Every Child Is A Buddha

By encouraging a child to breathe deeply from their stomach, parents ensure that the child’s connection with the abundant flow of the universe is not severed, and they stay rooted in their Buddha nature.

- Sanjiv Ranjan ​​​​​​

In the times of Lord Buddha, there lived a Brahmin called Bhaggava Gagga who held a high office in the court of King Pasenadi of Kosala. One night, his wife gave birth to a son. On consultation with an astrologer, he was told that his son was born under the constellation of robbers.

This indicated that the child would have within him the nature of a thief. Bhaggava was perturbed. He disclosed this information to the king. The king reassured him and told him to educate the child so that he may lose his evil propensity. The child was called Ahimsak, which means one who can do no harm.

As the child grew up, he was extremely well-behaved and unusually strong in body. He was studious as well as intelligent. In due course, Ahimsak was sent to Taxila and accepted as a disciple by the foremost teacher at the exalted place of learning. Over there, Ahimsak served his teacher dutifully and humbly, and soon become his teacher’s favourite student.

This ignited jealousy in the heart of his fellow students and they hatched a plot to alienate him from his teacher’s love. The first group of students went to the teacher and told him that Ahimsak was plotting against him. They were reprimanded by the learned man and sent away.