Title: The Lotus Road Author: Marianne Benetatou Publisher: Konidaris Place: Athens Year: 2006 Language: Greek ISBN: 960 – 392-089-4 Pages: 222 Book Description The Lotus Road refers to the most important sites where the historical Buddha Shākyamuni lived. The journey starts at Lumbinī of South Nepal –birthplace of the Buddha-, continues to Bodhgaya of North India –the place of enlightenment-, proceeds to Sārnāth –the place of the first sermon- and, after passing by places of minor importance, comes to an end at Kushinagar, where the Lion of the Shākyas passed away. The four places are the holiest sites of Buddhism. They receive thousands of pilgrims and visitors every year. It seems that travelers from Greece are extremely rare. This book may be the first actual witness of these places in Greek bibliography. The Lotus Road is inscribed in the cradle of Indian civilization, the Ganges valley. The journey is completed by the visit to some important centers of Hinduism, such as Katmandu, Varānasī, Khajurāho, Delhi and Jaipur. The dialogue of the Buddha with the dominant Brahmanic society of his time has been one of the most important events, which have influenced both Buddhism and Hinduism. The tension between them and the resulting tendencies, nurtured by fifteen centuries of coexistence, have written, without a doubt, one of the most fascinating adventures of humanity. I relate to the reader my experience, my knowledge and my ideas. In purpose I avoided any systematic reference to home situations, ideas, or institutions. They may make the subject more accessible, but, at the same time, they ran the risk of altering it by imposing familiar mental categories, values and practices on Indian reality. I think that the educated reader is culturally free enough to be interested into subjects distant from his or her own intellectual background. Our starting point is Katmandu, capital of Nepal. We are transported, in geography and in culture, near the places where the Buddha lived. According to legend, the Buddha was born in the 6th century BCE as prince Siddhārtha amidst the royal circle of Kapilavastu, the capital of an independent state of South Nepal. Our research focuses on the reasons why he renounced the world in order to embrace the life of an ascetic. One of the most polluted cities of our planet, Katmandu magnifies the multiple impasses of many Asian countries. The all present poverty, the all pervading stench, the cripping sickness, finally, the silent despair give the impression that the traveler reenacts the disappointment of prince Siddhārtha, when he faced the problems of his society. The Buddhist teaching often refers to the vanity of ritual, as, according to the Buddha, it was practiced by the Brahmanic society of his time. At the temple of god Shiva, Pashupatināth, the cremation ground, the circle of life and death is realized with acuteness. The Buddha introduced, or at least spread widely, the ideal behavior of ahimsā, non violence, or no injury inflicted to any living being. It may be the only unconditional rule of Buddhism. It is based on the idea that every living being has the right to live its life uninjured in order to fulfil its karma. No living being has the right to put his or her personal profit above the life or the integrity, or even the well being of any other living being. The Buddha lived in the Indian society and his teaching can be understood within this conceptual context. The present day reality provides us with a useful standpoint to glimpse at the 6th century situation. The next step is to turn to the Vedic lore, and mainly to the Upanishāds, in order to understand the main religious teachings of the Buddha’s time. The idea of the absolute, transcendent brahman and its identity with the inner self, ātman, is examined. Our investigation brings us to Lumbinī, the beautiful park, where prince Siddhārtha was born. The present day park is a living example of the Buddhist ideals of peace and tranquillity. It is situated in the present province Terai of South Nepal, a few kilometers from the ancient Kapilavastu. The most important monument is the temple of Māyādevī, Buddha’s mother. Extensive excavations have brought to light ruins of a 3rd century BCE temple. The most sacred place is a stone, where the “footprint of the baby” can be seen. It is supposed to be the first footprint of the newborn. Behind the temple is the commemorative pillar of emperor Ashoka. He commemorated his visit at the place where the Buddha was born. Emperor Ashoka interacted in various ways with the Hellenistic world. Some of his inscriptions, written in Greek, address his Yona subjects. Apparently, the Yonas were Greek veterans from Alexander’s expedition to northwestern India, installed in Bactriane. They may have included some Ionic people, which had been earlier deported at the region by Darius after the insurrection and repression by the Persian forces of the Ionic cities. Ashoka has sent Buddhist missions to many kings as far as Egypt and Epirus, but we know nothing of their destiny. He promoted Buddhism to state religion and at the same time sent missions abroad to teach the Dharma. The sacred park of Lumbinī reaches a surface of five square kilometers. There are monasteries from different Buddhist countries already built, under construction, or about to be built. Along the park runs a canal. On the west side are the Mahāyāna monasteries and on the east side the Theravāda. On the far end of the park dominates the Japanese white Peace Pagoda. The connection of the social problems with the existential questioning of man, led Siddhārtha to seek enlightenment, liberation from rebirth, perfect wisdom and perfect compassion. The way to liberation was a well known quest in Indian circles of renouncers. At that time Greek philosophers tried to give an answer to moral questions by elaborating the ideal of the virtuous citizen, kalos kagathos, who fulfils himself by participating to city politics. The divergence between the Indian and the Greek point of view concerning the value of politics in personal fulfillment determines decisively the philosophical issues of man in the universe and his ultimate quest. In consequence, metaphysical matters are approached from a theoretical point of view by Greek philosophers, whilst Indian sages sought an existential foundation and an efficient path to liberation. Most places where the Buddha lived and taught are found at Bihar of North India. The most sacred place of Buddhism is Bodhgaya, the place of enlightenment. Situated amidst innumerable rice fields, at the bank of the river Nirañjanā, it is the destination of thousands of pilgrims. The center of the present day village is occupied by the Mahābodhi Mahāvihāra, the Great Monastery of the Great Enlightenment. On its side, a thick balustrade protects the Bodhi Tree (Tree of Enlightenment), of the species ficus indica. At its shade is worshiped the Diamond Throne (vajrāsana), as it is at the exact spot where Siddhārta sat in meditation and the Buddha got up. Imposing monastic complexes, belonging to different Buddhist countries, thrive with life all around the sacred area. Each one holds its own ritual and the monastic discipline of its home country. Some of them offer rooms and serve meals for a modest amount of money. The region evokes real or symbolic events which have preceded or have followed the enlightenment. Each event reveals a specific aspect of the experience of enlightenment. The preceding events represent symbolically the perfect, total and unreserved compassion emanating from enlightenment, as well as the dedication of the Buddha to the liberation of all living beings from the circle of reexistence. The legend says that, after enlightenment, the Buddha sat in meditation for seven weeks to various spots near the Bodhi Tree. Each meditation concerned the elucidation of a certain aspect of the supreme knowledge. Following the Buddha’s itinerary, we arrive at Sārnāth, at the Deer Park (Mrighadayavana), where Buddhist lore places the first sermon. The Four Noble Truths (Cattari Ariya Saccani), the core of that first teaching, seem to be a codification of the whole Buddhist teaching, summarized perhaps by the Buddha in person. The word dukkha, which renders the meaning of the First Noble Truth, has often been the object of wrong, or, at least, tentative translation. In consequence, there still prevails the misunderstanding that Buddhism is a pessimistic religion holding that existence is suffering, pain and unhappiness. A more precise translation, based on the different nuances of discontent, uneasiness and sadness, may cover the most current and acceptable use of the word in Buddhist vocabulary. Dukkha is neither an intellectual idea, nor a discourse on truth. It is the interpretation of an existential situation, which can be realized only by meditation. Although in the 6th century BCE Eurasian thought is primarily concerned with metaphysical matters, the teaching of the Buddha is distinct. It teaches how to realize things and not what they are according to reason. The foundation of existence as well as the ultimate goal of man is realized by the Buddhist Middle Path (Majjhimā Patipadā), which concerns right behavior, right concentration and right knowledge. Buddhism is a way of thinking and acting and not a theory. The Buddha’s most significant “discovery” concerns the latent tendencies (samskāra), which drive consciousness to acts of will. In classical Indian philosophy the subject is well integrated into the doctrine of karma, of voluntary act and its result. In the 6th century BCE the subject of a latent mental dynamism seems to be elaborated at first in Buddhist circles. It can be attributed to the deep meditation states which have prepared for or have followed enlightenment. Ancient Buddhist texts often use the expression “to burn” or “to extinguish” the unprofitable roots of greed, fear and illusion, pointing, in this way, to the idea of erasing every residue of bad karmic causes. The province of Bihar has been witness to some of the most important sermons of the Buddha. The Vulture Pick, near the ancient city of Rājagriha (today Rājghir) is of utmost significance to Buddhist lore. The Mahāyāna sūtras invariably take place at this far away, almost inaccessible rock. The legendary decor of the sermons, defeating all attempts to rational explanation, matches the grandiose surroundings of the actual place. At least two symbolic events take place on the Vulture Pick. First, the sermon written down as the Saddharma Pundarīka Sūtra, the most popular text of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Then the transmission of the Buddha mind to Mahākāshyapa initiating the Zen lineage of the patriarchs. Both legendary events transport us to China and to the reception and evolution of Buddhism in the Kingdom of the Middle. The unique features of Chinese Buddhism are due to an elaborate integration of Indian Buddhism in the mentality and ways of philosophizing of the Chinese. The Buddha passed away at Kushinagar, near the present day city of Gorakhpur. The excavations have revealed an archaic stūpa, a round tumulus serving as a tomb or as a commemorative monument, and the nearby ruins of many monasteries. The stūpa is supposed to stand on the very spot where the teacher laid down for the last time. There, being in deep meditation, “even as a bright flame dies away,” so he was delivered from the bonds of life. At a short distance, at Rāmābhār, an intact ancient stūpa is supposed to stand on the place, where the body of the teacher was cremated. Kushinagar is home to a few monasteries from foreign Buddhist countries, but the region is being developed fast into an important Buddhist site. Indian Buddhism cannot be understood without extensive reference to Indian reality of yesterday and of today. The city of Varānasī, the holy city of god Shiva, Khajurāho, the temple complex of the 10th to the 12th century ACE, world famous for its sensual and unusual reliefs, the isolated ashram of Galta at the outskirts of Jaipur, offer useful points of reference in order to understand the extraordinary richness of Indian philosophical thought, as well as its complex spiritual practices. Varānasī is one of the rare sites on earth with uninterrupted human occupation from the beginning of mankind until today. Oriented towards the river Ganges, it lives at the rhythm of the mighty river. Mother Gangā is an important figure of mother – goddess in Indian religion. Her image and her lore create powerful associations, which provide comfort and relief to her children. Ritual, hygiene, caste system, tourism, poverty and richness, yogic practices – they all meet and happily interact at the banks of the Mother. We get an idea of the way philosophical thought has developed in Indian circles. Festivals, holy places, temples are meeting points for the seekers of truth of all walks of life. Khajurāho offers a completely different aspect of Hinduism. Discovered less than two centuries ago by the British, it still keeps its secrets. The extravagant imagination of the artists, probably of their royal patrons as well, point to a tantric explanation of the vast enterprise. Nonetheless, the divine bliss of the transcendent absolute, either as a personal god, or as the non qualified supreme brahman, is a well known subject of Indian philosophical thought as far back as the early Upanishāds. The ritual circumambulation of the temples invites the worshipper to identify himself or herself with the divine images anticipating thus the supreme bliss of the union of the self with the absolute. The different aspects of the divine are accurately represented at the temple complex of Galta, Jaipur. An abrupt ravine reveals progressively the temples of the popular and other less popular gods of the Hindu pantheon. At the foot of the mountain the temple of Krishna and an emerald pool of clear water offer rest, shade and purification for the journey ahead. The visitor goes from one temple to the other in a symbolic round of visits climbing to more and more abstract representations of the absolute.