Students of Buddhism: explain in your own words, how the story of Sakka and the Anger Eating Demon can be...?

Question

relevant to us today ! ?

Are there any people today out in Yahoo-Land which have the heart/mind of Sakka ?
Is this what we are to strive for ?

How do you define Patience/Tolerance ?

Answer 1

The gist of this story dates back to the discourses of the Buddha. But even now, over 2500 years later, our world looks as if large hordes of Anger-eating Demons were haunting it and were kept well nourished by millions slaving for them all over the earth. Fires of hate and wide-traveling waves of violence threaten to engulf mankind. Also the grass roots of society are poisoned by conflict and discord, manifesting in angry thoughts and words and in violent deeds. Is it not time to end this self-destructive slavery of man to his impulses of hate and aggression which only serve the demoniac forces? Our story tells how these demons of hate can be exorcised by the power of gentleness and love. If this power of love can be tested and proven, at grass-root level, in the widely spread net of personal relationships, society at large, the world at large, will not remain unaffected by it.

'If a person foolishly does me wrong, I will return to him the protection of my boundless love. The more evil that comes from him the more good will go from me. I will always give off only the fragrance of goodness.' (Buddha).

People today are restless, weary filled with fear and discontentment. They are intoxicated with the desire to gain fame, wealth and power. They crave for gratification of the senses. People are passing their days in fear, suspicion and insecurity. In this time of turmoil and crisis, it becomes difficult for people to coexist peacefully with their fellowmen. There is therefore, a great need for tolerance in the world today so that peaceful co-existence among the people of the world can be possible.

The world has bled and suffered from the disease of dogmatism and of intolerance. The land of many countries today are soaked with the blood spilled on the altar of various political struggles, as the skies of earlier millennia were covered with the smoke of burning martyrs of various faiths. Whether in religion or politics people have been conscious of a mission to bring humanity to their way of life and have been aggressive towards other ways of life. Indeed, the intolerance of the crusading spirit has spoiled the records of religions.

Let us look back on this present century of highly publicized 'Progress'----a century of gadgets and inventions. The array of new scientific and technical inventions is dazzling _telephones, electric motors, airplanes, radios, television, computers, space ships, satellites and electronic devices. Yet in this same century the children of the earth who have developed all these inventions as the ultimate in progress, are the same people who have butchered millions of others by bayonets or bullets or gas. Amidst all the great 'progress', where does the spirit of tolerance stand?

Today man is interested in exploring outer space. But he is totally unable to live as man-to-man in peace and harmony. Man will eventually desecrate the moon and other planets.

For the sake of material gain, modern man violates nature. His mental activities are so preoccupied with his pleasure that he is unable to discover the purpose of life. This unnatural behavior of present mankind is the result of his wrong conception of human life and its ultimate aim. It is the cause of the frustration, fear, insecurity and intolerance of our present time.

In fact, today intolerance is still practised in the name of religion. People merely talk of religion and promise to provide short cuts to paradise, they are not interested in practising it. If Christianity live by the Sermon on the Mount, if Buddhists follow the Noble Eightfold path, if Muslims really follow the concept of Brotherhood and if the Hindus shape their life in oneness, definitely there will be peace and harmony in this world. Inspite of these invaluable Teachings of the great religious teachers, people have still not realized the value of tolerance. The intolerance that is practised in the name of religion is most disgraceful and deplorable.

The Buddha's advice is 'Let us live happily, not hating those who hate us. Among those who hate us, let us live free from hatred. Let us live happily and free from ailment. Let us live happily and be free from greed; among those who are greedy.'

Answer 2

Thanks, Nikita, for a terrific answer. I definitely don't have the mind of Sakka. I am the worst student of buddhism. I get angry and complain all the time. I am constantly criticized and ridiculed for being a student of buddhism. People wherever I meet always try and tell me how wrong I am and how I am going to go to hell for following the dharma. I don't care though. I strive to serve and follow my Teacher with all my strength and reverence. I do try and remember that my body and the life in it are as fleeting as the bubbles in the sea froth of a wave and I try to remember with certainty that when I die, the things I've done, the white or black, follow always close behind as certain as my shadow. Some advanced practices such as The Seven Point Cause and Effect (for achieving the mind that aspires to enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings) and The Practice of Equalizing and Exchanging Self for Others actually invite the negative karma and suffering to ripen on the bodhisattva who practices them, but not me. I don't have any courage. I just like to theorize. In fact, it's often been said of me that I only do three things; eat, sleep and use the bathroom! The Six Perfections are the practice of bodhisattvas. Patience is one of the Six Perfections. Patience is a practice of bodhisattvas! Bodhisattvas who hold the vow are truly able to practice the Six Perfections. Preliminaries, or practitioners who don't yet hold the vow, I would not hesitate to suggest that you find a Lama from whom you can receive the Bodhisattva Vow.

Answer 3

Buddhism is an academic equipment, it particularly is a faith, it particularly is a philosophy. some human beings could say that Buddhism is depressing, or nihilistic, whether that is lots better than that. Buddhism teaches you to verify the international for what that's, and what the international particularly is is composed no longer in user-friendly terms pleasing issues, yet additionally some very gruesome issues. In my college of Buddhism we are taught that each and every physique persons can earnings enlightenment in this existence time. the superb objective of Buddhism is to prevail in Nirvana which isn't heaven, that is not existence, and that is not non-existence. that is basically the international we've, in basic terms without all of our obstacles and attachments.

Answer 4

SADHU!SADHU!SADHU!

Nikita,may you be enlighten in this lifetime.
Metta to all.