Buddha's tradition provides us with valuable examples and makes our life rich. Buddha's tradition is like an ocean of examples for the whole world. We can only take a drop of water from that great ocean.
The first example that Lord Buddha gave to the world was to show kindness. He looked at the Bodhi tree for a week and revealed that we should show kindness not only to animals but also to trees.
Lord Buddha organised activities according to a daily routine. The importance of preparing a schedule to spend the whole day meaningfully is the example that comes from it. Here, what we need to do is to plan a routine that suits us and spend the day accordingly, so that we can spend our time in a very useful way. Because we can't get back the time that has passed, we should try to spend every moment meaningfully, that's why it's an organised life.
Dealing with compassion for the world is another special quality found in Buddhist tradition. It is the nature of this virtue to help those who need to be helped. We can do this great work with only our strength. We can help others as well, not only our relatives and friends. Our compassion for the world can include even a little help to those who are in need.
Helping a needy child in school or class is a unique quality of Buddhist practice. We can remember the time when the Buddha left the little child named Sopaka. We can also recall the occasion when the Buddha helped Puthigattatissa Thera. Let us help. If we can show compassion to a poor passer-by or a beggar we see on our way to and from school, that is a good deed and it is compassion for the world.
There are sick and weak people around us. Some of them are our own elderly relatives. Elderly people in other countries of the world are not rare in Sri Lanka. What we should do is keep them in our company and take care of them. It is not appropriate to send them to old people's homes or leave them on the street. Our special attention is to the sick. It should be noted that the example given to us by the Lord Buddha by attending to the sick Puthigattatissa himself should be followed.Just learning about Puthigattatissa Thera. is not useful. The happiness we get in helping these needy people is great.
When it comes to educational matters, getting a good education is a very important part of our life. We can understand how to get an education in Buddhist tradition. Lord Buddha's Dam Sabha Pavilion is an educational centre that can be modelled for us. Asking questions, answering questions, preaching, and discussing are the special features of Damsabha Mandapam. We should ask and discuss any matter, not only educational matters.
Then there will be good understanding and communication about it. Not limiting the educational process to the classroom is an example that can be found in Buddhist practice. The Lord Buddha understood the Dharma not only in the Dam Sabha Mandapa. He explained the facts in any place such as gardens, rocks, sands, riverbanks, trees, huts, palaces. An example that we should learn is that there is no place for learning.
Likewise, a man should have light manners, happiness does not depend on the association of used goods. In our mind The Buddha tradition told us that the Bodhisattva, who enjoyed the pleasures of the palaces during the princely period of Siddhartha, after attaining enlightenment, lived without any difference in the tombs under the trees, rocks,temples.
Now the society encourages us to spend a lot of things. Most people consider it as happiness and luck in life. Living as luxurious a life as possible is encouraged by the media and advertisements. Therefore, in today's society, we are tempted to go into debt or accumulate things unnecessarily.
By spending more than the income, the balance of life is lost and therefore the happiness which is the ultimate wealth is lost. Take Lord Buddha as an example and let us live a simple and elegant life. Nowadays, many people are polished to face the competition of working according to modern fashions in clothes, food and drinks etc.
Lord Buddha used a robe made of worthless cloth. Something received as food and drink. Some days almsgiving in a royal palace and other days almsgiving in a poor hut made no difference to him. We now live in a world full of advertisements about food and clothing, but we need to learn to choose what we want wisely and be satisfied without being fooled by them.
The virtue of helping all people, regardless of caste, wealth or power, is an example we can take from Buddhist practice. Sunita was a garbage scavenger who lived in Rajagaha Nuwara who received the help of Lord Buddha. Sopaka is a child of a caste that is considered inferior. Punna is a maid in a rich house. A princess maid. Lord Buddha treated his son Rahula and all these in the same way.
There are still a lot of servants who are harassed by their masters. This situation is even worse with regard to children. If we are guided by the Buddhist tradition,we will never persecute the helpless children, the poor and the house servants.
The examples and guidance we can get in our lives from Buddha's practice are as immeasurable as Buddha's qualities. Let us think to enlighten our lives according to the example given to the world by Father Buddha. Let us bring down this great kindness in us.
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