Karuna and the Supreme Sacrifice

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One great virtue that the Buddha had in boundless measure, was his unbounded sympathy with the sufferings of humanity, as well as with the sufferings of all the creatures. As a child, he was moved to pity at sight of a wounded swan and nursed it lovingly back to life.

As a grown up boy, he felt compassion for the bullocks who were yoked to plough in a hot and sultry day. As a young man, he saw the vision of an old man in dire distress and poverty, of men suffering with all manner of diseases and of widows grieving over their dead that haunted him.

As a path-finder, he carried a wounded lamb in his lap and pleaded for it and the other dumb animals in the court of Bimbisar.

Supreme Sacrifice

Finally, when he had tasted the bliss of Nirvana it was the piteous cry of the world in misery which made him turn back to the world and work ceaselessly for promoting its happiness. Last of all and as a supreme gift and sacrifice, he turned away from the doorstep of Mahaparinirvana to share his grace with the suffering world till all life has been established in Nirvana.

The Buddha is still waiting for us till the very last being has attained the bliss of nirvana. As sincere and devout followers of the Buddha, we cannot but emulate him in cultivation of this virtue. In cultivating this virtue, we have to bear in mind the cardinal truth of our Dhamma that suffering is bound up with phenomenal existence.

We need, however, never lament over this fact nor despair of the efforts that are needed to alleviate suffering. Let us think of suffering in all its varied forms, suffering which is man made, which is the result of our wrong way of life, is caused by our lust, greed, ill-will, anger, sloth, selfishness, stupidity and unclean ways of living.

Then there is suffering which is due to our ignorance, due to lack of education and knowledge about the workings of the law of nature and the correct utility of the things that are surrounding us. We also have much suffering which is caused by cosmic forces over wich we have little or no control whatsoever in our present stage of evolution.

We have to eradicate all causes in the first category which cause the world so much suffering. We have to promote knowledge and devote ourself ceaselessly in pursuit of knowledge and harness it for the benefit of the world and thus help in eradicating suffering which is caused because of our lack of knowledge, our sloth and ignorance.

Suffering which comes to us unsought, which is the result of cosmic forces has to be patiently borne. When we sit for our meditation, let us turn our thoughts towards being who suffer in diverse ways and let us send them thoughts of love and compassion.

We should then resolve to end their sufferings so far as it lies in our ability to do so.

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