The Buddha: A True Revolutionary (Through the Buddha’s Eyes, Through His Life)
법륜 | 정토출판
18,000원 | 20250430 | 9791187297833
"Why must one die for another to live?
Isn’t there a way we can live together?"
These were the questions that troubled a twelve-year-old boy named Siddhartha as he witnessed the suffering of people in the world. He left behind his royal life and set out into the world in search of answers. The man who came to be known as the Buddha lived his entire life as a seeker of truth and a revolutionary in a world filled with discrimination and violence, working to create a world where everyone could be happy! In this book, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim traces the footsteps of the human Buddha, expressing his deep reverence for his teacher along the way.
After leaving the palace, Siddhartha began a path of extreme asceticism in search of answers to his questions. Through the Law of Dependent Origination and the Middle Way, he ultimately attained the supreme enlightenment that no one had found before. Thus, he became Buddha, the Enlightened One.
The Buddha did not stop at his own enlightenment. He devoted his life, until the moment of his passing, to helping all sentient beings who were suffering. However, the era he lived in was oppressive, and society was merciless. Endless wars broke out among the more than 300 large and small kingdoms. One’s social class was considered fate, and for most people, it was an inescapable yoke. Women, even those with talent and wealth, were denied rights. It was a world where "building one's happiness upon others' suffering" was taken for granted. The Buddha refused to accept this as the way things had to be.
"In the Buddha's Dharma, all are one."
"Love your people as you would your only child."
"Allow women to be ordained."
"Do not spill precious human blood over something as trivial as water."
The Buddha recognized the rights of women, rejected class discrimination among his disciples, urged kings to place their people first, and preached the pursuit of peace. His words and actions challenged the oppressive and merciless world order of his time.
"Anyone who attains enlightenment can become a Buddha." Furthermore, he taught that by escaping ignorance and attaining enlightenment, one could be liberated from all suffering. While the Buddha’s personal enlightenment was extraordinary, this declaration itself was truly revolutionary. His teachings were revolutionary and shook the foundation of the existing social order.
Upon reflecting deeply on the life of the Buddha, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim realized that the Buddha was a revolutionary who transcended the limitations of his time and opened a new world. The Buddha's life embodies both personal practice and social engagement. This is the teaching that the revolutionary Buddha offers us. To share this insight with the public, Ven. Pomnyun Sunim gave a series of Dharma talks on EBS, which have been compiled into this book. Through this book, I hope you can imagine the world that the revolutionary Buddha aspired to create and be inspired to take just a small step toward realizing it. That, indeed, is how we carry on the legacy of the Buddha’s teachings.