Did Buddha regret leaving his wife and child?

[dragonrider]

Remorse is repeatedly described as an obstacle to the path.

I suspect he wrestled with that obstacle a lot prior to his enlightenment. As described in the Pali literature, he probably would not have experienced remorse post-enlightenment.

If the path he choose was the best path, then remorse would not have been a usefull emotion. But regret still would have been.

You can not realy be an enlightened person if you are careless about other people's pain.

The difference between remorse and regret is that you can regret having been in the position where you had to make that choice. You can regret karma.

 

[blue.magic]

When Buddha's father tried to slap him with his past, he replied that the son he talks to is not there.

So I doubt he regreted. He considered himself a different person, detached from his past.

 

[Seagull]

I just dont see the point of leaving any one behind?

 

[Eaglepath]

I just dont see the point of leaving any one behind?

Who are you and who could you possibly leave behind? And where would that behind be? And where would you go that is so different from the behind?

 

[Seagull]

I just dont see the point of leaving any one behind?

Who are you and who could you possibly leave behind? And where would that behind be? And where would you go that is so different from the behind?

Hi brother,

I don't think it is worth leaving behind a relationship that i have spend so much time and effort into. Especially if nothing is out of the ordinary.

I know its probably more exciting to live the bachelors life and all but i think its nice and easy to be settled as well. It makes life so comfortable..

Im not sure if a comfortable will help me make me grow as a person but i know that ditching people without reason also doesn't make me grow as well.

Maybe im confused as to why Buddha needed to be enlightened so bad? Am i missing something here?

 

[OneIsEros]

Maybe im confused as to why Buddha needed to be enlightened so bad? Am i missing something here?

Because he clearly perceived the reality of existential suffering, what it would take to overcome it, and that because his life path had been preordained for him by the political nature of the circumstances of his birth, the only option he had to address the universal problem of suffering was to abandon everything.

You do not need to do this. There is a world religion working on what he pioneered. If you have a wife and kids, you may feel comfortable attending to that, and get at it next lifetime.

Or join a Japanese Buddhist sect! They allow family life for their priests and nuns.

 

[OneIsEros]

I just dont see the point of leaving any one behind?

Who are you and who could you possibly leave behind? And where would that behind be? And where would you go that is so different from the behind?

This is one of those cases where the “yeah, but, what is like, ‘self’, man?” thing is problematic.

There’s a Pali sutta where the Buddha pointedly reminds his followers that they are responsible for the consensus-reality level of their personal identities. Don’t get cheeky. He walked out on his wife and son. It was intense. This sort of thinking is generally used to justify atrocity wherever it arises in Buddhist history.

I realize what you have said is just goofy rather than ominous - but if you want to understand this, I advise against a goofy form of reflection - or at least reflect on the deep reasons why such superficiality is not a liberated understanding. The Buddha did not take suffering lightly - including, I am sure, his family’s.

 

[Eaglepath]

I just dont see the point of leaving any one behind?

Who are you and who could you possibly leave behind? And where would that behind be? And where would you go that is so different from the behind?

This is one of those cases where the “yeah, but, what is like, ‘self’, man?” thing is problematic.

There’s a Pali sutta where the Buddha pointedly reminds his followers that they are responsible for the consensus-reality level of their personal identities. Don’t get cheeky. He walked out on his wife and son. It was intense. This sort of thinking is generally used to justify atrocity wherever it arises in Buddhist history.

I realize what you have said is just goofy rather than ominous - but if you want to understand this, I advise against a goofy form of reflection - or at least reflect on the deep reasons why such superficiality is not a liberated understanding. The Buddha did not take suffering lightly - including, I am sure, his family’s.

If you want to keep on playing with these buddhistic toys then you need to follow the non judging rule.. Look how judging you are Telling me its goofy and that I need to reflect.. Look at your mind patterns that make you write this.. Getting high in the endorphins when you playing with these words..

 

[Eaglepath]

I just dont see the point of leaving any one behind?

Who are you and who could you possibly leave behind? And where would that behind be? And where would you go that is so different from the behind?

Hi brother,

I don't think it is worth leaving behind a relationship that i have spend so much time and effort into. Especially if nothing is out of the ordinary.

I know its probably more exciting to live the bachelors life and all but i think its nice and easy to be settled as well. It makes life so comfortable..

Im not sure if a comfortable will help me make me grow as a person but i know that ditching people without reason also doesn't make me grow as well.

Maybe im confused as to why Buddha needed to be enlightened so bad? Am i missing something here?

I just wanted to provoke your mind a little bit with what I wrote..

Make you examine the I.. And also examine space and distance.. Also what is time.. What is effort.. Who are the other.. And what is an relationship.. What is comfort.. Do you need to choose this or that?

 

[OneIsEros]

Look at your mind patterns that make you write this..

Compassion. Any time Buddhism appears to be interpreting the doctrine of non-self in a way that makes light of compassion, be on your guard. This is the entry way for imperialism, sexual predation, and other hallmarks of those who neglect attention to the first noble truth and the spirit of vow.

 

[Cactus Man]

If he did regret it he would not have been "enlightened" (as was claimed) because that decision to leave them was prerequisite to his journey into "enlightenment".

If he truly did regret having orchestrated the circumstances which led to his "enlightenment" than that would imply that he felt he had lost something so significant that it actually mentally/spiritually hindered him, and if that was the case he wouldnt be able to become "enlightened".

The buddha was about giving up attachments, including those to his own family.

Do you regret you have to give your money to buy food?

Do you regret you have to burn gas to power a car?

Do you regret you have to work in order to live?

I dont.

 

[FranLover]

Gautama's happiness could harm no one and no thing, because his heart is as pure as the cleanest water from the freshest stream, as pure as the eyes of a newborn.

 

[Seagull]

i want to come back to this topic because i think its a very fair point ACY is trying to make.
Its not so much about the Mother and Baby that Buddha left behind, but rather his responsibilities.
Its also fair to say that he has the right to make the decision ofcourse. However, it does give an effect. Its important that we remember that every action has a qoncequence.

The flip side of the coin is that, Budha became enlightend shortly after sitting down at the famous lotus tree (others might say at a river). The point is that Buddha longed for enlightenment and nobody can take that away. I think its courages that he took that step, however hard it was for him.
And im proud to see he achieved his goals.

We wont forget what he done, but we can forgive and move on