1. Siddhartha Gautama was blind in spirit until he saw the reality of suffering in the world.

Are
people who are charmed and captivated by possessions necessarily blind in spirit?
- Siddartha, a prince, was not blind but was confined by his father to live a materialistic
life. He was given three luxurious palaces and the best food and beautiful women.
However, Siddartha was never satisfied with his life and eventually wanted to go out of
the physical boundaries to witness the true realities of nature. He didn’t know that one
day he had to die, indicating that his father’s isolation from the world prevented him
from experiencing the true nature of Buddha.

2. Theraveda Buddhism stresses on the reliance on the self in spiritual matters. How important is it
to engage in your pursuit of the truth? Is it necessary to involve other?
- In Buddhism, the practice of self-reliance involves taking personal responsibility for
one’s own spiritual development, and relying on one’s own efforts and insights to
achieve spiritual progress. This means engaging in practices such as meditation, self-
reflection, and ethical conduct, in order to cultivate greater awareness, wisdom, and
compassion. Self-reliance also involves recognizing the impermanence and
interconnectedness of all phenomena, and understanding that one’s own thoughts and
actions have a direct impact on one’s own well-being and the well-being of others.
Ultimately, the goal of self-reliance in Buddhism is not to isolate oneself from others or
to deny the importance of community and connection, but rather to cultivate greater
inner strength and resilience, and to use that strength to contribute positively to the
world and to the well-being of others.

3. What is your own concept of “bliss”? Does it concur or dissent with the Buddhist nirvana?
- Nirvana feels like bliss, but all bliss is not Nirvana. Nirvana is the state where you are no
longer suffering, when there is no pain or fear. It is the same as Heaven or Jannah. You
can say the ultimate goal of the spiritual journey; the true happiness that we all are
looking for. But all feelings of bliss is not Nirvana. Many worldly and short-term
happiness producing activities can generate a sensation of bliss within us.

4. How can the Four Noble Truths be applied to your particular human experience? Are the ideas
of the said truths reflected in your life?
- Attachment is not love, attachment is clinging, attachment is dependency. Any kind of
clinging and dependency causes pain to self and to the other person. And detachment
does not mean indifference, it means creating a space between you and the other
person, it means understanding that things and relationships are impermanent. When I
am detached, I am able to see clearly, instead of crying with you I look at the situation
and support you. I develop clarity and compassion, leading to a more fulfilling life.