It is said that the disciples of Gautama Buddha wanted to know the successor of Gautama Buddha. However Gautam Buddha never mentioned about his successor. He was such a simple man – instead of appointing his successor, he simply asked his disciples to work out their own salvation. So officially – there has been no successor to Gautama Buddha. However after Gautama Buddha left his body – it was Mahakasayap who also was the first enlightened disciple of Buddha – took over the monastery and he was the one who presided over the First Buddhist Council that happened after the death of Gautama Buddha. Gautama Buddha had exchanged his robe with Mahakasayap – a sign that after Buddha – it was Mahakasayap who would establish the Buddhist Discipline. The true master would never officially declare his successor but through his actions he will let you know – who is his real successor. In reality – there can be no successor because nobody could replace you – your uniqueness is irreplaceable however somebody close to you, somebody who has been with you and has truly resonated with you – can carry the work you had started with.
In Astrology – 5th house is the house of successor. Whether you have a biological son or daughter or whether you have a devoted fellow – either way – you have created something. Creating a biological son or daughter is one thing and creating a devoted fellow who understands you inside out is another thing. Both are part of creation – but the one that you have created by your wisdom, your love, your knowledge and your compassion is of much higher realms. I myself have no child and yet I have my own creations that would continue to spread the light of awareness when I am dead.
Many men and women don’t have a biological child. However through their compassion, love and nurturing quality – they have produced such devoted fellows who may go to any length and do the unimaginable which a biological child may also not dare to do!
So I want to debunk the myth that it is only the biological child who can succeed you and your legacy – 5th house is not just limited to biological child – it also signify the many good hearted fellow followers and students and disciples that you have created through your wisdom, love and compassion. And of all these followers – one of them can become your successor. Successor means not that he will be exactly like you – because you are unique – every person is unique – but successor means he will carry forward the values, principles, ethics, and teaching that you imparted when you were alive.
Now after the 5th house – it is the role of Jupiter that matters the most. Depending on the state of Jupiter in your chart – you will find your successor. And the last but very important planet is Saturn – since Saturn is directly connected with Prarabhada Karma – depending on the state of Saturn – you will pass on your legacy to a specific person and that specific person may not be a biological son or daughter but if there is a strong Prarabhada karma connection of past and present life then nobody can stop that person from becoming your successor.
Successor need not be a person who is born in your family. Successor can be a person who has no blood relation with you and yet nobody can understand your better than him. And so whether you don’t have a biological child or you have a biological child – your successor is the one who becomes your soul mate.
What is soul mate? Soul mate is a term coined to express the deep connection between two person which is beyond words. A soul mate can be a partner, a friend, a student, a disciple or a devotee. In a soul mate relation – there is only pure unconditional love. And so I think that there can be no better example of a soul mate than the relation between a Guru and Disciple. Many guru-disciple relationships are soul mate connections that can lead to higher spiritual paths and love. Paramahansa Yogananda described the guru-disciple relationship as a “very personal and private spiritual bond”. No love is so total as the love that happens between the master and the disciple. The love that happened between John and Jesus, the love that happened between Sariputta and Buddha. These are the real love stories, the highest pinnacles of love.
Buddha had officially no successor but he had great disciples who loved him dearly. And from these great disciples – Sariputta was a gem of a person. It happened so that one day Sariputta – Buddha’s chief disciple became enlightened. With tears in his eyes he came to Buddha and he said. “I was avoiding enlightenment, but you went on insisting. Now I am enlightened and my eyes are full of tears because I know you will send me away from you, just to spread the fire. And I understand your compassion, that you are continuously aware of the many who can become buddhas: just a little support is needed. Those who have not gone very far away from themselves can be called back very easily.”
Buddha said, “Then why are you crying?”
He said, “I am crying because I will not be able to touch your feet every day as I have been doing for these twenty years.”
Buddha said, “Do one thing. Keep a map with you, and remember in what direction I am dwelling. Just bow down in that direction. Touch the feet symbolically, touch the earth – because after all this body is made of earth, and one day it will go back to the earth. So touching the earth is not only touching my feet, but touching the feet of all the buddhas who have ever happened. They have all dissolved their bodies in the earth. So there is no need, and it does not look right, that an enlightened person should weep and cry.”
Sariputta said, “I don’t care what people think, but the reality is that tears are coming. And according to your teaching, I should be spontaneous and authentic. Even if you say, “Don’t weep” I am not going to listen. Tears are coming, what can I do? I cannot be a hypocrite, smiling though the eyes are full of tears.”
It is said that Sariputta, wherever he was, in the morning would look at the map, to find exactly where Buddha was, and in that direction he would bow down and touch the feet of Buddha. He came to have thousands of disciples of his own and they said,” It does not look right. You need not do such a gesture. You are a buddha yourself.” He said, “It is true, I am a buddha myself, but I would not have been a buddha if I had not met Gautama the Buddha. It is the meeting with this man that triggered something in me, burned all that was false and brought all that was true in its pristine purity and clarity. I owe so much to this man that there is no way to pay him. All that I can do is touch his feet from miles away.”
He continues to his very last breath. Before he died – he died before Gautama Buddha – the last thing he said to his disciples was, “Forgive me because you cannot see those invisible feet. Let me touch the feet of my master for the last time.” And he bowed down, tears flowing from his eyes and he died in that posture. He did not get up again. That is true humanity – humbleness, devotion, love and trust. And such qualities can only be found in a disciple – a devoted disciple who understood Gautama Buddha more than Ananda. Ananda was the elder cousin brother of Gautama Buddha – he followed Buddha for forty years but he could not attain enlightenment – he could not understand Gautama the Buddha it totality the way Sariputta, the way Mahakasayap understood Gautama, the Buddha!
And so successor is your soul mate – and soul mate usually is never connected to you biologically – he is always an outside who remains deeply connected with your inner beauty that nobody in your family could relate to!
So whether you have a biological child or you don’t have a biological child – the real successor is someone who always is an outsider though he shares a bond of many past births with you which the shallow world could never realize and so the real successors are not known to the public – they do their work silently, they ensure that the light of consciousness reach the farthest shores of this planet – you may never come to know about them but they are the ones who answer your prayers – they are the chosen ones, the living Buddhas of this human world.
Remember – what you seek is also seeking you. You think you are alone – but you are never alone – somebody is watching you…somebody out there is always taking care of you. You just need to have strong faith and patience. “Shraddha Aur Saburi” says Sai Baba – meaning if you have deep unwavering faith and patience then you will always succeed in life. The engine that help you to remain patient is called “F A I T H“. Walk by faith and not by sight.
Jai Shri Ganesha. Jai Guru.
