The middle path versus

loving detachment

February 5, 2023,
Speaking Tree

By Narayani Ganesh

Most Hindu households in South India, accept the Buddha as one

of the avatars, as his teachings are not thought to be very different
than what Vedanta advocates. Gautam Buddha may have had to
become an ascetic and abjure all worldly pleasures – leaving his
palace home and family, his royal heritage and friends, worldly
pleasures and comforts – in order to embark on a journey to nd the
Truth. He spent long periods fasting, meditating and living austerely,
but, that was what he wanted to do, as he was deeply affected by
and sensitive to all the suffering he witnessed in the world when he
went on a chariot ride outside the protection of the palace.

As prince, Siddharth Gautam witnessed illness, death, penury and a

wandering ascetic and concluded that the world was full of dukkha,
it was nothing but suffering. To become enlightened one had to rst
nd the cause of suffering and overcome it. The cause was mainly
attachment to worldly desires and cravings. The remedy was to
break free of this unhealthy attachment. The Middle or the Eightfold
Path, is recommended, “to live between the state of self-indulgence
and complete denial.” That is, by living in moderation, cognisant of
all the ups and downs, yet remaining stable and balanced in
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lifestyle and outlook, you could increase your chances of
experiencing enlightenment.

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This is more or less what Hindu scriptures and sages advocate,
except that the focus is on joy and ecstasy rather than on suffering
and misery. We are encouraged to enjoy worldly life, execute our
responsibilities, live a householder’s life, and at the same time, do it
all with a sense of loving detachment so that one’s focus remains
steady on the path of Truth. This kind of person is called a
sthitapragya by Krishn in the Bhagwad Gita, wherein he says the
trick is to nd the golden mean, the right balance that allows for
experience of worldly desires in moderation as well as the ability to
look above and beyond these, toward higher dimensions.

The Hindu’s approach is joyous and happy despite the many

challenges that portend suffering, whereas the Buddhist approach is
to grasp the nettle of suffering right at the start and then learn to nd
the cause and overcome it, also by staying steadfast and balanced.
Suffering is part of life for one who is born; so to remove all
suffering is perhaps not an achievable target. But to approach life
with a happy and joyful attitude and accept it with all its suffering
and challenges might perhaps be an approach that is closer to
ground reality and therefore, more seeker-friendly.

These could be why Buddhism appeals more to the intellectual

class whereas the Hindu approach being more world-friendly, may
appeal to those who are unable to renounce everything in order to
understand and overcome suffering. They like to be in the world but
also outside of it, straddling both suffering as well as joy, in the
course of their journey.

Because the variety of approaches lead to the same destination, we

need to embrace and welcome all schools of thought like Buddhism
Jainism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Pantheism and all other -isms that are
giving us the opportunity to choose whatever suits us best,
somewhat like the new age targeted therapies that cater to
individual healing requirements.

ganeshnarayani@yahoo.com
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