Sarnath – April 19th, 2007
By Peter
Buddha came to Sarnath, 10km northeast of Varanasi, to preach his message of the middle way to nirvana after he achieved enlightenment at Bodhgaya. He gave his famous first sermon here to a handful of followers in a deer park which has recently been recreated. The Buddha is said to have been the king of deers in that Sarnath Park in one of his past lives. In the 3rd Century BCE, the India King Ashoka had magnificent stupas and monasteries erected as well as an engraved pillar. When Xuan Zang, a Chinese traveler, visited by in 640 CE, Sarnath had a 100m-high stupa and 1500 monks living in over 100 monasteries. However, soon after, Buddhism in India, went into decline, and when the Muslim invaders invaded in the 12th Century CE, they destroyed and desecrated the city’s buildings. The city was lost for almost a millennium until in 1835 CE, British Archaeologists started excavations and Sarnath was rediscovered. A revival has been set in motion starting in the 1950s among intellectuals disillusioned with the caste system. The number of followers has been further increased with the influx of Tibetan Refugees and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Now set in a peaceful park, surrounded by Buddhist temples from Tibet, China, Thailand, Japan, Burma, and Sri Lanka, are the monastery remains an the impressive 34m Dhanekh Stupa, which marks the spot where the Buddha preached his first sermon. The floral and geometric carving dates back to the 5th Century CE, but some of the brickwork is thought to be even older at around 200 BCE. Emperor Ashoka is said to have meditated in the main shrine, but only its foundation has survived. The famous four-lion standard that used to be on top of the nearby Ashoka pillar is seen at the nearby Archaeological Museum.
An Enlightened Emperor
Apart from the Mughals and then the British many centuries later, no other power controlled more Indian territory than the Mauryan Empire. It is therefore fitting that is provided India with one of its most significant historical figures.
Emperor Ashoka’s rule was characterized by a period of flourishing art and sculpture, while his reputation as a philosopher-king was enhanced by the rock-hewn edicts he
used to both instruct his people and delineate the enormous span of his territory.
Ashoka’s reign also represented an undoubted historical high point for Buddhism. He embraced the religion in 262 BCE, declaring it the state religion and cutting a radical swathe through the spiritual and social body of Hinduism. The extant highlights of Ashokan Buddhism are visible in Sarnath (on the spot where Buddha delivered his first sermon expounding the Noble Eightfold Path, or Middle Way to Enlightenment). Ashoka also sent missions abroad, and he is revered in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) because he sent his son and daughter to carry Buddhism to the island.
The long shadow this emperor of the 3rd century BCE still casts over India is evident from the fact that Ashoka’s standard, which topped many pillars, is now the seal of the modern-day India and its national emblem, chosen to reaffirm the ancient commitment to peace and goodwill.
Our guide for this adventure Singh, was a retired assistant professor of philosophy who started out solely interested in Western philosophy but after meeting an enlightened Yogi, started to look back at his own Eastern Philosophy. Up until this point, I was very impressed with most of our guides, but Singh blew then out of the water. Whether discussing Descartes to Ashokas rule, Singh had an excellent grasp of it all. His current books to read are Ken Wilbers, a Brief History of Everything, and Stephen Hawking, the History of the Universe. From the Park, we made ourselves to the Sri Lankan Monastery to see the descendent of the Bodhi tree which was sent with Ashokas daughter in the 3rd Century brought back to sit close to where Buddha was enlightened. While meditating on Metta (loving kindness) for loved ones who have died in my lifetime, I was beset with uncontrollable tears. My whole body shook in a way that I had not experienced since my time at Wat Pa Nana Chat in Thailand.
Sarnath Park and its museum may not have been as large as the Mughal Forts and Palaces, but to gaze upon the 2300 year old pillar standard, still intact, after its religious centers had moved East and South almost 1000 years ago speaks of its power. It makes me think of how the Dalai Lama says he does not hate the Chinese even though he was exiled out of Tibet. In the end, I believe it is the intention of every Bodhisattva to help others reach closer to enlightenment. The Dalai Lama might not have known that his exile would help to reignite the flame of Buddhism in India and China while also helping Buddhism spread west to Europe and the New World, but he continued his ethical path and look what flowered.
I think the final laugh really will be on the Chinese Government for trying to subjugate a people with different beliefs because there has been a resurrection of Buddhism in China, and with a growing middle class, the Maoist Centralized Communist Government will see its fall just as the Mughals saw their empire crumble for subjugating the non-muslims. I just hope that the Mara (trickster deity) inspired materialism that causes so much suffering in the United States with its premise that material possessions bring happiness, casts little influence on the emerging new Republic of China. In the end truth prevails as the pillar states. For our future, may we all cultivate a better Sangka (community) by accepting that we are all Buddhas, but just have different Dhammas (paths).
By Peter
Buddha came to Sarnath, 10km northeast of Varanasi, to preach his message of the middle way to nirvana after he achieved enlightenment at Bodhgaya. He gave his famous first sermon here to a handful of followers in a deer park which has recently been recreated. The Buddha is said to have been the king of deers in that Sarnath Park in one of his past lives. In the 3rd Century BCE, the India King Ashoka had magnificent stupas and monasteries erected as well as an engraved pillar. When Xuan Zang, a Chinese traveler, visited by in 640 CE, Sarnath had a 100m-high stupa and 1500 monks living in over 100 monasteries. However, soon after, Buddhism in India, went into decline, and when the Muslim invaders invaded in the 12th Century CE, they destroyed and desecrated the city’s buildings. The city was lost for almost a millennium until in 1835 CE, British Archaeologists started excavations and Sarnath was rediscovered. A revival has been set in motion starting in the 1950s among intellectuals disillusioned with the caste system. The number of followers has been further increased with the influx of Tibetan Refugees and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Now set in a peaceful park, surrounded by Buddhist temples from Tibet, China, Thailand, Japan, Burma, and Sri Lanka, are the monastery remains an the impressive 34m Dhanekh Stupa, which marks the spot where the Buddha preached his first sermon. The floral and geometric carving dates back to the 5th Century CE, but some of the brickwork is thought to be even older at around 200 BCE. Emperor Ashoka is said to have meditated in the main shrine, but only its foundation has survived. The famous four-lion standard that used to be on top of the nearby Ashoka pillar is seen at the nearby Archaeological Museum.
An Enlightened Emperor
Apart from the Mughals and then the British many centuries later, no other power controlled more Indian territory than the Mauryan Empire. It is therefore fitting that is provided India with one of its most significant historical figures.
Emperor Ashoka’s rule was characterized by a period of flourishing art and sculpture, while his reputation as a philosopher-king was enhanced by the rock-hewn edicts he
used to both instruct his people and delineate the enormous span of his territory.Ashoka’s reign also represented an undoubted historical high point for Buddhism. He embraced the religion in 262 BCE, declaring it the state religion and cutting a radical swathe through the spiritual and social body of Hinduism. The extant highlights of Ashokan Buddhism are visible in Sarnath (on the spot where Buddha delivered his first sermon expounding the Noble Eightfold Path, or Middle Way to Enlightenment). Ashoka also sent missions abroad, and he is revered in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) because he sent his son and daughter to carry Buddhism to the island.
The long shadow this emperor of the 3rd century BCE still casts over India is evident from the fact that Ashoka’s standard, which topped many pillars, is now the seal of the modern-day India and its national emblem, chosen to reaffirm the ancient commitment to peace and goodwill.
Our guide for this adventure Singh, was a retired assistant professor of philosophy who started out solely interested in Western philosophy but after meeting an enlightened Yogi, started to look back at his own Eastern Philosophy. Up until this point, I was very impressed with most of our guides, but Singh blew then out of the water. Whether discussing Descartes to Ashokas rule, Singh had an excellent grasp of it all. His current books to read are Ken Wilbers, a Brief History of Everything, and Stephen Hawking, the History of the Universe. From the Park, we made ourselves to the Sri Lankan Monastery to see the descendent of the Bodhi tree which was sent with Ashokas daughter in the 3rd Century brought back to sit close to where Buddha was enlightened. While meditating on Metta (loving kindness) for loved ones who have died in my lifetime, I was beset with uncontrollable tears. My whole body shook in a way that I had not experienced since my time at Wat Pa Nana Chat in Thailand.Sarnath Park and its museum may not have been as large as the Mughal Forts and Palaces, but to gaze upon the 2300 year old pillar standard, still intact, after its religious centers had moved East and South almost 1000 years ago speaks of its power. It makes me think of how the Dalai Lama says he does not hate the Chinese even though he was exiled out of Tibet. In the end, I believe it is the intention of every Bodhisattva to help others reach closer to enlightenment. The Dalai Lama might not have known that his exile would help to reignite the flame of Buddhism in India and China while also helping Buddhism spread west to Europe and the New World, but he continued his ethical path and look what flowered.
I think the final laugh really will be on the Chinese Government for trying to subjugate a people with different beliefs because there has been a resurrection of Buddhism in China, and with a growing middle class, the Maoist Centralized Communist Government will see its fall just as the Mughals saw their empire crumble for subjugating the non-muslims. I just hope that the Mara (trickster deity) inspired materialism that causes so much suffering in the United States with its premise that material possessions bring happiness, casts little influence on the emerging new Republic of China. In the end truth prevails as the pillar states. For our future, may we all cultivate a better Sangka (community) by accepting that we are all Buddhas, but just have different Dhammas (paths).
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