Sila, Samadhi and Prajna- The Buddha's Path of Purification (An Old and Rare Book)

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In February, 1985, I got an invitation from Prof. P. N. Ojha, Director, Higher Education, conveying the decision of the Government of Bihar for delivering Shri K. P. Jayaswal Memorial lectures for 1985 at Patna, The choice of the subject was left on me. I regarded it as a great honour bestowed upon me in giving me an opportunity to pay homage to the great Savant of the nation and also refreshing the sweet memory of the rich cultural heritage of the academically highlighted land, handed over by the unbroken tradition of a number of Seers, Saints and Philosophers from the hoary past. I pondered over this rich tradition for a while and found that the most sublime resounding of the tranquil stream of thought which highlighted the inner core of the mind of the people for centuries together, was the expressional vibration of the ambrosial teachings of the Buddha, proceeding with three basic principles Sila. Samadhi and Prajad. Accordingly, I conveyed my acceptance with grateful thanks and decided to write three papers on the above basic principles, However, it was not materialized in 1985 due to some social function on that occasion in my family and extended for the year 1986, I am happy to say that the three lectures on Sila, Samadhi and Prajñā were delivered on November, 27 and 28, 1986 in the premises of the K. P. Jayaswal Research Institute, Patna, The Buddha, as a practical thinker, understood the basic problem of mankind and prescribed a path for its peaceful solution. The basic problem is the suffering of beings and the path is the Middle Path It is the path of gradual purification moving rhythmically in ascending order and culminating in total transformation of a man as Puthujana, the ordinary one, into an Ariya, the spiritually elevated one, It has its three steps, namely, Sila, Samādhi and Prajñā.