Attaining these states of mind did not ease his mental anxieties, because once he stopped meditation, he returned to the mental state of depression.
He knew that the true liberation from the attachment of ignorance and suffering could be attained only by reaching a state of absolute tranquility.
He left his teachers to continue his search for the ultimate truth.
He next practised asceticism, which was very common among Samanas. They believed that the human suffering was caused by the attachment to the physical body and the mental spirit. Suffering can only be freed by detaching the spirit imposed by the body. Therefore, they tormented themselves for the purpose of weakening the power of the physical body over the mental spirit, until the body was destructed.
Siddhattha passed through the country of Magadha to the town of Uruvela, where he settled in a grove of trees to find enlightenment.
Practising austerities for six years, he was extremely tough on himself and put himself through many difficult tests after which was became so weak his body was nothing more than skin and bones.
No comments:
Post a Comment