Life of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama

The life of Siddhartha Gautama, the person we call Buddha, is shrouded in legend and myth. Although most historians believe there was such a person, we know very little about the real historical person. The "standard" biography reported in this article seems to have evolved over time. It was largely completed by the "Buddhacarita", an epic poem written by Aśvaghoṣa in the second century AD

The birth and family of Siddhartha Gautama
The future Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was born in the XNUMXth or XNUMXth century BC in Lumbini (in present-day Nepal). Siddhartha is a Sanskrit name meaning "one who has achieved a goal" and Gautama is a family name.

His father, King Suddhodana, was the leader of a large clan called Shakya (or Sakya). From the first texts it is not clear whether he was a hereditary king or more of a tribal chief. It is also possible that he was elected to this status.

Suddhodana married two sisters, Maya and Pajapati Gotami. They are said to have been the princesses of another clan, the Koliya, from northern India today. Maya was Siddhartha's mother and was his only daughter. She died shortly after her birth. Pajapati, who later became the first Buddhist nun, raised Siddhartha as his own.

By all accounts, Prince Siddhartha and his family belonged to the Kshatriya warrior and noble caste. Among Siddhartha's best-known relatives was his cousin Ananda, the son of his father's brother. Ananda would later become a disciple and personal assistant to the Buddha. He would have been considerably younger than Siddhartha, and they didn't know each other as children.

Prophecy and a young marriage
When Prince Siddhartha had a few days, it is said, a saint prophesied about the prince. According to reports, nine Brahman saints made the prophecy. It had been predicted that the boy would be a great ruler or a great spiritual master. King Suddhodana preferred the first result and prepared his son accordingly.

He raised the boy with great luxury and protected him from knowledge of religion and human suffering. At the age of 16, he was married to his cousin, Yasodhara, who was also 16 years old. This was undoubtedly a wedding organized by families, as was customary at the time.

Yasodhara was the daughter of a chief of Koliya and her mother was a sister of King Suddhodana. She was also a sister of Devadatta, who became a disciple of the Buddha and then, in some ways, a dangerous rival.

The four places of passage
The prince reached 29 years of age with little experience of the world outside the walls of his opulent palaces. He was unaware of the reality of illness, old age and death.

One day, overwhelmed by curiosity, Prince Siddhartha asked a charioteer to accompany him on a series of walks through the countryside. On these trips he was shocked by the sight of an old man, then a sick man and then a corpse. The harsh realities of old age, disease and death captured and hurt the prince.

Eventually he saw a wandering ascetic. The driver explained that the ascetic was one who had renounced the world and tried to free himself from the fear of death and suffering.

These life-changing encounters would become known in Buddhism as the four places of passage.

Siddhartha's renunciation
For a time the prince returned to palace life, but did not like it. He also didn't like the news that his wife Yasodhara had given birth to a son. The boy was called Rahula, which means "to chain".

One night the prince wandered alone in the palace. The luxuries he once liked seemed grotesque. Musicians and dancing girls had fallen asleep and lay down, snoring and spitting. Prince Siddhartha reflected on old age, disease and death that would surpass them all and turn their bodies into dust.

He realized then that he could no longer be content with living the life of a prince. That same night he left the palace, shaved his head and turned from his royal clothes into a beggar's robe. Giving up all the luxury he had known, he began his search for lighting.

The search begins
Siddhartha began by looking for renowned teachers. They taught him the many religious philosophies of his day and how to meditate. After learning all they had to teach, his doubts and questions remained. He and five disciples left to find enlightenment on their own.

The six companions tried to free themselves from suffering through physical discipline: endure the pain, hold their breath and fast almost to hunger. Yet Siddhartha was still not satisfied.

It occurred to him that, in giving up pleasure, he had caught the opposite of pleasure, which was pain and self-certification. Now Siddhartha considered a middle ground between those two extremes.

He remembered an experience of his childhood in which his mind had settled in a state of profound peace. He saw that the path of liberation was through the discipline of the mind, and he realized that instead of starving, he needed nourishment to build his strength for effort. When he accepted a bowl of rice milk from a girl, his companions assumed that he had given up the search and abandoned him.

The Enlightenment of the Buddha
Siddhartha sat under a sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa), always known as Bodhi Tree (bodhi means "awakened"). It was there that he settled in meditation.

The struggle in Siddhartha's mind became mythological as a great battle with Mara. The name of the demon means "destruction" and represents the passions that deceive and delude us. Mara brought vast armies of monsters to attack Siddhartha, who had remained motionless and intact. Mara's most beautiful daughter tried to seduce Siddhartha, but this effort also failed.

Eventually, Mara claimed that the lighting venue belonged to him. Mara's spiritual accomplishments were greater than Siddhartha's, said the demon. Mara's monstrous soldiers shouted together: "I am his witness!" Mara challenged Siddhartha, "Who will speak for you?"

Then Siddhartha reached out his right hand to touch the earth, and the earth itself roared: "I testify to you!" Mara has disappeared. As the morning star rose into the sky, Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment and became a buddha, who is defined as "a person who has achieved full enlightenment".

The Buddha as a teacher
Initially, the Buddha was reluctant to teach because what he had accomplished could not be communicated in words. Only through discipline and mental clarity would disappointments vanish and the Great Reality could be experienced. Listeners without that direct experience would be stuck in conceptualizations and would certainly misunderstand everything he said. However, compassion persuaded him to attempt to convey what he had accomplished.

After its illumination, he went to the Deer Park of Isipatana, located in the current province of Uttar Pradesh, India. There he found the five companions who had abandoned him and preached his first sermon to them.

This sermon has been preserved as Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta and focuses on the Four Noble Truths. Instead of teaching doctrines about enlightenment, the Buddha chose to prescribe a path of practice through which people can enlighten themselves.

The Buddha devoted himself to teaching and attracted hundreds of followers. Eventually, he reconciled with his father, King Suddhodana. His wife, the devoted Yasodhara, became a nun and disciple. Rahula, his son, became a novice monk at the age of seven and spent the rest of his life with his father.

The last words of the Buddha
The Buddha tirelessly traveled through all areas of northern India and Nepal. He taught a diverse group of followers, all searching for the truth he had to offer.

At the age of 80, the Buddha entered Parinirvana, leaving his physical body behind. In its passage, it abandoned the infinite cycle of death and rebirth.

Before his last breath, he spoke the final words to his followers:

“Here, O monks, this is my last advice for you. All things composed in the world are changeable. They don't last long. Work hard to get your salvation. "
The body of the Buddha was cremated. His remains were placed in stupas - admitted structures common in Buddhism - in many places, including China, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

The Buddha inspired millions
About 2.500 years later, the Buddha's teachings remain significant for many people around the world. Buddhism continues to attract new followers and is one of the fastest growing religions, although many do not refer to it as a religion but as a spiritual path or philosophy. An estimated 350 to 550 million people practice Buddhism today.