Buddha and Buddhism

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Life of Lord Buddha

Buddhism was founded by Gautama Sidhartha who is known by various names, “The Buddha,” the Englightened One”, “Sakyamuni the Sage of the Sakyas.” Tathagata. Tathagata means one who had attained the truth. He was the son of Suddhodana, the chief of Kshatriya clan of the Sakyas.

It is said that Buddha is the product of an infinitely long evolution through various forms of life. Before he descended into this world he lived in the Tusita Heaven. He was then a Bodhistava and his name was Sumedha.

He was greatly touched by Buddha Dipankara, the Buddha of the previus world, and wanted to become like him. He therefore left Tusita Heaven and decided to be reborn through Mahamaya, the wife of Suddhodana.

Mahamya had a dream of “White Elephant” with six tusks, entering into her body. The astrologers told Suddhodana that according to this dream his wife would give birth to a very great man-a prophet or an emperor.

In 623 B.C. when Mahamaya was returning from her father’s house to Kapilvastu (where Suddodana ruled) she gave birth to Buddha under a sal tree in the village of Lumbini Garden. Asoka, later on in 250 B.C. set up a commemorative pillar there, and in the inscription on that he stated “Here Buddha was born, the Sage of the Sakyas” (“Hida Budhe Jate Sakyamuniti”).

Several, miracles were witnessed at the time of Buddha’s birth. A spring of water appeared immediately in which the child was given a bath.

It is said that then the infant took seven firm steps and recited seven verses saying; “I will be an example of all that is good and it will be my last birth and I will cross the ocean of existence for ever.”

After seven days Buddha’s mother, Mahamaya died and the infant then was entrusted to his step-mother and aunt, Prajapati Gautami.

Suddhodana wanted that his Kshatriya son should be great conqueror and rule over vast territory. He consequently took special care that his son should be bred in such an atmosphere that he should not feel the transitory nature of the world.

He, therefore, was married at an early age. Buddha led a hapy married life for sometime and every one became sure that Buddha would lead a life of a normal householder. He even got a son whom he named Rahula which meant that “a bond was born to him”.

But Buddha was destined to be great sage.

Few incidents which Buddhists call “Four Great Signs” occurred and they exercised a tremendous influence on the future of the Buddha.

One evening his charioteer, Chhanna, drove him in the city and he came across an old man who had been forsaken by his people.

Next he saw a man suffering from agony of disease and when Chhanna his charioteer, told him that it was the lot of every human being to suffer from one disease or another in different phases of life, he was greatly depressed.

But it was the sight of a dead man surrounded by weeping relatives that touched the deepest chord of Gautama’s heart.

The fourth sign was that of a medicant who had renounced the world and was moving about in search for truth.

Gautama decided to find out the cause of all suffering. He wanted to know the Truth.He made up his mind and decided to leave his palace, his devoted wife and his child, Rahula.

He rode on his favourite horse, Kanthaka and left his house at midnight. This is called “the Great Renunciation”. (“Maha-Bhinishkramana”).

This took place in 537 B.C. when Buddha was only 29 years old.

After the “Great Renunciation”, Buddha got his hair cut, wore the yellow robes of a monk and began to wander in search, of a master. He spent some time in the caves near Rajagriha, the capital of Magadha. His new teachers Alara and Udrahas failed to satisfy him. From Rajagriha he went to the forest of Uruvela. There he spent a few year in self-mortification. He practiced fast after fast till he was reduced to a mere skeletions.

He, therefore, began to have frequent fainting fits. It is said that once he was goint to die, had he not been saved by a girl who gave him a glass of milk. Buddha then realized that mere suffering, and sacrifice could not lead to truth.

He thought that he had wasted six years. At last one day he sat under a Pipal tree. (Asvattha) and took a vow “I will not leave this place till I attain that peace of mind which I have been trying for all these years”.

But it was not an easy aim. The evil spirits whom the Buddhist tradition give the name of Mara, first threatened him and then tempted him. But Buddha would not leave the papal tree. At last Mara was defeated and Buddha was “enlightened” i.e., he got the highest knowledge or Bodhi.

Gautama thus became the Buddha, “the Enlightened One”. The site where he received Light is now a temple-the Mahabodhi temple.

After attaining the Light of Bodhi or Supreme Knowledge, Buddha decided to impart the knowledge to his people. From Gaya he went to Banaras and there he gave his first sermon to his five disciples in the “Deer Park”. These five disciples were once his comrades when he was doing penance and fasting. They hated Buddha because he had left the path of suffering.

But when they heard the message of the Enlightened One after his return from Gaya, all the five were converted. They are known as the “Five Elders” and their names are Kondanna, Vaspa, Bhadrikka, Maha naman and Assaji.

This “first sermon” by which he started converting people to his faith is known as “Turning of the wheel of Law” or “Dharma Chakra Pravartana”.

Buddha visited different parts of the country. He spoke to the people in their local languages and illustrated his teachings by homely parables. He told the people that the sacrifices and rituals were useless. Without righteous life there was no salvation. He made large conversions at Rajagriha, the capital of Magadha. He also converted his father, his son and other relative at Kapilvastu.

He even won a large number of followers from Kosala kingdom.

Buddha’s growing popularity excited the jealousy of his cousin, Devadatta. Twice he tried to kill Buddha, but each time he was saved by a miracle, Buddhists hold that several miracles were performed at Rajagriha, Sarsvati, Sankshya and Vaisali in the last two decades of the Master’s life.

Buddhism in a short time became a popular sect. Buddha’s teachings were simple and the way of living he advocated simpler than that preached by the rival sects like Jains and Ajivikas. Buddha’s favourite disciple in his last years was Ananda Sariputa and Mahamoggalyana. Thus forty-five years were spent in teaching and converting people.

Buddha died at the age of eighty

The story of his death is described in the following

In a village Kunshinagara (Gorakhpur Dist.) one poor disciple of Buddha, Chunda, prepared a dish of pork and offered it to the Master. He took it lest the feelings of his disciple be injured. But this caused a severe dysentery and Buddha realized that his end was near. He then called his disciples and asked them if they had any doubt or difficulty regarding anything, so that he might give its interpretation or views.

Some of his disciples like Ananda coult not tolerate his separation and burst into tears Buddha then reproved him: “Do not weep. Have I not told you that it is in the very nature of things that those most near and dear unto us must leave them-whatever is born must die”.

The last words of the Master were, “I have nothing more to tell you than this that decay is inherent in all component things; work out your salvation with diligence”.

After his death, his remains were divided into eight parts and distributed among his followers in different parts of the county.

Mounds were built on these remains which began to be called Stupas.

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