Buddhism is not Buddha

Q. Shri Mataji, what do you think of Buddhism?

A. Buddhism is very different from Buddha. Absolutely. Buddha first got his realization. First he became a Buddha and then he started Buddha religion. But the way people are doing Buddhism is the other way round. That you give up your wife, you give up your children, you give up even your dress, everything. To whom? To these people. Buddha started after his realization. After your realization only you can become Buddha, means a realized soul. And he said it the same way. He said Buddham Sharanam Gachami, I surrender myself to other realized souls, Buddham Sharanam Gachami. Then he said Sangham Sharanam Gachami, Dharmam Sharanam Gachami, I surrender myself to the religion which is within me, innate religion. And thirdly he says, Sangham Sharanam Gachami, I surrender myself to the collective.
This nonsense of giving up this, giving up that, I mean, it’s too much. If you are holding onto something then you can give up. If you are not holding onto anything then what are you going to give up? Simple thing like that, for example, in Canada, one fellow came wearing that Buddhist’s dress. I don’t like it. A Sahaja Yogi said you’d better go and change, Mother will not give you realization if you are wearing this dress. So he came to Me and, “Mother, please forgive me, I have no other dress left.” I said, “Why?” “I have lost everything.” He was a big business man. “I’ve lost everything, I’ve given away to the Buddhists and I’m left with two pair of these clothes and if you don’t give me realization, what will I do?” Really, yes. So, what is there to give up is the point, what is there to give up? If you are not holding onto anything what are you going to give up? Simple thing like that.
Buddha never gave up his clothes, nothing of the kind. But he wanted to find out, what is the truth. So he went round, I mean he tried his level best and everything, ultimately his Kundalini rose and he got the realization. But what he was doing there, he was just lying down under a banyan tree. Now, whatever mistakes he has committed, we need not do, that you give up your wife, you give up your child, give up this, give up that. Just the contrast of what really Buddha achieved, is a contrast. So Buddhism is not Buddha by any chance."
(H.H.Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, Q+A after Talk at Holland Park School, London, 27/9/2000)