Ikusasa Lenkolo Uma Kubhekwa Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule

Ingxenye 8—c. 563 B.C.E kuqhubeke—Ukukhanyiselwa Okwathembisa Inkululeko

“Ukuvivinywa kwenkolo noma ifilosofi yinani lezinto engazichaza.” Imbongi yaseMelika yekhulu le-19 leminyaka URalph Waldo Emerson

KUNCANE, uma kukhona, okwaziwayo ngaye ngokuqinisekile. Umlando oxoxwayo uthi wayebizwa ngokuthi uSiddhârtha Gautama, ukuthi wayeyinkosi, nokuthi wazalwa cishe eminyakeni engama-600 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaKristu embusweni waseSakya ongasenyakatho yeNdiya. Wayebizwa ngokuthi uSakyamuni (ohlakaniphile wohlanga lwamaSakya), nangokuthi uTathagata, isiqu esinencazelo engaqinisekile. Ngokunokwenzeka ungamazi kuphela ngesiqu sakhe esaziwa kagcono, uBuddha.

UGautama wakhulela endaweni eyisigodlo, kodwa lapho eneminyaka engama-29 ngokungazelelwe waqaphela usizi olwalumzungezile. Wayefuna incazelo, ngokufana nabantu namuhla abazibuza ngobuqotho ukuthi kungani kunobubi nokuhlupheka. Eshiya umkakhe nendodana yakhe esewusana, wabalekela ogwadule, lapho aphila khona iminyaka eyisithupha ukuphila kokuzicindezela. Wayelala emeveni futhi ngesinye isikhathi wayephila ngohlamvu olulodwa lwerayisi ngosuku. Kodwa lokhu akuzange kulethe ukukhanyiselwa.

Manje lapho cishe eseneminyaka engama-35, uGautama wanquma ukuthatha inkambo elinganiselwe ngokwengeziwe, leyo ayibiza ngokuthi iNdlela Ephakathi, uMendo. Wafunga ukuthi wayezohlala ngaphansi komkhiwane aze athole ukukhanyiselwa. Ekugcineni, ngemva kokuba ebone imibono ebusuku, waba nomuzwa wokuthi ukufuna kwakhe kwakuvuziwe. Kusukela ngalesosikhathi waziwa ngokuthi uBuddha, okusho “okhanyiselwe.” Kodwa uGautama kwakungeyena kuphela obizwa ngalesosiqu. Ngakho-ke kumelwe sisetshenziswe ngaso sonke isikhathi esiNgisini nomunci, “a buddha” (ubuddha) noma, endabeni kaGautama, “the Buddha” (uBuddha).

Indlela Eya Enkululekweni

Onkulunkulu bamaHindu uIndra noBrahma kuthiwa bancenga uBuddha ukuba atshele abanye ngamaqiniso ayesanda kuwathola. Wahlela ukwenza kanjalo. Nakuba ayelondoloza isimo sengqondo sobuHindu sokuvuma zonke sokuthi zonke izinkolo ziyafaneleka, uBuddha akavumelananga nesimiso sokuhlelwa ngezigaba nokugcizelela kwaso emihlatshelweni yezilwane. Wakwenqaba ukuzisholo kwaso kokuthi amaVeda obuHindu ayeyimibhalo evela phezulu. Futhi nakuba ayengakuphiki ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona, wakuphika ukuthi uNkulunkulu unguMdali. Waphikisa ngokuthi umthetho wokudala awuzange ube nesiqalo. Futhi wedlulela nga-16 kobuHindu, ethembisa ngokugomela entshumayelweni yakhe yokuqala: “Lokhu, zindela, kuwumendo ophakathi lowo ulwazi lwawo . . . oluholela ekuqondeni, oluholela ekuhlakanipheni, okuphumela ekuzotheni, elwazini, ekukhanyiselweni okuphelele, eNirvana.”

‘lyini iNirvana?’ uyabuza. “Kunzima ukuthola impendulo engeyiyo yalombuzo,” kusho isazimlando uWill Durant, “ngoba iNkosi yashiya leliphuzu lingacacile, futhi abalandeli bayo baye banikeza leligama noma iyiphi incazelo ekhona ngaphansi kwelanga.” “Awukho ngisho nowodwa umbono wobuBuddha,” kuvuma iThe Encyclopedia of Religion, ngoba “iyahlukahluka kuye ngempucuko, inkathi engokomlando, ulimi, isikole, ngisho nangomuntu ngamunye.” Omunye umlobi uyibiza ngokuthi “ukungabibikho ngokuphelele kwesifiso, ukungapheli okungenamingcele kwabangelutho . . . ukuphumula kwaphakade kokufa ngaphandle kokuphindukuzalwa.” Abanye, bebhekisela encazelweni yalo yobuSanskrit ewumsuka ethi “ukucisha,” bathi injengelangabi elicishayo lapho isivuthelamlilo salo siphela. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ikuphi, iNirvana ithembisa inkululeko.

Isidingo sokufinyelela inkululeko safushaniswa uBuddha emaQinisweni Amane Ayinhloko: Ukuphila kuwubuhlungu nokuhlupheka; kokubili kubangelwa ukunxanela ukuphila nokuzitika kwezifiso; inkambo yokuhlakanipha iwukucindezela lokhu kunxanela; lokhu kuzuzwa ngokulandela uMendo oPhindwe Kasishiyagalombili. LoMendo uhlanganisa inkolelo eqondile, inhloso eqondile, inkulumo eqondile, isinyathelo esiqondile, ukuphila okuqondile, umzamo oqondile, umqondo oqondile, nokuzindla okuqondile.

Ukunqoba Ngaphandle, Ukunqotshwa Ekhaya

Kusukela ekuqaleni kwabo, ubuBuddha bathola ukusabela sekulungile. Iqembu labathandi bezinto ezibonakalayo bangalesosikhathi, ababebizwa ngokuthi amaCharvaka, kakade lase liyilungisile indlela. Layenqaba imibhalo engcwele yamaHindu, lawuhleka usulu umqondo wokukholelwa kuNkulunkulu, futhi lenqaba ukulandela inkolo iyonke. Ithonya lalo lalingokoqobo futhi lasiza ekudaleni lokho uDurant akubiza ngokuthi “isikhala cishe esaphoqelela ukukhula kwenkolo entsha.” Lesikhala, kanye ‘nokuphelelwa ukuhlakanipha kwenkolo yakudala,’ kwaba nengxenye ekuveleni kwezinhlangano ezimbili eziyinhloko zenguquko zalolusuku, ubuBuddha nobuJain.

Phakathi nekhulu lesithathu leminyaka B.C.E., iNkosi uAśoka, ombuso wakhe wawuhlanganisa iningi lamazwekazi amancane aseNdiya, yafeza okukhulu ekwenzeni ukuba ubuBuddha buthandwe abantu. Yaqinisa izici zabo zobuthunywa ngokuthumela izithunywa zevangeli eCeylon (Sri Lanka) futhi ngokunokwenzeka nakwamanye amazwe. Phakathi namakhulu eminyaka okuqala eSikhathi Esivamile, ubuBuddha basakazeka kulo lonke elaseChina. Kusukela lapho basakazekela eJapane ngendlela yaseKorea. Ngekhulu lesithupha nelesikhombisa leminyaka C.E., babungatholakala kuzo zonke izingxenye zempumalanga nenyakathompumalanga yeAsia. Namuhla, kunamaBuddha angaphezu kwezigidi ezingama-300 emhlabeni wonke.

Ngisho nangaphambi kosuku lweNkosi uAśoka, ubuBuddha babuqhubeka. “Ekupheleni kwekhulu lesine leminyaka B.C., izithunywa zevangeli zobuBuddha zazitholakala eAthens,” kubhala uE. M. Layman. Futhi unezela ngokuthi ngemva kokusungulwa kobuKristu, izithunywa zevangeli zabo zokuqala zabhekana nemfundiso yobuBuddha nomaphi lapho zaziya khona. Eqinisweni, lapho izithunywa zevangeli zamaKatolika ziya okokuqala eJapane, zathathwa ngokungeyikho njengeziyihlelo elisha lobuBuddha. Lokho kwakungenzeka kanjani?

Ngokusobala lezinkolo ezimbili zazinokuningi okufanayo. Ngokwesazi-mlando uDurant, izinto ‘ezinjengokuhlonishwa kwabafile, ukusetshenziswa kwesiwasho, amakhandlela, impepho, irosari, izivunulo zabefundisi, ulimi olufile ngokomkhuba wesonto, izindela nezindelakazi, ukuphuca nokungashadi kwezindela, ukuvuma izono, izinsuku zokuzila, ukubhekwa kosanta njengabangcwele, isihlanzo namamisa abafile.’ Unezela ngokuthi lezinto “kubonakala sengathi zavela kubuBuddha kuqala.” Eqinisweni, ubuBuddha kuthiwa “bandulela iSonto lamaRoma ngamakhulu eminyaka ayisihlanu ekuqambeni nasekusetshenzisweni kwayo yonke imikhosi nezindlela ezikhona kuzo zombili lezinkolo.”

Echaza indlela lokufana okwaqala ngayo, umlobi uLayman unikeza umqondo womsuka ofanayo. Uyabhala: “Ngesikhathi senkathi yobuKristu . . . amathonya obuqaba ayesesobala ezindleleni zobuBuddha zokukhulekela. . . . Ngokunokwenzeka amathonya obuqaba yiwo [futhi] eza neminye imikhuba yokukhulekela eyaba khona esontweni lobuKristu.”

Naphezu kokuphumelela kwabo emhlabeni wonke, ubuBuddha banqotshwa ngokungathi sína ekhaya. Namuhla, amaphesenti angaphansi kweli-1 ezakhamuzi zaseNdiya angamaBuddha, amaphesenti angama-83 angamaHindu. Isizathu asicacile. Mhlawumbe ubuBuddha babuvuma zonke izinto kakhulu kangangokuthi bamane bathathwa futhi ubuHindu obungokwesiko ngokwengeziwe. Noma mhlawumbe izindela zamaBuddha zayekelela ekwaluseni umhlambi. Nokho, isici esiyinhloko sasiwukungenela kobuSulumane eNdiya. Lokhu kwaholela ekubuseni kwamaSulumane lokho abantu abaningi, ikakhulukazi enyakatho yeNdiya, abaguqukela kubuIslam ngaphansi kwakho. Eqinisweni, ekupheleni kwekhulu leminyaka le-13, cishe ingxenye yesine yezakhamuzi yayingamaSulumane. Kusenjalo, amaBuddha amaningi ayephindela ebuHindwini, ngokusobala ebuthola bukuhlonyiselwe kangcono ukubhekana nokuhlasela kwamaSulumane. Bulandela igama labo lokuvuma zonke, ubuHindu babamukela ngemfudumalo enkulu, benza ukubuya kwabo kwaba lula ngokumemezela ukuthi uBuddha unkulunkulu, othathe isimo somuntu sikaVishnu!

Ubuso Obuningi BukaBuddha

“Imifanekiso yokuqala kaBuddha yenziwa amaGreki,” kubhala uE. M. Layman. AmaBuddha azisholo ukuthi lezithombe azikhulekelwa kodwa ziwusizo nje ekuzinikeleni, ziklanyelwe ukubonisa inhlonipho kuMfundisi omkhulu. Ngezinye izikhathi uBuddha uboniswa emile, kodwa ngokuvame kakhulu uhlala ephambanise imilenze, amathe ezinyawo zakhe ebheke phezulu. Lapho izandla zakhe ngasinye siphezu kwesinye, uyazindla; lapho isandla sakhe sokudla sibambe isilevu, uyabusisa; futhi lapho isithupha sesandla sokudla sithinta unkomba noma lapho izandla zombili zihlangana phambi kwesifuba, uyafundisa. Ukuma kokuncika kumbonisa ngesikhathi sohambo oluya eNirvana.

Njengoba nje kunomehluko phakathi kokuma kwakhe ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene, ngakho kunezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zemfundiso yakhe. Kuthiwa phakathi neminyaka engama-200 ngemva kokufa kwakhe, izinguqulo eziyi-18 ezihlukene zobuBuddha zase zikhona kakade. Namuhla, ngemva kwamakhulu eminyaka angama-25 kusukela ‘ekukhanyiselweni’ kukaGautama, ziningi izincazelo zobuBuddha zendlela yokufinyelela eNirvana.

UErik Zürcher waseYunivesithi yaseLeiden eNetherlands uchaza ukuthi ‘kunemisuka emithathu eyinhloko phakathi kobuBuddha, ngamunye unomqondo wawo siqu ongokwemfundiso, imikhuba yokukhulekela, imibhalo engcwele, namasiko, ezithombe.’ Lezindlela zibizwa ngokuthi izithuthi ngokokukhuluma kobuBuddha ngoba, njengezikebhe ezithutha abantu, ziweza umuntu emfuleni wokuphila aze afinyelele ekugcineni osebeni lwenkululeko. Khona-ke isithuthi singashiywa ngokuphephile. Futhi umBuddha angakutshela ukuthi leyondlela yokuhamba—uhlobo lwesithuthi—akubonakali. Okusemqoka nje ukufika lapho.

Lezithuthi zihlanganisa ubuBuddha beTheravada, lobo ngokusobala obuhlala busondelene nalokho uBuddha akushumayela futhi bunamandla ikakhulukazi eBurma, eSri Lanka, eLaos, eThailand, naseKampuchea (ekuqaleni, iCambodia). UbuBuddha beMahayana, obuqine ikakhulukazi eChina, eKorea, eJapane, eTibet, naseMongolia, bukhululeke ngokwengeziwe, njengoba buye bashintshashintsha izimfundiso zabo ukuze bufinyelele abantu abengeziwe. Ngenxa yalesosizathu bubizwa ngokuthi isiThuthi Esikhudlwana ngokuphambene neTheravada, isiThuthi Esincanyana. IVajrayana, isiThuthi Sedayimane, esaziwa ngokuvamile ngokuthi ubuTantri noma ubuBuddha Bangasese, ihlanganisa imikhosi yesonto nokwenziwa kweYoga, futhi kucatshangwa ukuthi isheshisa ukuthuthukela komuntu eNirvana.

Lezindlela ezintathu zihlukane zaba amaqoqo amaningi, ngalinye lihluka ekuchazeni izinto ezithile eziyisisekelo, ezikhathini eziningi ngenxa yokugcizelela ngokukhethekile izingxenye ezithile zemibhalo yobuBuddha. Futhi, ngokukaZürcher, njengoba nomaphi lapho babuya khona, “ubuBuddha babutholakala ngamazinga ahlukahlukene buthonywa izinkolelo nemikhuba yendawo,” lamaqoqo ngokushesha azala noma yiliphi inani lamahlelo endawo. Hhayi ngokungafani neLobukholwa kanye nezinkulungwane zalo zamahlelo adidayo namaqembu, uBuddha, ngolimi olungokomfanekiso, ugqoka ubuso obuningi.

UbuBuddha Nezombangazwe

NjengobuJuda nobuKristu bokuzisholo, ubuBuddha abugcinanga emisebenzini yenkolo kodwa buye basiza ekulolongeni umcabango kanye nokuziphatha kwezombangazwe. “Ukulumbana kokuqala kobuBuddha nezombangazwe kwaqala phakathi nokubusa [kweNkosi] uAsoka,” kusho umlobi uJerrold Schecter. Ukushisekela ezombangazwe kobuBuddha kusaqhubeka nasosukwini lwethu. Engxenyeni yokugcina ka-1987, izindela zobuBuddha baseTibet ezingama-27 zaboshwa eLhasa ngenxa yokuhlanganyela emibukisweni yokumelana namaShayina. Futhi ukuhileleka kobuBuddha empini yaseVietnam yango-1960 kwabangela uSchecter ukuba aphethe: “Umendo wokuthula weNdlela Ephakathi uye wasontwa waba ubudlova obusha bemibukiso yasemgwaqweni. . . . UbuBuddha eAsia buwukholo oluvutha amalangabi.”

Benganeliseki ngezimo ezimbi zezombangazwe, ezomnotho, ezokuhlalisana, nezokuziphatha zamazwe aseNtshonalanga, abanye abantu baphendukela ezinkolweni zaseMpumalanga, kuhlanganise nobuBuddha, ukuze bathole izincazelo. Kodwa ingabe “ukholo oluvutha amalangabi” lungawanikeza amakhambi? Uma usebenzisa indinganiso kaEmerson ethi “ukuvivinywa kwenkolo . . . yinani lezinto engazichaza,” ukubeka kuliphi izinga ukukhanyiselwa kukaGautama? Ingabe ezinye zezinkolo zaseAsia ‘Ezifuna Indlela Eqondile’ bezingenza ngcono? Ukuze uthole impendulo, funda ingxenye elandelayo.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 18]

Abanye Babantu Babo, Izindawo, Nezinto Zabo

IsiQongo Sika-Adamu, intaba eSri Lanka ebhekwa njengengcwele; uphawu olusetsheni lapho amaBuddha athi luyinyathelo likaBuddha, amaSulumane athi elika-Adamu, futhi amaHindu athi elikaSiva.

Umuthi WeBodhi, isihlahla somkhiwane uGautama aba uBuddha ngaphansi kwaso, elithi “bodhi” lisho “ukukhanyiselwa”; umxhantela wesihlahla esikhulu kuthiwa uyaqhubeka uphila futhi uyahlonishwa eAnuradhapura, eSri Lanka.

Izindela ZamaBuddha, zibonakala ngezambatho zazo ezizahlukanisayo, zakha isici esiyinhloko sobuBuddha; zithembisa ukuba neqiniso, ukuba nozwela kumuntu nasesilwaneni, ukuncenga ukuze ziphile, ukugwema izinjabulo, nokuphila ngokucoceka.

UDalai Lama, umbusi nomholi ongokwenkolo waseTibet, obhekwa amaBuddha njengothathe isimo somuntu sikaBuddha, lowo ngo-1959 owadingiswa; elithi “dalai,” elisuselwe egameni lesiMongolia limelela “ulwandlekazi,” kusho ulwazi olubanzi;elithi “lama” libhekisela kumfundisi ongokomoya (njengomfundisi wamaHindu okhuluma isiSanskrit). Ngokwemibiko yezindaba, phakathi nemibukiso yaseTibet ka-1987, uDalai Lama “wabusisa ukungalaleli kwezakhamuzi kodwa walahla ubudlova,” ngaleyondlela ebangela iNdiya, izwe elamamukela lapho edingisiwe, ukuba limkhumbuze ukuthi izinkulumo zokupolitika zingase zifake ukuhlala kwakhe lapho engozini.

IThempeli Lezinyo, Ithempeli lobuBuddha eKandy, eSri Lanka, kukholelwa ukuthi linelinye lamazinyo kaBuddha njengento esele engcwele.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 19]

Itiye ‘Nomthandazo’ WamaBuddha

Naphezu kokufana, “umthandazo” wamaBuddha ubizwa kahle ngokwengeziwe ngokuthi “ukuzindla.” Olunye uhlobo olugcizelela ngokukhethekile ukuzithiba nokuzindla okujulile ubuBuddha bobuZen. Njengoba bangeniswa eJapane ngekhulu le-12 leminyaka C.E., busekelwe ohlotsheni lwaseChina lobuBuddha olwaziwa ngokuthi ubuCh’an, obaqaliswa indela yomNdiya ebizwa ngokuthi uBodhidharma. Yaya eChina ngekhulu lesithupha leminyaka C.E. futhi yenana kakhulu kubuTao baseChina ekwenzeni ubuCh’an. Kuthiwa yake yasika amajwabu amehlo ayo ithukuthele igane unwabu ngemva kokuzumeka lapho isazindla. Awela emhlabathini, amila, futhi aveza umuthi wokuqala wetiye. Lenganekwane isebenza njengesisekelo esingokwesiko sokuphuza kwezindela zobuZen itiye ukuze zihlale ziphapheme lapho zizindla.

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Amathempeli obuBuddha, njengeThempeli Lemabula eBangkok, eThailand, ahlaba umxhwele kakhulu

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Okubonwayo futhi lapha isithombe sedemoni lomBuddha eliqaphe ithempeli, futhi ngezansi, isithombe sikabuddha. Lezi zibonwa ngokujwayelekile emazweni amaBuddha