhi Society of India writes in its foreword, ‘Knowing Buddha is a well planned and richly written book... has achieved a rare balance between reason and emotion, in keeping with the great and sublime tradition and teaching of the Buddha and his Middle Path’.

When people ask, ‘What do you have to do to become a Buddhist?’ we say that we take refuge in Buddha Dhamma Sangha. And to take refuge we recite a formula in the Pali language:

Buddham sharanam gachhami
I go to the Buddha for refuge.

Sangham sharanam gachhami
I go to the Sangha for refuge.

Dhammam sharanam gachhami
I go to the Dhamma for refuge

About the Author
Prof. Shrikant Prasoon is a great educationist, writer and poet. He taught English in Bihar University. He has a deep interest in spirituality and other related topics. He is an avid reader and writes on varied topics. Some of his published works include ‘Famous Doctors’ in English and ‘Sandhi Sthal’, a collection of poems in Hindi.

CONTENTS:

1. Buddha and Buddhism
2. Leaves from the Life of Buddha
3. Some Discourses
4. What Buddha Meant
5. What Buddha Said

AN EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK:

The Triple Jewel
Buddha knew it would be difficult for people to follow his teachings on their own, so he established the Three Refuges for them to rely on - the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. These are known as the Triple Jewel. The Sangha are the monks and nuns. They live in monasteries and carry on the Buddha’s teaching. The word Sangha means ‘harmonious community’. The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha together possess qualities that are precious like jewels and can lead one to enlightenment.

* The Buddha is the guide.
* The Dharma is the path.
* The Sangha are the teachers or companions along the way.

There is a special ceremony for taking refuge with the Triple Jewel. With a sincere mind, one recites the following verse in front of an ordained monk or nun.

I go to the Buddha for refuge.
I go to the Dharma for refuge.
I go to the Sangha for refuge.

For a Buddhist, taking refuge is the first step on the path to enlightenment. Even if enlightenment is not achieved in this life, one has a better chance to become enlightened in the next life.

As we practice more, we begin to realize the vastness of the Buddhist Teachings, it becomes a real joy to take these refuges, and even just their recitation inspires the mind. Merely taking refuge verbally in the Buddha doesn’t mean you take refuge in anything: a parrot could be trained to say ‘Buddham sharanam gachhami’, and it would probably be as meaningful to a parrot as it is to many Buddhists. These words are for reflection, looking at them and actually investigating what they mean: what ‘refuge’ means, what ‘Buddha’ means. When we say, ‘I take refuge in the Buddha,’ what do we mean by that? How can we use that so it is not just a repetition of nonsense syllables, but something that really helps to remind us, gives us direction and increases our devotion, our dedication to the path of the Buddha?

Once Buddha was sitting in the shade of a tree. He noticed the beauty of the countryside. Flowers were blooming and trees were putting on bright new leaves, but among all this beauty, he saw much unhappiness. A farmer beat his ox in the field. A bird pecked at an earthworm, and then an eagle swooped down on the bird. Deeply troubled, he asked, “Why does the farmer beat his ox? Why must one creature eat another to live?”

During his enlightenment, Buddha found the answer to these questions and discovered four great truths
Buddha said,

“The kind of seed sown
will produce that kind of fruit.
Those who do good will reap good results.
Those who do evil will reap evil results.
If you carefully plant a good seed,
you will joyfully gather good fruit.”
Dhammapada

The Four Noble Truths:

1. Dukkha (Suffering): Suffering is common to all.
2. Samudya (Cause of Suffering): We are the cause of our suffering.
3. Nirodha (End of Suffering): Stop doing what causes suffering.
4. Marga (Path to end Suffering): Everyone can be enlightened.

1. Suffering
Birth, sickness, old age, and death ultimately lead to suffering.

The Buddha did not deny that there is happiness in life, but he pointed out it does not last forever. He said:

“There is happiness in life,
happiness in friendship,
happiness of a family,
happiness in a healthy body and mind,
...but when one loses them, there is suffering.”
Dhammapada

2. The cause of suffering:
Buddha explained that people live in a sea of suffering because of ignorance and greed. They are ignorant of the law of karma and are greedy for the wrong kind of pleasures.

3. The end of suffering:
One must cut off greed and ignorance. This means changing one’s views and living in a more natural and peaceful way. Buddhists call the state in which all suffering is ended Nirvana.

Nirvana is an everlasting state of great joy and peace. Buddha said, “The extinction of desire is Nirvana”. This is the ultimate goal in Buddhism. Everyone can realize it with the help of the Buddha’s teachings.

4. The path to end suffering:
The path to end suffering is known as the Noble Eightfold Path. It is also known as the Middle Way.

The Noble Eightfold Path
When Buddha gave his first sermon in the Deer Park, he began the ‘Turning of the Dharma Wheel’. He chose the beautiful symbol of the wheel with its eight spokes to represent the Noble Eightfold Path.

1. Right View: The right way to think is to see the world through the eyes of wisdom and compassion.

2. Right Thought: Clear and kind thoughts build good, strong characters.

3. Right Speech: By speaking kind words, we earn respect and trust of others.

4. Right Conduct: No matter what we say, others know us from the way we behave. Before we criticize others, we should first see what we do ourselves.

5. Right Livelihood: Do not earn your living by harming others. Do not seek happiness by making others unhappy.

6. Right Effort: It means doing our best at all times and having good will toward others.

7. Right Mindfulness: It means being aware of our words, and deeds.

8. Right Concentration: By concentrating on one thought at a time, we can attain true peace of mind.

Buddha’s Teachings

Panchsila or Five Precepts
All religions have some basic rules that define what is good conduct and what kind of conduct should be avoided. In Buddhism, the most important rules are the Five Precepts. These have been passed down from the Buddha himself.

1. No killing : Respect for life
2. No stealing : Respect for others’ property
3. No sexual misconduct : Respect for our pure nature
4. No lying : Respect for honesty
5. No intoxicants : Respect for a clear mind

Buddhists do not believe that death is the end of life. When one dies, one’s thought consciousness leaves the body with the remaining subconscious force and takes new birth into one, depending on the past works.

According to Buddha’s teachings, everything in the world is suffering. When we say there is suffering, we ordinarily think that only pain is suffering - physical pain or mental pain. What Buddha meant by suffering is much deeper. According to him, everything in this world is suffering. Even when you are enjoying yourself, enjoying good relationships, a time comes when unfulfilled yearnings start producing disillusionment. All pleasures being temporal are termed suffering by Buddha.

In nutshell, the teachings of Buddha explain what kamma is, how rebirth is the result of kamma, and that suffering is the result of kamma, however good that may be. It will take you to the path of enlightenment for true awakening of the self.