The Story of the Buddha

The Story of the Buddha: Siddhartha Gautama, as Buddha was known in his youth, was the founder of Buddhism.He is believed to have been a contemporary of Mahavira.Many miracles and legends are connected with the birth of Sidhartha.

Early Life: Siddhartha was born in Lumbini, in present -day Nepal,around 563 BCE. His father Suddhodana, was one of the chieftains of the Shakya clan, and his mother was Mayadevi .It is believed that there was a prophecy made at the time of his birth that the prince would become a great sage. To prevent this from happening, his father shielded him from suffering and hardships. Married to Yashodhara in his youth ,Sidhartha had a son ,Rahula.

One day as Siddhartha rode out to the royal park, he was sights which changed his life forever.He saw an old man, a sick man and a corpse (dead body) He was deeply saddened by the suffering he saw around him. Finally , he saw an ascetic, and was struck by the peace on the man's face.The prince decided to leave his family to search for truth and the meaning of life. He was around 29 years of age that time.

The Journey to Become Buddha: Siddhartha, also known as Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born about 2500 year ago. This was a time of rapid change in the lives of people. The Buddha belonged to a small gana known as the Sakya gana, and was a Kshatriya. When he was a young man, he left the comforts of his home in search of knowledge. He wandered for several years, meeting and holding discussions with other thinkers. He finally decided to find his own path to realisation, and meditated for days on end under a peepal tree at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where he attained enlightenment. After that, he was known as the Buddha or the Wise one. He then went to Sarnath, near Varanasi, where he taught for the first time. He spent the rest of his life travelling on foot, going from place, teaching people, till he passed away at Kusinara. The Buddha taught that life is full of suffering and happiness. This is caused because we have cravings and desires (which often cannot be fulfilled).Sometimes, even if we get what we want, we are not satisfied, and went even more (or want other things). The Buddha described this as thirst or tanha. He taught that this constant craving could be removed by following moderation in everything. He also taught people to be kind, and to respect the lives of others, including animals. He believed that the results of our actions (called karma), whether good or bad, affect us both in this life and the next. The Buddha taught in the language of the ordinary people, Prakrit, so that everybody could understand his message. He also encouraged people to think for themselves rather than to simply accept what he said.

Life of Moderation: Buddha declared that a life of moderation is the way to attain peace and happiness. That is the noble eight-fold path or the Middle Path.

Right understand

Right thought

Right speech

Right action

Right livelihood

Right effort

Right mindfulness

Right contemplation or concentration.

People who followed this middle path would find peace and enlightenment. like Mahavira,Buddha also spoke to the people in Pali. He preached ahimsa or non-violence, and spoke against the caste system .Buddha's teaching soon attracted a large following.

The spread of Buddhism

Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism: In the course of time the followers of Buddhism split into two groups-Hinayana and Mahayana. The Mahayana Buddhist made images of Buddha and worshipped them. They also started performing rituals .The Hinayana Buddhist believed this to be against the teachings of Buddha. They believed that nirvana could be achieved only by following the middle path or the four noble truths.

Sample Questions

(More Questions for each concept available in Login)

Question : 1

Where did Buddha attained enlightenment?
A. Sarnath	B. Sangha	C. Bodh Gaya	D. Sanchi Stupa
Right Option : C
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Question : 2

Buddha was approached by a woman to bring back the life of her deceased son. What was the name of the lady.
A. Vajji janapada.	B. Vaisali	C. Mahavira	D. Kisagotami
Right Option : D
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