If a person goes to Buddha, he goes as a disciple, as one who has surrendered to him. Arjuna was Krishna’s friend, he has not surrendered to krishna. Much depends on particular situations and relationships. While Buddha’s disciples accept him, his own wife refuses to take him at his words. When Buddha returns home after 12 years- during which time he was widely known as Buddha, the awakened one, and people from all over have come to his feet in search of truth, he has known and proclaimed. His wife Yashodhara, on meeting him, refuses to accept him as Buddha. She takes him to be the same person, her husband who left home stealthily in the dead of night twelve years ago. She resumes her argument from that very point. She was as angry as she was, on the day her husband left her deserted. She vehemently accuses Buddha for betraying her. Buddha’s wife had her own features. Buddha had to communicate with his wife differently, because she was altogether different from his devotes and other seekers. This was a very sensitive and delicate moment and Buddha’s response to it wa so human and beautiful. When Buddha’s disciple Ananda, who was also his cousin, reminds him that he has transcended all associations and attachments, no one is now wife or son to him, Buddha tells him, ”This is quite true as far as I am concerned but for Yashodhara I am her husband, and it is not in my hands to undo it.”
When Buddha meets Yashodara, the expected thing happens. She bursted out crying with all pent up anger and agony that came out in torrent, and it was justifiable. So Buddha listens to it all. When she was settled down by herself, Buddha says, ”Yashodara, look at me attentively. I am not your husband who left you 12 years back, the husband is no more. I am altogether different. You talked so long to the departed one; now you can talk to me.”
The relationship between Krishna and Arjuna also was radically different, they were friends. They had played and gossiped together as pals. If Krishna had told him only this much, “I speak about the truth that I have known,” Arjuna would have retorted, “I know you and your truth.” So he has to say, “What I say is the same truth that has been said by many seers. Don’t take it amiss because it comes to you from a friend. What I say is really significant.” Gita is a product of a particular situation and this has to be borne in mind, otherwise there could be much room for misunderstanding. Buddha’s situation was very different from Krishna’s. Buddha could afford to say, ”What I say is the truth. I am not concerned with what others say about it. And I also urge you not to accept it on my authority. You need to come to it on your own.” And it was not an egoistic statement. We are aware that what Buddha said had been said by others in Vedas and Upanishads also. But why didn’t Buddha say so? There were reasons for it too and they were inherent to the time of Buddha’s period of time. It is not that Buddha was not aware of Vedas and other Seers’ words.
More analysis will continue in the following weeks to come.....
Let us understand Krishna to understand Gita.
Wishing you all good health & happiness,
Dr. Dwarakanath, Director, Mitran foundation- the stressmanagement people
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