Sadhguru Writes: What Gautama Buddha’s Path Really Teaches Us This Buddha Purnima

By : Sadhguru | Updated at : 01 May 2026 10:20 AM (IST)

Sadhguru shares how Gautama attained enlightenment, the meaning of Buddha Purnima, and why willingness, not withdrawal, is the key to rising above suffering.
Source : ABPLIVE AI

Today, May 1, is Buddha Purnima. Although the term “Buddha” is usually synonymous with Gautama Buddha, there have been thousands of Buddhas on the planet and there still are. 

The word “Buddha” literally means one who is above the intellect. Once you are above the intellect, you are beyond suffering. Buddha Purnima is a reminder that it is possible for every human being to go beyond suffering. You do not have to know any scriptures or sit on top of the Himalayas to get there. The only qualification is willingness. What is within you can never be denied to you; if you are willing, it is always available. 

A Man Blossoms Into A Being

After almost eight years of body-breaking efforts, Gautama had become very weak. For four years, he had been a Samana. The main sadhana for a Samana was to walk and never seek food. Just walking and fasting. This destroyed his body almost to the point of death.

At this time, he came to the stream called Niranjana. He tried to cross the river, but half-way across, he was so weak that he could not take one more step. But he was not the kind to give up, so he held on to a dead branch and just stood there.

It is said that he stood like that for many hours. We do not know whether he actually stood for many hours, or for a few moments which seemed like hours in that state of weakness. But at that moment, he realized that if what he was seeking was, after all, within himself, then why all this struggle? 

When he realized this, he got that little extra ounce of energy to take the next step, walk across the river and sit down under the now famous Bodhi tree. He sat down with the determination that, "Unless the Ultimate happens to me, I will not move. Either I will get up as an Enlightened Being or die in this posture." And in a moment, he attained because that is all it takes.

That full moon day is celebrated as Buddha Purnima. It reminds us that if it is the only priority in our lives, enlightenment can happen in a moment. 

The Essence Of Buddha’s Way

There have been many spiritual masters in the history of humanity, but Gautama is one of the most celebrated. Unfortunately, the path that Gautama advocated has been misinterpreted over the years. Today, many consider it a path of desireless-ness, of contentment rather than courage. Contentment means containment. Why would anyone want to contain their life? Because they are afraid of it. This teaching of desireless-ness and detachment has come into vogue because people choose to involve themselves selectively with life. When you choose to involve yourself selectively, you naturally get entangled with life; this is normally referred to as attachment.  

When people say, “Become detached,” it means their solution for life is, “Avoid it!” If you want to avoid life, it means death. Being alive and wanting to die but not dying, is torture. It is a half-life. People believe that involvement means getting hurt. It is not so. It is entanglement, or selective involvement, that causes pain and suffering.  

When Gautama spoke of desireless-ness, he was speaking of using desire as a tool to go beyond the physical, towards your infinite nature. If the boundlessness of your desire finds expression in stages, it is a self-defeating process, because you cannot count to infinity. If you are looking for unlimited expansion, you are actually seeking spirituality. You are not willing to settle for a piece of creation; you want the creator himself. This is ultimate greed.  

So, this Buddha Purnima, just desire the highest in life. Direct all your passions to the highest possibility that you can think of. Unleash your desire; do not limit it to the limited. In the boundlessness of desire is your ultimate nature. 

Published at : 01 May 2026 09:55 AM (IST)
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Buddha Purnima Gautama Buddha Sadhguru Sadhguru Writes

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