Written by London Swaminathan

 

Date: 16 May 2017

 

Time uploaded in London: 10-55 am

 

Post No. 3913

 

Pictures are taken from various sources; such as Face book, Wikipedia; thanks.

 

contact: swami_48@yahoo.com

 

 

Please read the First part published on “Buddha and Valluvar: Great Men Think alike”, posted on 13^th May

 

Tirukkural was written by Thiruvalluvar

Dhammapada is the Holy Book of the Buddhists.

VEGETARIANISM

 

Better to refrain from killing and abstaining from eating the flesh obtained thereby, than kindlin a thousand sacrifice fires (Kural -259)

All living beings will raise their hands in worship to him who has never taken a living beings life and has abstained from eating meat (Kural -260)

 

And Buddha in Dhammapada says

A man is not a great man because he is a warrior and kills other men; because he hurts not living beings he in truth is called a great man (270)

 

HYPOCRISY

 

It matters not whether a man shaves his hair or allows it to grow in flowing locks if he could refrain from what the world shuns (Kural -280)

And Buddha in Dhammapada says,

Not by the tonsure, a shave head, does a man become ‘samana’, a monk. How can a man be a samana/monk if he forgets his religious vows, if he speaks what is not true, if he still has desire and greed (264).

He says the same in couplets 141 and 393 of Dhammapada.

 

Adi Shankara in his Bhaja Govindam also echoes his views,

Adi Shankara’s Bhaja Govindam says,

“The ascetic with matted locks, the one with his head shaven, the one with hairs pulled out one by one, the one who disguises himself variously with the ochre coloured robes – such a one is a fool who, though seeing does not see. Indeed, this varied disguise is for the sake of the belly”.
This verse in the hymn is attributed to Totaka, a disciple of Shankara.

 

CHARITY

The ability of those who perform penance to endure hunger is not equal to that of the householder to appease the hunger of others (Kural 225)

The graceless misers who hoard up their wealth and eventually lose it, do not know the pleasure which the wise derive in giving to the poor (Kural 228)

And Buddha in Dhammapada says,

Speak the truth, yield not to anger, give what you can to him who asks: these three steps lead you to the gods.-(Dhamma 224)

 

TRUTHFULNESS

 

If a man could conduct himself true to his own self he would be in the heart of all in the world (Kural 294)

Buddha says,

He who has virtue and vision, who follows Dhamma (Dharma= righteousness) the Path of Perfection, whose words are truth, and does the work to be done – the world loves such a man (217)

 

—–to be continued

 

–Subham—