The Buddha wasn’t a Buddhist!

The Buddha wasn’t a mere Buddhist; he was universal and his principles are the pillars of all religions.

And, media makes our mind and mind makes culture. And culture makes a man. And in turn, man makes the media, and then the cycle goes on and on.

These were some of the key points of discussion on the role of the media in Indian culture and Buddhism and how they influence each other. Organised by the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS), Leh, to celebrate the 2600th year of the Buddha’s enlightenment, scholars said if India was seen today as a liberal and multiracial and multicultural society with dozens of castes and creed, existing harmoniously and homogeneously, Buddhism gets a fair share of the credit.

Ven. Wangchok Dorjee Negi, Principal, CIBS, pointed out that Buddhism today had enabled the stressed minds all over the globe to have an alternate way of life because of its unique qualities like adaptability, scientific nature and its stress on tolerance. That Buddhism is a highly adaptable way of life and not an orthodox religion has made it one of the factors in maintaining peace all over the world.

Scholars said the Buddhist way of life was one of simplicity, generosity, contentment and liberality. And, therefore, these factors enable man to face life in a manner that the difficulties and sufferings that cripple life are made less hitting. Buddhism makes one see the difficulties of others and hence one may become a “giver” and a “helper” so that your own sufferings are lessened by sharing with those of others. By being generous and loving, one does not lose anything but gets rewards in multifold.

Buddhism, as Nehru had said, “Even as it ceased to be counted as a separate kind of religion except in some pockets of the world, remained ingrained in the culture and minds of the people and thereby as a national way of life in India.”

This sentiment was shared by Gandhi too who had said that Buddhism influenced the Indian life in a hundred ways. Even if you are not a Buddhist, your good ways of life and virtues are a reflection of the Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths of the Buddha. Thus, Buddhism has been able to enrich the very living habits of mankind today by ousting the orthodox and the destructive mindsets of the people.