A long time ago in the country called Nepal, there was a kingdom called Sakya. Kapilavatthu was its capital.The king’s name was shaddhodana Gotama.He belonged to the Gotama caln.
The king had a beautiful wife whose name was Queen Mahamaya.On the full moon day of june she gave birth to a son under the Sala trees in a beautiful park called a Lumbinli.The King named his son Siddhatta.
SIDDHATTA never knew his real mother because she died seven days after his birth.
“SILDDHATTHA was raised by his aunt Mahapajapati who was also his stepmother.During his early years he lived happily with his family surrounded with luxury and comforts.
At the age of sixteen, he married beautiful Princess, Yasodhara, generally known as Bimba, whowas his own cousin. They lived a happy married life for the next thirteen years, and during that time Princess, Yasodhara, generally known as Bimba,who was his own cousin. They lived a hay married life for the next thirteen years, and during that time Princess yasodhara gave birth to a son who was named Rahula.
One day during siddhattha’s trip to the Royal Gardens, he saw four things that made him very thoughtful about life. He saw an old man, a sick person, a dead body, and a Brahmin monk, ascetic. Only the monk gave him any comfort.
He realized that even luxurious life could not bring him real happiness, and that he could not be really happy while other people were suffering. He then wanted to find real happiness, the happiness that all people could share.
When he was twenty-nine years old, on a quiet night, the prince left his palace, his wealth, his wife, and his lovely son. He became a monk and spent the next six years studying with many Brahmin teachers and practicing extreme self-denial in the forest.
Finally he found that all those other teachers did not know how to find the truth, and that extreme self-denial was useless. He then left those teachers. Having found out that world wealth did not bring him the truth and that extreme self-denial did not bring him the truth, he decided to try a path between the two, which we call the middle way.
Six years after becoming a homeless monk , while sitting under the Bodhi Tree on the full moon night of May [Visakha the sixth lunar month] he meditated deeply. He reached the real happiness he sought, he attained the truth by his own efforts. This real happiness is called the Enlightenment. From that time on he was known as the Buddha which means the Enlightenment One or the Awakened One. The Buddha found out the truth of life. He found that life is full of problems. HPe taught the people three principles of Buddhism toguide their thoughts and actions. These principles are as follows.
Not to do any evil
To do good deeds.
To purify the mind.
Two months after the Enlightenment, he began teaching the truth, which is called the Dhamma, to his followers. Many of his followers received real happiness after following his teachings. As time went on the number of his disciples increased rapidly. Since then, Buddhism has been firmly established in India.
The Buddha wandered over all of India, preaching the doctrines of real happiness to the people for forty-five years. At the age of eighty, the Buddha felt that his end was coming closer. He went to Kusinara, and there on the full moon day of Visakha month, under two Sala trees, he passed away. He left us with his most valuable and enduring teaching and the way to find real happiness.
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The Buddhist community that started with five followers rapidly increased in number. Soon the news about this young teacher who preaches a new doctrine spread around the country. Young men became his disciples. He became so popular that some thought he had a magic power to win over people . Young wives feared thinking that their husbands would leave them and become Gautama Buddha’s disciples.
Within a short period there were sixty disciples who became monks, and under the guidance of the Buddha became noble individuals- Arahants. Then Gautama Buddha thought that it is the proper time to send these sixty disciples to preach the Dhamma to others. He called them together and said : “ monks, I have freed myself from all bonds. You have freed yourselves from all bonds. Now begin to go round the country preaching the Dhamma for the benefit of many , for the happiness of many, for the well- being of many. Do not two of you take the same route. Go in different directions.”
With this advice he sent them out to preach . Then Gautama Buddha himself went towards the village of Uruvela.
Throughout the next forty five years Gautama Buddha completely dedicated himself to the service of his fellow beings. He went on foot from village to village , from town preaching and teaching about suffering that exists in the world and explaining how to overcome this suffering . The Buddha was an excellent teacher and therefore he was able to teach and convince many. The Dhamma taught non – violence , peace , harmony and equality. So the people willingly followed it. Like the Buddha the Sangha also tirelessly toured the country preaching the Dhamma and brought in many new followers.
Many people from all classes and different religions became followers of the Buddha’s teaching. Soon there were many such famous disciples as Sariputta, Moggallana, Mahakassapa, Upali and Ananda. His own son Rahula, step- brother Nanda, cousin Devadatta and many other close relatives entered the Sangha comunity.
Lay followers , too, soon increased. Kings, nobles, rich merchants as well as ordinary people became followers of the Buddha . Powerful kings such as Pasenadi Kosala, Bimbisara and rich merchants like Anathapindika were his supporters. The Order of nuns also came into being .The first nun ( bhikkhuni ) was Buddha’s step-mother , Gotsmi. Within a short period even the number of nuns increased. Among the nuns were very famous bhikkhunis such as Khema, Uppalavanna, and Dhammadinna. There was also a large number of female lay supporters such as Visakha. In this manner the Buddhist community which started with five discip;es came to consist of monks ( Bhikkhu), nuns (Bhikkhuni) , lay male followers (Upasaka) and female followers (Upasika).
The rich lay supporters both male and female built a number of large temples and monasteries for the Buddha and Sangha to reside. These rich lay supporters along with the vast number of ordinary people who accepted the Buddha’s teaching provided robes, alms, dwelling and medicine for the Buddha and the Sangha.
The Buddha and the Sangha taught them the Dhamma. The lay followers to show their gratitude provided the Buddha and Sangha with all their requirements.
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Siddhartha left the mansion with the sole intention of attaining Enlightenment (Bodhi) regarding the problems of life. Therefore he is called a Bodhisattva – Aperson searching for Enlightenment.
Bodhisattva Siddhartha did not know the path to Enlightenment. So he decided to go to a teacher. He selected the well known ascetic Alara Kalama as his teacher. The Budhisattva was so clever that within a short period he learnt all that Alara Kalama was able to teach. Then Alara Kalama invited the Bodhisattva to join him in teaching and leading the other pupils. Bodhisattva Siddhartha very politely declined this invitation and went in search of another who was able to teach him further.
Then he went to uddaka Ramaputta, another famous teacher. As before, within a sort period he learnt everything uddaka Ramaputta knew. Like Alara Kalama he also invited the Bodhisattva to join him in teacher others. Once again he did not acceot the invitation. He went to many other teachers, but could not find a teacher capable of showing him the part to Enlightenment. So he decided to search the part by himself. At this time five other ascetics joined the Bodhisattva.
The Bodhisattva had two paths open before him. One path consisted of complete enjoyment of sensual pleasures. (Kamasukhallikanuyoga). The other path consisted of giving pain to the body by practicing difficult ascetic practices (Attakilamathanuyoga). Through experience and intelligence the Bodhisattva knew that the path of sensual enjoyment will not lead him to Enlightenment. So he decided to try the other path, the path of difficult ascetic practices.
Following this path he practiced very difficult ascetic practices. He tried to control his mind by force. He tried to stop breathing completely. When he stopped breathing through the nose and the mouth the wind, making a loud noise, escaped through his ears. Then he felt as if his head was going to burst, as if his stomach was being cut with a sharp knife. He completely gave up eating any food and he was reduced to a skeleton.
It became very clear to him that the path of difficult ascetic practice was of no use. It was only making him physically weak, and this affected him mentally also. Often he fainted and he was confused. So he decided to give up that practice and start to take food. The five ascetics who were with him eagerly expecting to see him attain Enlightenment did not want Bodhisattva to give up ascetic practices. When Bodhisattva began to take food they protested and lef in disgust accusing Bodhisattva of being tempted to revert to enjoyment of comforts of life.
One morning the Bodhisattva having bbathed and eaten the rice gruel offered by Sujata sat under the Bodhi tree determined not to rise until he attained Enlightenment.
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A long time ago in the country called Nepal, there was a kingdom called Sakya. Kapilavatthu was its capital.The king’s name was shaddhodana Gotama.He belonged to the Gotama caln.
The king had a beautiful wife whose name was Queen Mahamaya.On the full moon day of june she gave birth to a son under the Sala trees in a beautiful park called a Lumbinli.The King named his son Siddhatta.
SIDDHATTA never knew his real mother because she died seven days after his birth.
“SILDDHATTHA was raised by his aunt Mahapajapati who was also his stepmother.During his early years he lived happily with his family surrounded with luxury and comforts.
At the age of sixteen, he married beautiful Princess, Yasodhara, generally known as Bimba, whowas his own cousin. They lived a happy married life for the next thirteen years, and during that time Princess, Yasodhara, generally known as Bimba,who was his own cousin. They lived a hay married life for the next thirteen years, and during that time Princess yasodhara gave birth to a son who was named Rahula.
One day during siddhattha’s trip to the Royal Gardens, he saw four things that made him very thoughtful about life. He saw an old man, a sick person, a dead body, and a Brahmin monk, ascetic. Only the monk gave him any comfort.
He realized that even luxurious life could not bring him real happiness, and that he could not be really happy while other people were suffering. He then wanted to find real happiness, the happiness that all people could share.
When he was twenty-nine years old, on a quiet night, the prince left his palace, his wealth, his wife, and his lovely son. He became a monk and spent the next six years studying with many Brahmin teachers and practicing extreme self-denial in the forest.
Finally he found that all those other teachers did not know how to find the truth, and that extreme self-denial was useless. He then left those teachers. Having found out that world wealth did not bring him the truth and that extreme self-denial did not bring him the truth, he decided to try a path between the two, which we call the middle way.
Six years after becoming a homeless monk , while sitting under the Bodhi Tree on the full moon night of May [Visakha the sixth lunar month] he meditated deeply. He reached the real happiness he sought, he attained the truth by his own efforts. This real happiness is called the Enlightenment. From that time on he was known as the Buddha which means the Enlightenment One or the Awakened One. The Buddha found out the truth of life. He found that life is full of problems. HPe taught the people three principles of Buddhism toguide their thoughts and actions. These principles are as follows.
Not to do any evil
To do good deeds.
To purify the mind.
Two months after the Enlightenment, he began teaching the truth, which is called the Dhamma, to his followers. Many of his followers received real happiness after following his teachings. As time went on the number of his disciples increased rapidly. Since then, Buddhism has been firmly established in India.
The Buddha wandered over all of India, preaching the doctrines of real happiness to the people for forty-five years. At the age of eighty, the Buddha felt that his end was coming closer. He went to Kusinara, and there on the full moon day of Visakha month, under two Sala trees, he passed away. He left us with his most valuable and enduring teaching and the way to find real happiness.
Learn more »
A long time ago in the country called Nepal, there was a kingdom called Sakya. Kapilavatthu was its capital.The king’s name was shaddhodana Gotama.He belonged to the Gotama caln.
The king had a beautiful wife whose name was Queen Mahamaya.On the full moon day of june she gave birth to a son under the Sala trees in a beautiful park called a Lumbinli.The King named his son Siddhatta.
SIDDHATTA never knew his real mother because she died seven days after his birth.
“SILDDHATTHA was raised by his aunt Mahapajapati who was also his stepmother.During his early years he lived happily with his family surrounded with luxury and comforts.
At the age of sixteen, he married beautiful Princess, Yasodhara, generally known as Bimba, whowas his own cousin. They lived a happy married life for the next thirteen years, and during that time Princess, Yasodhara, generally known as Bimba,who was his own cousin. They lived a hay married life for the next thirteen years, and during that time Princess yasodhara gave birth to a son who was named Rahula.
One day during siddhattha’s trip to the Royal Gardens, he saw four things that made him very thoughtful about life. He saw an old man, a sick person, a dead body, and a Brahmin monk, ascetic. Only the monk gave him any comfort.
He realized that even luxurious life could not bring him real happiness, and that he could not be really happy while other people were suffering. He then wanted to find real happiness, the happiness that all people could share.
When he was twenty-nine years old, on a quiet night, the prince left his palace, his wealth, his wife, and his lovely son. He became a monk and spent the next six years studying with many Brahmin teachers and practicing extreme self-denial in the forest.
Finally he found that all those other teachers did not know how to find the truth, and that extreme self-denial was useless. He then left those teachers. Having found out that world wealth did not bring him the truth and that extreme self-denial did not bring him the truth, he decided to try a path between the two, which we call the middle way.
Six years after becoming a homeless monk , while sitting under the Bodhi Tree on the full moon night of May [Visakha the sixth lunar month] he meditated deeply. He reached the real happiness he sought, he attained the truth by his own efforts. This real happiness is called the Enlightenment. From that time on he was known as the Buddha which means the Enlightenment One or the Awakened One. The Buddha found out the truth of life. He found that life is full of problems. HPe taught the people three principles of Buddhism toguide their thoughts and actions. These principles are as follows.
Not to do any evil
To do good deeds.
To purify the mind.
Two months after the Enlightenment, he began teaching the truth, which is called the Dhamma, to his followers. Many of his followers received real happiness after following his teachings. As time went on the number of his disciples increased rapidly. Since then, Buddhism has been firmly established in India.
The Buddha wandered over all of India, preaching the doctrines of real happiness to the people for forty-five years. At the age of eighty, the Buddha felt that his end was coming closer. He went to Kusinara, and there on the full moon day of Visakha month, under two Sala trees, he passed away. He left us with his most valuable and enduring teaching and the way to find real happiness.
Learn more »
