SSE Group 3 Blog

LIFE OF GAUTAMA BUDDHA

The main events of Lord Buddha's life are well known. The Purnima, or the full moon day of the month of Vaishaka; is connected with three important events in the life of Lord Buddha. First His birth, then His enlightenment and finally His Parinirvana. It is the most sacred day of the Buddhist calendar. Lord Buddha's Parinirvana was said to have taken place in the year 445 B.C., when He was eighty years of age.

Gautama Buddha was the son of the King of Kapilvastu, Suddhodhana. Gautama Buddha grew up in luxury, was married to Yasodhara, who had a son by name Rahula, and led a sheltered life in the palace, veiled from the miseries of the world. On one occasion He went out of the palace and saw an old man and realised that all men were subject to the frailties of age, saw a sick man and realised that all men were liable to sickness and suffering, saw a corpse and felt that all men were subject to death. Lastly, He saw an ascetic who was radiating great peace and happiness in his face. When asked who he was, the mendicant told the prince, "I am an ascetic. In fear of birth and death, I have left the home life, to gain liberation." The sight of the holy man healthy in body, cheerful in mind; though bereft of comforts of life, impressed Gautama Buddha strongly with the conviction that the pursuit of religion was the only goal worthy of man and that He also must strive to gain freedom. Freedom from old age and sickness. Along with freedom from all sorrows of life, by following the ascetic's example. Thereupon, Gautama Buddha left His wife, child, and palace, and went out into the forest seeking enlightenment of the spirit. Seven years later at Bodh Gaya, under the shade of the Bodhi tree, while sitting in the state of deepest meditation, Gautama Buddha obtained enlightenment, also known as Nirvana.

After enlightenment, Lord Buddha referred to himself in the third person, as Tathagata. which meant the 'One who has arrived at the truth.' He wished to preach to the world the knowledge He gained and said "I shall go to Banaras and there I will light the lamp to dispel the darkness in the world. I will beat the drums that will awaken mankind. I shall teach the law Dharma." He travelled from place to place, touching the lives of thousands of people. They all came under the spell of His great personality, which always radiated peace, love and over-flowing compassion. He taught for forty-five years the beauty of charity and the joy of renunciation and the primary need for an ethical life, compassion, simplicity and equality.

At the age of eighty, at Kushinagara, on the banks of the river Hiranyavati, in the grove of Sala trees, Lord Buddha passed into Parinirvana. In His last moments, he tells Ananda, one disciple, who was lamenting inconsolably, "Ananda, do not weep, do not despair; from all that he loves man must part; how could be that what is born, what is subject to instability should not pass? May be you are thinking you will have no Master, but that must not be so, Ananda, the doctrine I have taught will be your Master henceforth." He added, addressing all his disciples, "I say unto you now oh monks: all things are perishable, work out your deliverance with earnestness."

TEACHINGS OF GAUTAMA BUDDHA

LORD BUDDHA & THE OLD WOMAN

Lord Buddha was once in Kapilavastu during a festival where a large gathering of devotees had assembled to listen to His teachings. His disciples were busy serving and looking after the devotees, and two of them had gone into the next town to buy some supplies. On the way back, they had to cross a river along with the crowd of people who were hurriedly making their way to Kapilavastu eager to have the Darshan, or being in the presence of a holy being, of Lord Buddha. Among them was an old woman, who was experiencing difficulty in crossing the river; for it was muddy and the water was quite high, but everyone was rushing and no one bothered to stop and help her. Before Lord Buddha delivered His discourse to the people, He called his disciples together and told them that although they had spent such a long time in His company, they had achieved nothing and that He had not expected such behaviour from them. Then getting up, Lord Buddha began to walk out of town. The disciples had no understanding of what Lord Buddha had meant but they followed Him. Lord Buddha walked down to the river, and he waded across to where the old woman was still struggling hard. He lifted her on to His shoulders and carried her safely to the other side. Although He was very wet and covered with mud from the river, Lord Buddha asked His disciples to fetch some hot water for the old woman to wash in and made her comfortable. He then proceeded to deliver His discourse in which He said to his Disciples "If you love Me, you should see Me in every one, and since you have failed to see Me in the old woman, you do not really love Me or My teachings".

PRAYER OF BUDDHISM

Buddham Saranam Gachaami,

Dharmam Saranam Gachaami,

Sangham Saranam Gachaami.

TRANSLATION : I take refuge in the Buddhi, my power of Discrimination;

I take refuge in the Dharma, I take shelter in truth and righteousness;

I take refuge in the community, I take refuge in the society.

THE RELIGION OF BUDDHISM

THE FOUR CARDINAL PRINCIPLES OF BUDDHISM :

(i) Sarvam Dukham : Life is all misery

(ii) Sarvam Kshanikam : Everything is momentary

(iii) Sarvam Anatmam (Anatta) : Everything is substance-less

(iv) Nirvanam Santam : Nirvana is Peace

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS :

(i) Life is suffering

(ii) It is desires that are the origin and cause of suffering

(iii) Desires can be curbed and cessation of suffering can brought about

(iv) The eight-fold path is the way to curb suffering

THE EIGHT-FOLD PATH FOR NIRVANA :

(i) Right understanding / view of the Four Noble Truths

(ii) Right resolve

(iii) Right speech

(iv) Right conduct

(v) Right means of living

(vi) Right effort / endeavour

(vii) Right reason

(viii) Right meditation.

THE FIVE RESOLUTIONS (PANCH - SHEEL) :

(i) I will refrain from causing injury to any being : Ahimsa

(ii) I will refrain from falsehood : Satyam

(iii) I will refrain from stealing : Asteye

(iv) I will refrain from sense-indulgence : Brahmacharya

(v) I will refrain from intoxicants

For further reading, refer article from Heart2Heart publication:

Fascinating Buddha - The life and teachings of Buddha
(Heart2Heart - Volume 4 - Issue 06 - June 2006)

Click here for the article