The Marvelous Sage

The Ordinary and the Extraordinary

People often boast that humans are highly advanced beings living in a new era replete with the latest technological innovations. Yet, the history of humankind still remains a conundrum that eludes the common man. He is unaware that the history of humankind dates back an infinite number of eons, that in the past many eons and eras went by, many civilizations flourished and fell. Even now, in the modern world people of diverse character are born, suffer, and die. Great emperors, kings, and rulers, distinguished poets and erudite scholars, master artists and abstruse philosophers—such human beings come and go. No one knows how many such human beings were born and died.

Regardless of their skills or lifestyle, people share common emotions and experiences: strong desires, insatiability, shattered hopes and dreams, heartbreak, boasting, false pride, cruelty, vengeance, betrayal, desire for attention and recognition, and the lust for power and authority. Despite their best efforts to build for their lives some semblance of order and to raise themselves above this mess of complex emotions, still people fail. They are still hoping to figure things out. The work still isn’t finished, still new ideas are proposed, still problems remain, still there are many things to do. There is no end in sight.

Further, people have an incessant desire to wrest from the material world the greatest possible profit. Consequently, they are engaged in an assiduous pursuit to seize each and every object animate and inanimate, seen and unseen all to meet their desires. Because of this, we see a constant competition to outdo others, a pervasive sense of mistrust, social anomie, and lack of compassion.

Most of the suffering people experience results from their own actions, their own judgements, and unabashed arrogance. Due to their defilements, people recklessly create kammic bonds for themselves. Unknowingly people paint their own destiny on the canvas of time and space with strokes of volition by body, speech, and mind. If they fail to do what is right, in the right way and at the right time, they lose their way without any chance of redeeming themselves.

In such a world there arose among human beings an extraordinary person who had a clear vision of what he was seeking in life, a person who fully achieved his ambitions; he possessed unclouded mindfulness, sharp wisdom, and a remarkably unflagging effort. He was the Buddha, the marvelous sage. This book tells the story of this amazing person.

The Buddha who Enlightens the Beings of the World

The Buddha was born in India. Those who lived there at that time addressed him reverentially with various epithets: bhante – venerable sir; bhagavā – the Blessed One; sugato – the Well-Gone One; mahāvīra – great hero; cakkhumā – the one with vision; satthā – the Teacher; buddho – the Buddha, etc. To Brahmins he was samaṇo bho gotamo – the ascetic Gotama. His relatives called him sakyamuni – the Sakyan Sage. And the devas called him mārisa – the one without suffering.

This marvelous human being was able to attain Buddhahood, supreme enlightenment, while meditating under the shade of a fig tree, which later became known as the Bodhi Tree. His enlightenment is the most remarkable event in human history, the ultimate transformation of human life, unsurpassed by any other miracle. It was not a boon bestowed upon him by the grace of an almighty god, but rather an amazing realization attained through his own supreme wisdom. Indeed, the Buddha’s enlightenment was nothing but a truly incredible miracle.

However, such a realization cannot be attained by just anyone. If it were so, it should happen frequently from time to time. Enlightenment would be something common-place, heard about and seen often. But such is not the case.
The attainment of Buddhahood is in fact an extremely rare occurrence, happening after the lapse of many eons as a result of a person’s single-minded commitment.

If a person, having attained Buddhahood, were to live out his life in seclusion, there would be nothing further to talk about besides lauding his personal achievement. Yet, it is quite remarkable how this amazing human being who attained supreme enlightenment tirelessly sacrificed his entire life to teach the true nature of the world to others, freeing them from the shackles of suffering and bringing them solace and happiness. Hence, the beings of the world felt the warmth of his great compassion permeating into their hearts. Not only the hearts of animals, but even the Earth, the flowing rivers, the budding trees, the gusting wind, and the lazily floating clouds felt his compassion. How incredible indeed!

His life story so very unique to him traverses many eons into the past. His journey was by no means an easy one. It was a path riddled with thorns, onerous and painful. What stands out in his lifestory is the unrelenting effort and unique wisdom he possessed to walk the rigorous path to enlightenment without giving up. These remarkable qualities sculpted his destiny to attain Buddhahood. Is it not interesting and exciting for us to learn about such a person?

Sincere compassion, determination, relentless effort, and wisdom fulfill the goals and aspirations of a person. He possessed such unique qualities. For incalculable eons he came endowed with these qualities.