Striving towards
We all have a goal which means the final position of to where we are leading. Those who don’t have a goal are like a boat without a rudder which can float on the water anywhere and no one knows where it is leading and wandering around till they have to surrender themselves to this beautiful world. According to religious terms, there are two kinds of goal that we desire to reach. Both goals are to improve our own life. The first one is an ordinary state and another extra-ordinary state. What an ordinary state’s goal and an extra-ordinary state’s goal?An ordinary state’s goal is the goal which most people manage to eagerly reach such as getting a good professional job to earn more money so that they can build a very beautiful life and have very happy families.
An extra-ordinary state’s goal is the goal which most people ignore because they enjoy this human life through ease or difficulty but sometimes they can dream of it. Which is it? It would depend on their concepts, beliefs etc. What are their concepts? Their concepts depend on what they believe. For example, Christians believe in God. So they believe that God will carry them to reach the final goal of real happiness in their next life. Muslims believe in Allah. Allah will carry them to reach the final goal of real happiness in their next life. Non-believers believe that if they are doing good job, they will be also good or happy in their next life etc. Buddhists believe in the Buddha but they don’t believe that The Buddha will carry them reach the final goal (Nibbarna) which is the destruction of lust, the destruction of hatred, the destruction of delusion and the last word of the Buddha were “Strive on with diligence”. No emancipation or purification can be gained without personal striving. As such petition or intercessory prayers are denounced in Buddhism and in their stead is meditation which leads to self-control, purification, and enlightenment. Both meditation and service form salient characteristics of Buddhism. In fact, all Buddhist nations grew up in the cradle of Buddhism.
“Do no evil” that is, be not a curse to oneself and others, was the Buddha’s first advice. This was followed by His second admonition-“Do good”, that is, be a blessing to oneself and others. His final exhortation was “purify one’s mind”- which was the most important and the most essential.
Can such a religion be termed inactive and passive?
It may be mentioned that amongst the thirty-seven factors that lead to enlightenment (Bodhipakkhiya-Dhamma), Viriya or energy occurs nine times.
Clarifying His relationship with His followers, the Buddha states:
“You yourselves should make the exertion.
The Buddhas ( Tathargatas) are mere teachers.”
The Buddhas indicate the path and it is left for us to follow that path to obtain our purification. Self-exertion plays an important part in Buddhism. “ By oneself is one purified; by oneself is on defiled” ( from the Buddha and His teaching by Narada) Nibbarna is the ultimate truth of Buddhist goal.
In my short conclusion, whatever we do, we need a teacher to guide us. Even in learning English, we do need a teacher. So by thinking through our wisdom; let’s lead to the most important extra-ordinary goal of our life.
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