A P P E A L F O R F U N D I N G
F R E E D H A M M A
P U B L I C A T I O N
P U B L I C A T I O N
T H E B U D D H A
by
VENERABLE BALANGODA ANANDA MAITREYA
Buddhism is the doctrine expounded by the Buddha. It is not a dogma, nor a revelation made known by any supernatural agency. The Buddha, the expounder of this doctrine, was neither a god, a son of a god, an incarnation of a god or a prophet sent by a god. Then, who is the Buddha?
Buddhists whenever they visit a temple take flowers, incense and candles or oil to light lamps, as offerings to be made to a statue of the Buddha. They also practise the offering of food and drinks to the statue of the Buddha. This practice is called "Buddha Pooja". To the uninformed this practice may look like idol worship. Then were the Buddhists idol worshippers?
In this book, the author goes into details to explain who the Buddha was and His special qualities. And as regards the ritual of worship, it has no place in the Buddha's teachings.
One day, one of the Buddha's disciples who was deeply devoted and adored Him so much that he found it difficult to take this eyes away from Him. The Buddha knew of this adoration and advised him, "What is the use of looking at this body, a mass of flesh and bone etc., Go from here and look at the Dhamma (i.e. practise virtues, follow the path)."
Originally published under the title: Special Qualities of the Buddha and Other Essays by The Most Venerable Aggamahapandita Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero, the Venerable along with Venerable Narada Thero and Venerable Madihe Pannaseeha Thero was one of the great personalities of Theravada Buddhism in the twentieth century. He was famous for his achievements in Buddhist meditation. He was known to have practised both Samatha meditation and Vipassana meditation to a great extent and was considered to have a highly developed mind through his meditation. Many Buddhists have experienced his powerful spiritual blessings in many more ways than one. His teachings and life have been an inspiration to many aspiring monks and lay followers. His work and sacrifices with Anagarika Dharmapala was one of the steering forces of the upholding of Buddhism in Sri Lanka at one stage.
Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero passed away at 11:40 pm on July 18, 1998 at the age of 101.
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