Higher RMPSWorld Religions: Buddhism

Introduction to Buddhism

The Life of the Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama

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

Conception

The Buddha’s conception and birth are marked by miraculous events

As his mind descended into his mother’s womb from one of the heavens, a great light appeared in the world

His mother Queen Maya dreamed that a magnificent white elephant entered her body

Her pregnancy lasted 10 months which is normal for enlightened beings

She had no pain in child birth

Birth of the Buddha

According to the story, queen Maya gave birth standing upThe baby emerged from her right side with no blood or waterAs soon as he was born he was able to walk and talk Lotus blossoms appeared in his footsteps, he declared that this would be his last rebirthHe was given the name Siddhartha which means ‘fulfilment of wishes’The renowned holy man Asita visited the palace, he prophesised that Siddhartha would become a great leader like his father or a homeless holy man depending on how much suffering he saw

Life in the Palace

Siddhartha was a Hindu prince brought up with the greatest luxury and splendour

The prophecy of Asita determined how his father brought him up

He was excellent at all he did, sport, wrestling, archery, mathematics,, music etc.

He was tall and handsome, kind and well mannered

When he was a child his father took him to a ploughing competition where he fell into the fist state of meditation

A Life of Indulgence

All suffering was kept hidden from SiddharthaAll possible comforts were provided for himHe was given 3 palaces, one for each seasonHe was surrounded by parks, gardens, music and beautiful young attendantsAt 16 he married the beautiful Yashodhara They had a baby son whom they named RahulaIt seemed Siddhartha had everything he could want

Leaving the PalaceSiddhartha decided that he wanted to see the world outside the palace, he went with his servant ChannaHis father had arranged for him to follow a specific route on which all suffering had been removedYoung healthy people lined the route that Siddhartha was supposed to takeHe 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 stickSiddhartha was shocked by the sight and asked Channa what was wrong with himChanna replied that he is old; old age comes to everyone, it destroys youth and beautySiddhartha was filled with compassionSiddhartha was so upset that he returned to the palaceHe made three more trips out of the palace

The First Sight: Old Age

The Second and Third Sights: Sickness

and DeathThe second time he left the palace he saw a very sick person, not knowing what was wrong he asked Channa

Channa 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 Chann

“Death is the end of life which no one can escape”

Siddhartha was deeply sadened by this

The Fourth Sight

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

He owned nothing but what he carried

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

Finding the Answers

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

He escaped from the palace, cut off his hair as a symbol of renunciation and

He practiced meditation with 2 masters for a number of years but still had no answer to his questions

Asceticism

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

The Middle Way

Siddhartha accepted some food from a village girl and gave up this extreme way of lifeHe decided to practice a middle way; a life between the two extremesThe extremes had not brought him any closer to the answersHe had experienced life in the palace, indulgence and life as an ascetic and neither had workedHe decided that the only way to live was to live a balanced life between the two extremes

The EnlightenmentSiddhartha decided that meditation was the only way to uncover the truthWhile meditating under a bodi tree he was tempted by MaraMara is the demon which represents sensual desire and death, he corrupts the mindMara used fear to distract Siddhartha and then he used his daughters to seduce himNothing worked, Mara failed and fledSiddhartha experienced unimaginable joy and an awakening known as the enlightenment