"Sometime during the
sixth century BC a solitary, wandering ascetic sat to meditate
beneath a shady tree, resolving not to rise until he had attained
the ultimate knowledge of spiritual enlightenment. Thus began
Buddhism, one of the world's great religions and pilgrimage
traditions." |
Historians, religious scholars, and
various Buddhist sects debate the
actual year of the Buddha's birth; it may have been as early as 644 BC
or as late as 540 BC. It is however, relatively certain that he was born Prince
Gautama Siddhartha, the son of Suddhodana, king of the Shakya tribe.
His birthplace was the forest grove of Lumbini in the hilly regions of
what is today northeastern India and Nepal. His parents gave him the
name Siddhartha and there were many wonderful predicitions about his
future. In his early years he lived as a prince in his royal palace
but when he was 29 years old he retired to the forest where he
followed a spiritual life of meditation. After six years he attained
enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, India.
Buddha then rose from meditation and taught the first Wheel of Dharma.
These teachings which include the Sutra of the Four Noble Truths and
other discourses, are the principal source of the Hinayana, or Lesser
Vehicle, of Buddhism. Later, Buddha taught the second and third Wheels
of Dharma, which include the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras and the Sutra
Discriminating the Intention respectively. These teachings are the
source of the Mahayana, or Great Vehicle, of Buddhism. In the Hinayana
teachings Buddha explains how to attain liberation from suffering for
oneself alone, and in the Mahayana teachings he explains how to attain
full enlightenment, or Buddhahood, for the sake of others. Both
traditions flourished in Asia, at first in India and then gradually in
other surrounding countries, including Tibet.
In all Buddha Shakyamuni gave eighty-four thousand teachings. His
intention in founding Buddhism was to lead living beings to permanent
liberation from suffering. He realized temporary liberation from
suffering and difficulties is not enough. Motivated by love and
compassion his aim was to help living beings find lasting peace or
nirvana. |