The Words of Mahatma Buddha Proved True

The Bodhi Tree

Ashok Mishra

Ananda was deeply saddened upon learning that the end of Gautama Buddha’s life was near. Ananda was not only the Buddha’s most beloved disciple but also his cousin. It is said that the Buddha and Ananda were born on the same day, in the same year, and into the same clan; they were of the same age. When Siddhartha renounced his worldly life, he was 29 years old. 

It took him six years thereafter to attain enlightenment. His cousin, Ananda, embraced the monastic life under the Buddha at the age of 37. This implies that when the Buddha passed away, Ananda was also eighty years old. With a heavy heart, Ananda approached the Buddha and asked, "After you are gone, from whom shall I seek wisdom? Who will show me the path forward?" 

A faint smile appeared on the Buddha’s face. In a tone filled with affection, he said, "You have been with me for forty years. If you have not attained wisdom by now, what could you possibly grasp even in forty lifetimes? Ananda, do not be foolish! Countless Buddhas have come before me, and many more will come in the future. Each will fulfill their purpose and depart from this world; nothing is permanent. 

Perhaps it is because of my presence that you have not yet attained enlightenment—my being here may have diminished your own capacity to learn. You might find it easier to learn under a new teacher. Yet, merely finding a teacher is not enough; you must transform yourself. Change yourself, and it is possible that you, too, may attain Buddhahood." Having said this, the Tathagata breathed his last. After the Buddha’s passing, Ananda attained supreme wisdom. The words of Mahatma Buddha proved true.