The Life and Teachings of Buddha

Buddha was a man born in a city called Lumbini around 563 B.C. Lumbini was located in the Terai region which is now modern Nepal. His birth name is Siddhartha and his clan name is Gautama. The Buddha's father, Shuddhodana, was the leader of the local people known as the Shakyas.

It is said that Siddhatha came down from the Tushita Heaven and entered his mother's womb. His form was that of a white elephant and the Buddha's mother gave birth from her side standing in a local forest. There was no mess but the sky poured water, on both child and mother, cleansing them. Unfortunately, Siddhartha's mother, Mahamaya, died a week later. Mahamaya's sister, Mahapajapati, stepped in as mother and took care of the Bodhisatta. Bodhidsatta is a Sanskrit word referring to someone who is a "Buddha-in-training."

A wise sage named Asita came and saw the baby. This baby displaying the 32 special signs that distinguished a Buddha. Asita began to cry as he was old and would miss the chance to become enlightened by this Buddha. Shuddodana was not happy. He vowed to do whatever necessary to stop this Asita's prediction from coming true. Locking his son in the palace and treating the Buddha to all kinds of delights. Shuddodana hoped that Siddartha would never want to leave.

Despite being spoiled by his father Siddhartha was a fine young man. Good in his studies, handsome, and kind the Buddha married Yashodhara. The couple having only one son, Rahula. Rahula was born when the Buddha was about 29 years old. After a while the Buddha became restless and curiosity got the best of him.

The Buddha planned a trip outside the palace and neglected to tell his father. Making four total trips outside the palace with his groom, Channa. They saw an old man, a sick man, and a dead man on these trips. Having lived a sheltered life Siddhartha was devastated to see the true effects of human condition. On the last trip they saw a sadhu which is a holy man that wonders the streets. This man deeply impressed the Bohisatta by his tranquility. This sadhu was not worried about sickness, old age, and death.

After returning home the Buddha couldn't enjoy life anymore. He thought about all the people suffering in the world and decided he had to save them. After kissing his wife and son Siddhartha left the palace never to return. His quest for truth had begun.

Walking alone Siddhartha came across some people performing a spiritual ritual. At this point the Buddha had cut his long black hair off, traded his silk robe for a ragged yellow one, and took off all of his jewelry. Seeking out the most distinguished shamans, Alara and Udraka, the Buddha began to learn the attainment of the dhyanas. Still not satisfied he began to look else where for spiritual knowledge. Succumbing to asceticism Siddhartha almost died from lack of food and water.

While partaking in a little nurishment his five friends witnessed this and rejected him. They said Siddhartha had taken the easy life and walked away in disgust. Not having found the answer, to the problems of sickness, old age, and death, in self mortification Buddha thought there must be a better way. The only thing that Siddhatha had not tried was a middle path. He lived in a palace with too much and almost died with nothing. Recalling an incident when he was a child Buddha remembered sitting under an apple tree. Under this apple tree he went into a kind of meditation. The Buddha thought, "Was this the answer?"

Under a famous bodhi tree the Buddha sat on a grass cushion. Vowing not to move until he found out the answer to life's suffering or died. The opposing force to Buddha is Mara. Mara's job is to try and keep us ignorant and deluded of the truth. If we remain deluded we can never escape this world known as samsara. The Buddha battled Mara inside his mind. Mara tried to get the Buddha to give up his quest to the truth, but the Buddha was relentless.

Vispassana practice or insight meditation he began to uncover all kinds of knowledge. First, he remembered all his past lives. Then, he gained knowledge on the workings of karma. Lastly, he discovered the three taints: sensual desire, desire for existance, and ignorance. This act suggest that Siddartha overcame ego and saw that it was just an illusion. The saying, "the truth is one, sages call it by many names," describes the fact that we are of one unity not many individuals.

Looking up at the morning star, in May, the Buddha- The Awakened One- saw the world in a new way. Touching the earth, he called it to bear witness that he had awaken from delusion. Having sat under the bodhi tree for seven days, four weeks, or seven weeks everyone has their opinion. Regardless the Buddha sat enjoying bliss for a period of time. Standing up he wondered if he should teach what he had just learned? Would people accept and understand his message?

Becoming enlightened at age thirty-five the Buddha started to teach. Walking the roads of India he converted many to his ideas, even his family. Women were accepted which was rare for women to have such rights at the time. After converting many people a moral code was in order and this was called a sanga. The sanga was to shave their head, wear robes, and recite the three refuges. The three refuges are: I go for refuge to the Buddha, I go to the sangha for refuge, and I go to the dharma for refuge. Dharma means "eternal law" as in the natural law of the universe.

Devadatta, the Buddha's cousin, was jealous and joined Ajatashatru to plot against the Buddha and King Bimbisara. King Bimbisara was Ajatashatru's father. Devadatta wanted to kill both the Buddha and the King. Throwing boulders and placing a huge elephant in the path of Buddha Devadatta failed at killing. The Buddha didn't hate Devadatta for this because eventually he would become a Buddha also. No one is thought to suffer eternally in Buddhism.

The four noble truths were taught by Buddha. They are: suffering exist, suffering has an identifiable cause, that cause can be terminated, and the cause to terminate suffering is the noble eight path. The noble eight path consist of: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. This path can be summarized into three main elements: wisdom, morality, and meditation. The five precepts are the basis of Buddhism and are: Refrain from taking life, stealing, misuse of senses, telling lies, and intoxicates. Dependent origination explains how phenomena arises. Phenomena arises by: ignorance, which leads to volitional action, creating conditioned consciousness, name and form, the five senses, contact with these senses, feelings arising, desire to these feelings, attachment to feelings, attachment leads to becoming, becoming leading to birth, and finally old age then death.

The Buddha was about eighty when he became ill by ingesting some poisonous mushrooms. He told his faithful disciples, "Impermanent are all created things. Strive on mindfully." These being Buddha's last words he is known as one of the greatest spiritual teachers to ever exist. Buddhism being the fourth largest religion in the world and still relevent today.