Introduction to BuddhismThe Life of the Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama is the name of the man who became the Buddha

He lived in northern India 2500 years ago

He was born in Lumbini which is in modern day Nepal

He spent 45 years travelling and teaching

He passed away at the age of 80 in Kusinara less than 200km from where he was born

According to the story: Queen Maya’s pregnancy lasted 10

months (which is apparently) normal for enlightened beings

She had no pain in child birth She gave birth standing up The baby emerged from her right side

with no blood or water As soon as he was born Siddartha was

able to walk and talk Lotus blossoms appeared in his

footsteps, he declared that this would be his last rebirth

He was given the name Siddhartha which means ‘fulfilment of wishes’

After his birth the renowned holy man Asita visited the palace, he said that Siddhartha would become a great leader like his father or a homeless holy man depending on how much suffering he saw

The prophecy of Asita determined how his father brought him up All suffering was kept hidden from Siddhartha All possible comforts were provided for him He was given 3 palaces, one for each season He was surrounded by parks, gardens, music and beautiful young

attendants At 16 he married the beautiful Yashodhara They had a baby son whom they named Rahula It seemed Siddhartha had everything anyone could want

Siddhartha wanted to see the world outside the palace, he went with his chariot driver Channa

His father had arranged for him to follow a specific route on which all suffering had been removed

Young healthy people lined the route that Siddhartha was supposed to take

He came across an old man at the side of the road, he had no teeth, white hair, his legs were so weak that he needed a stick

Siddhartha was shocked by his first sight of old age and asked Channa what was wrong with the man; Channa replied that “he is old; old age comes to everyone, it destroys youth and beauty.”

The second time he left the palace he saw a very sick person, not knowing what was wrong he asked Channa who explained that sickness would happen to everyone at some point in their lives.

The next time he left the palace he saw a dead body being carried to the cremation ground, never having seen death he asked Channa, who replied “Death is the end of life which no one can escape” Siddhartha was deeply saddened by this.

On his final journey out of the palace Siddhartha saw a homeless holy man

He owned nothing but his begging bowl

He told Siddhartha that he was seeking the Truth and had given up all worldly pleasures

He was happier than he had ever been

Siddhartha was inspired by this man He wanted to find a way to be

happy

Why do people suffer and is there any way to overcome it? These were the questions that Siddhartha was now asking.

He was so affected by suffering that he could no longer live a life of luxury, so he escaped from the palace, while everyone slept.

He cut off his hair as a symbol of renunciation and practiced meditation with 2 masters for a number of years but still had no answer to his questions.

On giving up meditation Siddhartha decided to try something else to help him find answers

He found 5 ascetics in the forest and spent a number of years with them

He practiced an extreme form of body mortification known as asceticism

He fasted, held his breath for long periods of time, sit in the burning sun all day or bathe in ice cold water

He became very weak from lack of food and realised that he would die if he did not eat

Siddhartha accepted some food from a village girl and gave up this extreme way of life

He decided to practice a middle way; a life between the two extremes

The extremes had not brought him any closer to the answers He had experienced life in the palace, indulgence and life as

an ascetic and neither had worked He decided that the only way to live was to live a balanced life

between the two extremes

Siddhartha decided that meditation was the only way to uncover the truth

While meditating under a bodi tree he was tempted by Mara Mara is the demon which represents sensual desire and death,

he corrupts the mind Mara used fear to distract Siddhartha and then he used his

daughters to seduce him Nothing worked, Mara failed and fled Siddhartha experienced unimaginable joy and an awakening

known as the enlightenment

The Buddha's first teaching was the Deer Park Sermon and is sometimes called the first turning of the Wheel of Dhamma

He taught the five ascetics who were his former companions.

The Buddha advised them to give up two extremes. Indulgence in sensual pleasures and the tormenting of the body and to follow the Middle Way.

The Buddha then taught the Four Noble Truths.

The Buddha said that he was enlightened only after he understood these Four Noble Truths.