Volume
The Message Papers
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The Prophetic Life
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Sub-Heading
Buddha
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The Message Papers
The Prophetic Life
Buddha
Now we come to the manner of inspiration, how it came. In that also one has a resemblance to the other. The inspiration of Buddha came at that moment when he was sent into the world and looked at the world with his matured spirit. The first glance of Buddha falling upon the woes of the world took away his interest from the palace and grandeur and earthly success and earthly gain. Everywhere, wherever he looked, he saw pain. He saw pain behind pleasure, he saw pain covered by joy, he saw pain hiding behind what is called happiness. He looked at pain that was uncovered, he looked at pain that was hiding itself from the eyes of everyone, and he saw where all this pain comes from.
It comes from man's limitations. And there he saw that no matter what you give him -- wealth, power, position, all manner of pleasure and happiness -- still man will remain in pain, in trouble; still he will have sorrow. If there is a way of coming out of it, it is only one way, and that way is the way of perfection. Therefore, instead of finding thousands of ways of helping humanity, he stuck to one way: to help man towards spiritual perfection, to help man find his power, his inspiration, his happiness, his peace, not outside, but within himself.
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