Buddha Purnima: Dharma, harmony, quest for social justice

The gentle spring air of Vaishakh carries a profound resonance, culminating in the sacred observance of Buddha Purnima.

- GOPAL GOSWAMI

Across the globe, millions commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and Parinirvana (final liberation) of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha. In India, the land of his birth and awakening, this day holds a particularly significant place, intertwined with the rich tapestry of Sanatan Dharma and its ongoing pursuit of social harmony and justice.

Gautam Buddha's life, born into a royal Kshatriya-Shakya clan, was one of profound transformation. Witnessing the inherent suffering of human existence —sickness, old age, and death—ignited within him a relentless quest for liberation. His renunciation of worldly comforts and his arduous spiritual journey under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya culminated in his enlightenment, making him the Buddha, the "Awakened One."

The core of Buddha's teachings, encapsulated in the Four Noble Truths, offers a pragmatic path to understanding and overcoming suffering. The truth of suffering (dukkha), the truth of the origin of suffering (Samudaya), the truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha), and the truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga) form the bedrock of Buddhist philosophy. The Eightfold Path—right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration—provides a practical framework for ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom.