Suffering
endured by the ‘Golden Body’
The Buddha’s
dignified image and radiant complexion is often referred to as the
‘Golden Body’. This image of the Buddha often misled people into
believing that the Buddha’s physical body was free from trouble and
misfortune while he lived in this world. But the Buddha’s intention was
to demonstrate through his own physical body the truth about worldly existence.
There is a saying:
“Teaching others through your body and actions is more important than
teaching through words.” The Buddha had delivered teachings on the truth
about suffering, emptiness, impermanence and no-self. Would it not be
inconsistent if his physical body were forever young and invulnerable? Although
dignified and radiant in appearance, the Buddha’s physical body was
subject to impermanence and suffering, just like all things in this world of
conditioned existence. The following are some of the afflictions experienced by
the Buddha during his lifetime on earth:
- While walking through
the woods, the Buddha’s foot was caught by a splinter from a poisonous
shrub.
- The Buddha’s toe
was injured when a rock was pushed down the hill he was climbing, apparently a
plot of Devadatta to harm the Buddha.
- There was once when the
Buddha had to ask the physician to prescribe him with medicine to treat his
dysentry.
- The Buddha suffered
from back pain in his old age, and had often asked Ananda to help him alleviate
the pain
- During a famine, the
Buddha experienced a period of three months with having to eat only horse feed.
- There was once when the
Buddha had to endure a day and night without food, having been unable to get
any from the alms round.
Besides the above, the
Buddha had to confront slander from the Brahmans and many conspiracies against
him.
King Prasenajit of Korsala
once queried the Buddha: “ Your exceptional good looks and honourable
character are most rare to find, and yet you have encountered difficulties and
accidents in your daily life like common people. Why is that so?”
The Buddha replied: “
What is eternal and wholesome in all Buddhas is their Dharma body. It is for
the sake of delivering sentient beings that sufferings of the physical body are
exhibited to demonstrate impermanence as well as the effects of past karma. The
physical body is not something you should attach to; it is the Dharma body that
you should aim to realize.”
On hearing this, the
king’s suspicion was erased. Not only did he see the glorious appearance
of the Buddha now, but also his great compassion and wisdom.