Hi Everybody,
We're in the middle of a discussion of Shakyamuni's enlightenment and how we might strip away the mystical envelope that inevitably surrounds it and come to terms with it in a more modern, more everyday idiom. Shakyamuni taught for a surpisingly long time, over 50 years, and throughout that time he was tireless in his efforts to convey the essence of his new understanding of reality, in ways that made a practical difference to ordinary people's lives. Right at the heart of his teaching was the clear message that the new understanding that he had gained of human life and motivation, although radical in its direction and implications, was not in any sense divine, or alien to ordinary human existence. How could it be since he was no more nor no less than that. What he had come to understand was simply the highest reach of an ordinary human mind.
He was clearly a man of great charisma and an inspirational speaker and he talked of taking people up a sort of staircase of understanding pitching his teaching always at a level that could be received and comprehended by whatever audience he encountered. So it wasn't remote and theoretical and removed from the concerns of ordinary people. But when seen against the centuries-long background of Brahmanism nothing like it had been taught before. Because his teaching eliminated the received wisdom of a pantheon of gods who basically controlled human destiny, and introduced a wholly new perception of reality, concerned with the growth and liberation of the individual human spirit.
He has been described as setting motion, ' the true great adventure of self reformation. '
It was this powerful human -scale philosophy focused on daily life, and deliberately expressed in the dialect of ordinary people rather than in the dialect of the priestly class, that touched and drew in people from all backgrounds and all walks of life; the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the educated and the unschooled. They all wanted to see and hear him speak in person. The image that most readily comes to mind perhaps is of a Ghandi-like figure, immensely approachable, immensely compassionate, surrounded by a crowd listening intently as he talked about a new kind of hope and a new kind of possibility for ordinary lives.
More than enough for one session I think. The last 3 episodes go together to provide a kind of brief overview of Shakyamuni's enlightenment. Hope you enjoyed it.
Best wishes, william
PS The Case for Buddhism is available as a paperback on Amazon and as a download on Kindle.
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