Satsang at Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Ruwanwelisaya Temple, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka- 14th July 2017

Swami: All of you are worshipping Buddha as the Enlightened One, but nobody knows what he went through to achieve this Enlightenment. Nobody knows about the amount of difficulty he had to undergo – the insults, the ridicule, the amount of opposition and the resistance of the people who threw Him out of the villages when He went around to preach. He was simply telling them that they should not engage only in the world, since it is temporary and full of sorrow, and that the highest peace and happiness lies in things beyond the world. Instead of listening to him, they would chase him away with sticks! Once, he was beaten so badly that until his death, he still bore the marks on his back, below the left shoulder. The villagers hit him and threw him out of the villages.

Swami also had a mark on His shoulders.

Devotee: From carrying water…

Swami: Somebody has to carry for the sake of others.

Question: Swami, when did Buddha’s teachings arrive in Sri Lanka?

Swami: During Ashoka’s influence. He was a very great king from the Kalinga dynasty who took over after the war. He saw so much bloodshed, that he felt very remorseful; for the sake of a few more acres of land, he had engaged in a great massacre. Around that time, he met Buddha, who preached non-violence. Immediately, he became a disciple of Buddha and sent his daughter and son to preach to the kings in Sri Lanka, as well as in all the directions. Buddhism later spread to Malaysia and throughout Southeast Asia.