Spirit
Online: Buddhism: Buddhas Life
(Source Unknown?)
Siddhartha (Buddha) was born around 563 B.C.E.
in the town of Kapilavastu (located in today's
Nepal). Siddhartha's parents were King
Shuddhodana and Queen Maya, who ruled the
Sakyas. His history is a miraculous one... One
night, Queen Maya dreamed that an elephant with
six tusks, carrying a lotus flower in its trunk,
touched her right side. At that moment her son
was conceived. Brahmins (learned men) came and
interpreted the dream. The child would be either
the greatest king in the world or the greatest
ascetic (a holy man who practices self-denial).
The future child would be named Siddhartha,
which means "he whose aim is accomplished."
Later when Queen Maya was going to her father's
home to prepare for the birth, she stepped off
her chariot in the Lumbini Gardens and held the
branch of a sal tree to rest. In that instant,
Siddhartha emerged from her right side without
any help. The infant walked seven steps each in
four directions of the compass, and lotus
flowers sprouted from where his foot touched the
earth. Then the infant said, "No further births
have I to endure, for this is my last body. Now
shall I destroy and pluck out by the roots the
sorrow that is caused by birth and death." Seven
days later Queen Maya died. Mahaprajapati, Maya's
sister, looked after Siddhartha. King
Shuddhodana shielded Siddhartha from all kinds
of suffering and hardship. When Siddhartha was
about 20, he married Yasodhara, daughter of one
of the King's ministers, and one year later they
had a child named Rahula (meaning "fetter" or "impediment").
At age 29, Siddhartha asked his charioteer,
Channa, to take him out of the city two times
without the consent of the king. During these
two trips, Siddhartha saw "Four Sights" that
changed his life. On the first trip, he saw old
age, sickness, and death. The second trip, he
saw a wandering holy man, an ascetic, with no
possessions. Siddhartha started questioning the
holy man, who had a shaved head, wore only a
ragged yellow robe, and carried a walking-staff.
The man said, "I am... terrified by birth and
death and therefore have adopted a homeless life
to win salvation... I search for the most
blessed state in which suffering, old age, and
death are unknown." That night, Siddhartha
silently kissed his sleeping wife and son, and
ordered Channa to drive him out to the forest.
At the edge of the forest, Siddhartha took off
his jeweled sword, and cut off his hair and
beard. He then took off all his princely
garments and put on a yellow robe of a holy man.
He then ordered Channa to take his possessions
back to his father.
Siddhartha then wandered through northeastern
India, sought out holy men, and learned about
Samsara (reincarnation), Karma, and Moksha.
Attracted to the ideas of Moksha, Siddhartha
settled on the bank of Nairanjana River, and
adopted a life of extreme self-denial and
penances, meditating constantly. After six years
of eating and drinking only enough to stay alive,
his body was emaciated, and he was very weak.
Five other holy men joined him, hoping to learn
from his example.
One day, Siddhartha realized that his years of
penance only weakened his body, and he could not
continue to meditate properly. When he stepped
into the river to bathe, he was too weak to get
out, and the trees lowered their branches to
help him. In that instant, a milk-maid named
Nandabala came and offered a bowl of milk and
rice, which Siddhartha accepted. The five holy
men left Siddhartha after witnessing this.
Refreshed by the meal, Siddhartha sat down under
a fig tree (often refered to as the Bo tree, or
Tree of Enlightenment) and resolved to find out
an answer to life and suffering. While
meditating, Mara (an evil god) sent his three
sons and daughters to tempt Siddhartha with
thirst, lust, discontent, and distractions of
pleasure. Siddhartha, unswayed, entered a deep
meditation, and recalled all his previous
rebirths, gained knowledge of the cycle of
births and deaths, and with certainty, cast off
the ignorance and passion of his ego which bound
him to the world. Thereupon, Siddhartha had
attained enlightenment and became the Buddha (enlightened
one). His own desire and suffering were over and,
as the Buddha, he experienced Nirvana... "There
is a sphere which is neither earth, nor water,
nor fire, nor air...which is neither this world
nor the other world, neither sun nor moon. I
deny that it is coming or going, enduring, death
or birth. It is only the end of suffering."
Instead of casting off his body and his
existence, however, Buddha made a great act of
self-sacrifice. He turned back, determined to
share his enlightement with others so that all
living souls could end the cycles of their own
rebirth and suffering.
Buddha went to the city of Sarnath and found the
previous five holy men that deserted him earlier
at a deer park. When they saw Buddha this time,
they realized that he had risen to a higher
state of holiness. The Buddha began teaching
them what he had learned. He drew a circle in
the ground with rice grains, representing the
wheel of life that went on for existence after
existence. This preaching was called his Deer
Park Sermon, or "Setting in Motion the Wheel of
Doctrine." Siddhartha revealed that he had
become the Buddha, and described the pleasure
that he had first known as a prince, and the
life of severe asceticism that he had practiced.
Neither of these was the true path to Nirvana.
The true path was the Middle Way, which keeps
aloof from both extremes.
"To satisfy the necessities of life is not evil,"
the Buddha said. "To keep the body in good
health is a duty, for otherwise we shall not be
able to trim the lamp of wisdom and keep our
mind strong and clear." Buddha then taught them
the Dharma, which consisted of the Four Noble
Truths and the Eightfold Path. The five holy men
and others soon joined Buddha, accompanying him
everywhere. As more joined, Buddha organized the
Sangha, a community of bhikkus (dedicated monks
and later nuns). The Sangha preserved the Dharma,
and allowed bhikkus to concentrate on the goal
of Nirvana. On raining seasons they would settle
in Viharas (resting places in cave dwellings).
Upasaka, followers who believed in Buddha's
teachings, but could not follow the stict rule
of the Sangha, were taught to follow the Five
Precepts. Buddha returned to his birthplace in
Kapilavastu, and his father was mortified to see
his son begging for food. Buddha kissed his
father's foot and said, "You belong to a noble
line of kings. But I belong to the lineage of
buddhas, and thousands of those have lived on
alms." King Shuddhadana then remembered the
Brahmin's prophesy and reconciled with his son.
Buddha's wife, son, and cousin (Ananda) later
joined the Sangha.
When Buddha was about eighty, a blacksmith named
Cuanda gave him a meal that caused him to become
ill. Buddha forced himself to travel to
Kushinagara, and laid down on his right side to
rest in a grove of shala trees. As a crowd of
followers gathered, the trees sprouted blossoms
and showered them on Buddha. Buddha told Ananda,
"I am old and my journey is near its end. My
body is like a worn-out cart held together only
by the help of leather straps." Three times,
Buddha asked the people if they had any
questions, but they all remained silent. Finally
Buddha said, "Everything that has been created
is subject to decay and death. Everything is
transitory. Work out your own salvation with
diligence. After passing through several states
of meditation, the Buddha died, reaching
Parinirvana (the cessation of perception and
sensation).
The
Five commandments of the Buddha
1. Must not kill any life
2. Must not steal from the others
3. Must not have any wrong sexuality
4. Must not lie to anyone
5. Must not consume any addictive drug or
alcohol
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