The Director and Publisher of the “Buddhist Views”, Mr. Tsultim Gyatso Lama interviewed Bhikchhu Anirudra Mahasthvir in Ananda Kuti Mahabihar. He is the leader of Therabade.
Q: You have been Buddhis for a long time. Would you mind telling me about your biography?
A: My birth is at Asan in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. My father’s name is Dash Ratna and grandfather’s name is Kesh Sunder. My mother died when I was eight years old. After that there was no other family members to look after me and my father started a business in Lhasa (Tibet) and took me in there. After staying around three years in Lhasa, I went to my uncle’s place in Calcutta. I joined a Hindu Boarding School for 2 years in Varanasi (India) with my uncle’s son where I realized the importance of education.
As per my childhood, I was just playing and didn’t do much in studies. When I came back from Varanasi, some of my family members wanted me to marry but. I thought that is the right time for me to study. So I evaded from all the household activities. Rahuljee came to my house and advised me to go to study in Sri Lanka. I was eager and excited so I left. I met “Ananda Kansalya” at Bidhyalankar Primary School and he told me that he was searching for me for a longtime. My initial name was Gajaratna then Kausalyajee renamed me as Anirudra. It was Rahuljee who told him about me and my studies. I got the admission at once in that school.
After that I returned to Kusinagar (India) after a period of around five years to study at Chandramani Baba’s place. He advised him for further studies in Burma. He sent the letters to his friends of Bihar. The second World War going on. There was hardship to stay in the city so that I left the city and went to forest areas. The study was broken due to the World War. The World War was over in 1946. Then I came back to Nepal. My father also came back from China. My father also wrote “China Travel” book. My father said I have to go to Lumbini where Lord Buddha wasborn. I have to live in Lumbini. He said he would visit frequently there. He advised to there four time being stay
Accordingly, I spend half of my life in Lumbini. There are poor facilities in Lumbini. There was 2/3 ‘Bel’ plants and no place to stay. I met a Japanese person there. He donated some money to me and he also sent the collected donation from Japan. After eight to ten years of the collection of the fund, I made a two-storyed hostel having 7 rooms on the 1st floor, 5 rooms on the second floor with 2 kitchens and 2 toilets. This hostel is useful for the travelers in this place. I have left the building in Lumbini. After that I have started to live according to the request of all. The oldest person here was Amrita Nanda Astabir. After his death, I have started to live here. Then I left to go to Lumbini. The oldest person died after 5/6 years. Tegya Nanda Mahasthbir was oldest and after his death, Satya Nanda Mahasthbir was there who was the chairman of Nepal Bhikchu Sanga. After his death, I was the oldest person of the “Therbad Sasan” in Nepal. I have received award from the Burma. I was awarded from Sri Lanka and called to receive it. I planned to visit Sri Lanka but it was cancelled due to the breakage of legs of my friend. The award was sent through other student to me. The awards are addressed as “Lumbini Buddha Sasan Pracharak” to me. I have another award as “Agwamaha Therbad” from Burma. I have to go to Burma with in 2-3 months to receive the award. This Chaitya is also received from Sri Lanka). This is my life history. Now I am running on 82 years.
Q: Would you explain about the Buddhist Education?
A: Therbade is one ot the main Sheela Samadhi Pragya in Buddha Sasan. Sheela is Pancha Sheela, Astasheela and Dasha Sheela. Bhikchhus have to follow 227 Sheela in total, so they perform the Sheela Samadhi.
Sheela Samadhi: concentration of mined in own, do not think about outer sphere of the world, avoid the greediness, love and affairs. Concentration in oneself is the Samadhi.
Bhawana: Bhawana are numerous. Lord Buddha has said there are 40 Bhawanas. The spiritual thinking of all the Bhawana in own insight affection is called Bhawana. Sheela Samadhi is also this.
Pragya: Prgya increases the wisdom. Buddha religion cannot be possible without wisdom. It is adopted only by the person who has rich wisdom. This is Therabade Buddha Sasan.
One day Lord Buddha visited Kal Ama place and met a Brahmin. The Brahmin said “you came here and give one religion, other also came and give another religion in same place. We were not intellectual as you. So how could, we know which religion is favorable to us.” After asking these two question to Lord Buddha, he had replied in his words: “It is not necessary to accept and adopt of all my views. You would adopt this religion when you think it is correct for example: Gold and brass are the same yellow color. When a gold smith check this in his black stone it results. The red color for gold and yellow for brass. In this way, the gold smith can clearly decide between the gold and brass”. As per this, you should analyze my views with your heart and mind accepts is practical and would be advantage to you, then you may adopt my religion. If you think it is not advantageous, you may reject this. Only the wise man can follow this religion.
This religion is adopted by the wise man that knows it. This letter is not for the foolishman. The foolishman will follow the false, killer and bad way as religion. But this is not a religion. If you think and analyze, it is good and advantageous from your heart and mind, you could adopt this. “Nobody perform the re-birth.” It is the only Lord Buddha’s version. You need not adopt this as I being a great pundit on this matter; you have mind so please think over this. If you adopt the religion otherwise, you could not adopt it, according to other’s being.
We do not take this type of thought. In old thought of Lord Buddha is to be said truth and good, but we do not adopt this thought blindly. So, you re-think yourself with your own brain, then you can adopt the religion if you think well. Lord Buddha gave this type of verdict only in this world. In my views, Lord Buddha has said these things in his religion. Lord Buddha was called as “Bhagawan Dabo” (Lord God) in Newari language, which means superior Lord. So, Buddha is Lord of the Lord. Buddha was born as man, but he has great devotion of 6 years continuos, which generated the internal consciousness of knowledge and intellect himself. His interval consciousness has become a doctrine, which is spreading in the world today.
For example, There was an “Ambekkar” who was lower caste as Shoemaker in India. He studied very hard and wrote the constitution and history of India. People hated him as the lower caste clan of India. But Lord Buddha does not discriminate on the matter of caste and there is no discrimination and differences on caste have said “Na Jachcha Wsalo Hoti Na Jachcha Hati Brahmino Wsalo Hoti Kammna Hoti Brahmno”. According to the Buddhist philosophy there is no high and low caste. Brahmin may not necessarily be pure at his birth on Brahmin caste. He should be pure according to his function and behavior. Anyone can be Brahmin when he adopts the functions of Brahmin. The Brahmin who works the bad work is worse man. The Muslim has tried to adopt on Muslim religion to “Ambakkar”. They also proposed the money offer to follow the millions of people. He has studied the Christian and Hindu religion. At last he went at “Kushi Nagar” and met Chandramaini Baba where he worshipped the Guru and adopted the Panchashee. He then followed the religion with his friends at Nagpur about 7 of lakhs. In this way, they realized that the Buddhism is good among other and adopted by the 7 lakhs people. If you want to release from the sorrow, you have to follow the path given by Lord Buddha. As his six years devotion, Lord Buddha has knowledge of sorrow of the world, its origin and the solutions. The way to eradicate the sorrow is called “Chuturth Satya”.
The following truth which Buddha has got:
(a) Dukha Satya (Sorrow truth) (b) Dukha Samadiyo Satya (c) Dukha Nirodh Satya (Sorrow eradication truth) (d) Gamani Pratipadika Satya
These are the “Chuturth Satya.”
There is the way for the eradication of the sorrow which Lord Buddha has cleared the Arya Astanghi Marga (pthe) to the mankind.
Arya Astangi Marga:
1) Sampak Vision
2) Samyak Sankalpa
3) Samyak Bachan (voice)
4) Samyak Karmanta
5) Samyak Aajeeb
6) Samyak Bayam (exercise)
7) Samyak Sati
8) Samyak Samadhi
He prescribed these ways which would eradicate the sorrow. If you follow these paths, you would release from the sorrow easily. He suggested to follow his voice and come to his place then there is a way to release the sorrow. In his views, he was only one person who always prefer the opinion of people who understand the religion can adopt it. So the people are not forced to take it. In this way, the people are taking this religion after their realization and decision.
By:
The Most Ven. Anirudha Mahathera
Soyambhunath, Kathmandu, Nepal
One of the largest Buddhist network web site in the world.
www.buddhistview.com 827 Sherman Ave # 1 Evanston. Il, 60202. USA tsultim@buddhistview.com
|
Printable Version