Disciple:
Pranam, Gurudev.
Gurudev:
Pranam, baba, pranam. Pranam.
Disciple:
Today, we would like to hear from you about Buddha Purnima.
Gurudev:
Look, before Buddha Purnima, today is Chaturdashiâthe day before the full moon. Specifically, it is Narsinghi Chaturdashi. This commemorates an incarnation of Narayana. You may have heard of Prahlad. He was a great devotee of Narayana. His father was a formidable and terrifying demon-like king.
Gurudev:
Prahlad was born in that household, but from childhood, he was a profound devotee of God, particularly of Lord Narayana. As you know, when Hiranyakashipu tried to kill Prahlad multiple timesâthrowing him from a cliff, giving him poison, or placing him under the feet of an elephantâNarayana protected him every single time. Prahlad survived it all. It seemed the more Hiranyakashipu tried to kill him, the more joyful Prahlad became. But who can kill someone whom Narayana Himself protects?
Gurudev:
One day, Hiranyakashipu became extremely enraged. He said, "You always talk about Narayana! Let's see who saves you now!" As he prepared to strike Prahlad, Narayana manifested from a pillar in the form of Narasimhaâone of His ten incarnations (Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, etc.). Narasimha was a terrifying deity with the face of a lion, long claws, and a human body.
Gurudev:
When Hiranyakashipu mockingly asked, "Is your God inside this pillar?" Prahlad replied, "You may strike it and see." When Hiranyakashipu kicked the pillar, Narasimha appeared and killed him. This is the legend, told briefly. Today is that Narsinghi Chaturdashi, the day Narasimha manifested to save Prahlad.
Gurudev:
Following this day, tomorrow is Buddha Purnima. For us, three full moons are very significant: Dol Purnima, Buddha Purnima, and Guru Purnima. We hold these in high regard. Tomorrow is Buddha Purnima, the day Lord Buddha was born. He was born in Lumbini, in the Terai region of Nepal, into the Shakya clan. He was the son of King Shuddhodana and Queen Maya Devi.
Gurudev:
Maya Devi had no children for a long time. She prayed to God, and it is said that in a dream, she saw a white elephant descend from the sky and enter her womb. This gave her great joy. That child was Buddha, who in his previous birth was known as a Bodhisattva. The word Bodhisattva refers to someone possessing great wisdom and essence.
Gurudev:
Buddha was born into a very prosperous environment. King Shuddhodana was a benevolent ruler, and the goddess Lakshmi seemed to reside there. As Buddha grew up, he showed no interest in worldly affairs; he was always focused on the divine. His father appointed a teacher to educate him. One day, while walking with his teacher, Buddha saw a hill and asked what it was. The teacher replied, "This is a mountain of your own bones. It represents the many lives you have lived and the bones you have left behind across your incarnations." Buddha remained silent, but he gradually turned toward spiritual practice, specifically Tantra Sadhana, which was very prevalent in Nepal at the time.
Gurudev:
Through his practice, he attained the vision of the Divine many times. After all, Buddha himself is an incarnation of Narayana. In the sequence of avatarsâMatsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Balarama, Buddha, and KalkiâBuddha appeared just before our current age of Kali, about 2,500 to 3,000 years ago.
Gurudev:
The Buddhist faith spread far and wideâto Japan, Celebes, Borneo, and China. During this time, the great Adi Shankaracharya realized that Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) was fading because everyone was turning toward Buddhism. He challenged the Buddhists to a debate. It was a high-stakes debate; it is said that the losing side's monks were to be treated harshly or even burnedâa dark spot in history that we must acknowledge.
Gurudev:
Buddha's core teaching was Karuna (Compassion). He was the same soul that had been the Bodhisattva. Later, we see the story of Seriva and Serivan (from the Jataka tales), another of his births.
Gurudev:
Buddha once said, "The day a hand is laid upon my body, the world will face destruction." You saw what happened in Bamiyan, where the largest Buddha statue was destroyed by gunfire and explosions by extremists. Buddha had warned that such acts signal the onset of a great calamity.
Gurudev:
Even during his lifetime, he saw his followersâthe monks and nunsâbeginning to lose their way. He predicted his religion wouldn't last in its pure form because corruption and worldly desires had begun to creep into the Sangha.
Gurudev:
Buddha was also known for his miraculous wisdom. There is the famous story of Kisa Gautami, whose young child had died. She believed that if she went to Buddha, he could bring her child back to life. She went to him while he was in meditation. When he opened his eyes, she pleaded with him. Buddha knew that once death occurs, life cannot be restored, but to teach her a lesson, he said, "Go to every house and bring me a handful of mustard seeds, but only from a house where no one has ever died."
Gurudev:
She searched all day, but in every house, she was told that someoneâa father, a mother, or a childâhad passed away. She realized the universality of death. She returned to Buddha and recited a poem: "I know, Lord, that by your touch, even a doll of butter could wake with joy..." She understood that death is inevitable. Buddha told her to cremate the child and return for initiation.
Gurudev:
There are many such stories, like the one of Seriva and Serivan, two traders. One was honest, and one was greedy. They encountered a poor woman with a golden bowl she didn't recognize. The honest trader (the Buddha-to-be) offered a fair price, while the greedy one tried to cheat her. These stories are found in his biographies.
Gurudev:
We celebrate this Purnima to remember Lord Buddha. This doesn't mean one has to "convert" to Buddhism. All religions are equal and lead to the same truth. Whether it is Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, or Islamâif one studies them deeply, they will see no difference. Whether you read the Quran and Hadith, the Vedas, Gita, and Upanishads, the Buddhist Tripitaka, or the Christian Bibleâif you read with an open mind, you will become a wise person who sees that all paths are one.
Gurudev:
People fight in the name of religion, but that is ignorance. Some people mislead others for their own gain. I have studied the Quran, the Bible, the Buddhist texts, and the Hindu scriptures, and I can say with certainty: God is one and indivisible.
Gurudev:
Think about itâwhen you are in an accident and need a blood transfusion, do you check if the blood is from a Muslim, a Hindu, or a Christian? No. Therefore, we should respect all religions. To truly see God, one must gain knowledge and have respect.
Disciple:
Gurudev, what is the special significance of Buddha Purnima?
Gurudev:
The significance is that he was born on this day. Similarly, Dol Purnima and Guru Purnima have their own importance based on the divine plays (Lila) of Krishna or the significance of the Guru. These are not just rituals; they are opportunities to study and learn. Read the scriptures of all faiths, and you will realize that God is one, though the names and minds of men create differences.
Disciple:
Friends, today we heard in detail from Gurudev about Buddha Purnima. Please subscribe to the Guptasadhak Shamakshapa YouTube channel, like it, and leave your thoughts in the comments. Pranam, Gurudev.
Gurudev:
Pranam.