|
|
|
Siddhartha Gautama (सिद्धार्थ गौतम)
The Great Departure
Enlightenment
Sangha
Parinirvana
Basic Teachings of the Gautama Buddha
The Noble Eightfold Path
The Triple Jewel
The Five Precepts
Wheel of Life
Buddhists Moncks and Nuns
Buddha Purnima (Buddha Jayanti)
Bodh Gaya
Dharma Day
Sangha Day
Lotus Sutra
Buddhist pilgrimage
Siddhartha Gautama (सिद्धार्थ गौतम)
Lord Buddha or Siddhartha Gautama (सिद्धार्थ गौतम) was a spiritual
teacher from ancient India and the founder of Buddhism. Buddhism is one of the major religions in the world. It began around 2,500 years
ago in India when Siddhartha Gautama discovered how to bring happiness into the
world. Buddha was born on the Full Moon day in the month of Vaisakh in 563 BC in
Lumbini in Nepal and raised in the small kingdom of Kapilavastu. His father was King Suddhodana the chief of the Shakya
nation and Gautama was the family name. When his mother Queen Maya fell pregnant, she returned to her father's kingdom to give birth, but after leaving Kapilvastu, she gave
birth along the way at Lumbini in a garden beneath a sal tree. Various sources hold that the Buddha's mother died at his birth, a few days or seven days later.
His father, King Śuddhodana , wishing for Siddhartha to be a great king, shielded his son from religious teachings or
knowledge of human suffering. Siddhartha was brought up by his mother's younger
sister, Maha Pajapati. As the boy reached the age of 16, his father arranged his marriage to Yaśodharā.
In time, she gave birth to a son, Rahula. Siddhartha spent 29 years as a Prince in Kapilavastu. Although his father ensured that Siddhartha was provided with everything he could want or
need, Siddhartha felt that material wealth was not the ultimate goal of life.
The Great Departure
At the age of 29, Siddhartha left his palace in order to see the outside world. In the way Siddhartha was said to have seen an old man. Disturbed by
this, when told that all people would eventually grow old by his charioteer Channa, the prince went on further trips where he encountered, variously, a
diseased man, a decaying corpse, and an ascetic. Deeply depressed by these sights, he sought to overcome old age, illness, and death by living the life of
an ascetic. Siddhartha escaped his palace, accompanied by Channa aboard his horse
Kanthaka, leaving behind this royal life to become a mendicant. This event is known as "The Great Departure". |
Siddhartha Gautama (सिद्धार्थ गौतम) was the founder of Buddhism.
Lord Buddha or Siddhartha Gautama (सिद्धार्थ गौतम) This
year Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti is on May 17, 2011. |
|
|
Siddhartha initially went to Rajagaha and began his ascetic life by begging for alms in the
street. King Bimbisara, offered him the throne after hearing of Siddhartha's quest. Siddhartha rejected the
offer, but promised to visit his kingdom of Magadha first, upon attaining enlightenment. Siddhartha left Rajagaha and practiced under two hermit teachers. After
mastering the teachings of Alara Kalama, Siddhartha became a student of Udaka Ramaputta, but
he was still not satisfied with his path, and moved on.
Siddhartha and a group of five companions led by Kondanna
tried to find enlightenment through near total deprivation of worldly goods, including food, practicing
self-mortification. After nearly starving himself to death by restricting his food intake to around a leaf or nut per day, he collapsed in a river while
bathing and almost drowned. Siddhartha began to reconsider his path. As he laid
there, he overheard the conversation "If you tighten the string too tight it will
snap, but if it is too loose it will not play." From this, he realised that he
would have to take a "middle-way" to reach enlightenment and not by using extremes.
After asceticism and concentrating on meditation and anapanasati, Siddhartha is said to have discovered what Buddhists call
the Middle Way—a path of moderation away from the extremes of self- indulgence and self-mortification. He accepted a little milk and rice pudding from a
village girl named Sujata, Then, sitting under a pipal tree, now known as the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, he vowed never to arise
until he had found the Truth. Kaundinya and the other four companions, believing
that he had abandoned his search and become undisciplined, left.
Enlightenment
After 49 days meditating, at the age of 35, he attained Enlightenment. Gautama, from then on, was known as the Buddha or "Awakened One."
He realized complete awakening and insight into the nature and cause of human suffering which was
ignorance, along with steps necessary to eliminate it. These truths were then categorized into the Four Noble Truths; the state of supreme
liberation —possible for any being—was called Nirvana. He then came to possess the Nine Characteristics, which are said to belong to every
Buddha.
After becoming enlightened, two merchants whom the Buddha met, named Tapussa and
Bhallika became the first lay disciples. They are given some hairs from the Buddha's head, which are believed to now be enshrined in the Shwe Dagon Temple
in Rangoon, Burma. The Buddha journeyed to Deer Park near Benares, he set in motion the Wheel of Dharma by delivering his first sermon to
the group of five companions with whom he had previously sought enlightenment. They, together with the Buddha, formed the first sangha, the company of Buddhist
monks, and hence, the first formation of Triple Gem (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) was completed, with Kaundinya becoming the first stream-enterer. All five soon
become arahants, and with the conversion of Yasa and fifty four of his friends, the number of arahants swelled to 60 within the first two months. The conversion
of the three Kassapa brothers and their disciples swelled the sangha over 1000, and they were dispatched to explain the dharma to the
populace.
For the remaining 45 years of his life, the Buddha is said to have traveled in the Gangetic Plain, in what is now Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and
southern Nepal, teaching his doctrine and discipline to an extremely diverse range of people— from nobles to outcaste street sweepers, mass murderers such as
Angulimala and cannibals such as Alavaka. This extended to many adherents of rival philosophies and religions.
Sangha
The Buddha founded the community of Buddhist monks and nuns (the Sangha) to continue the dispensation after his Parinirvāna
or "complete Nirvāna", and made thousands of converts. His religion was open to all races and classes and had no caste structure. He was
also subject to attack from opposition religious groups, including attempted murders and framings.
The sangha traveled from place to place in India, expounding the dharma.
During the visit, many members of the royal family joined the sangha. His cousins Ananda and Anuruddha were to
become two of his five chief disciples. His son Rahula also joined the sangha at the age of seven, and was one of the ten chief disciples. His half-brother Nanda
also joined the sangha and became an arahant. Another cousin Devadatta also
became a monk although he later became an enemy and tried to kill the Buddha on
multiple occasions. Of his disciples, Sariputta, Mahamoggallana, Mahakasyapa, Ananda and Anuruddha
comprised the five chief disciples. His ten foremost disciples were completed by
the quintet of Upali, Subhoti, Rahula, Mahakaccana and Punna. When the Buddha reached the age of 55, he made Ananda his chief attendant.
Parinirvana
According to the Mahaparinibbana Sutta of the Pali canon, at the age of 80, the Buddha announced that he would soon enter
Parinirvana or the final deathless state abandoning the earthly body.
Buddha then asked all the attendant Bhikshus to clarify any doubts or questions they had. They had none. He then
finally entered Parinirvana. The Buddha's final words were, "All composite things pass away. Strive for your own liberation with diligence." The Buddha's
body was cremated and the relics were placed in monuments or stupas, some of which are believed to have survived until the present.
|
|
|
|
Basic Teachings of the Gautama Buddha
THE THREE UNIVERSAL TRUTHS:
1. Nothing is lost in the universe: The first truth is that nothing is lost in the universe. Matter turns into
energy, energy turns into matter. A dead leaf turns into soil. A seed sprouts
and becomes a new plant. Old solar systems disintegrate and turn into cosmic
rays. We are born of our parents, our children are born of us.
2. Everything Changes: The second universal truth of the Buddha is that everything is
continuously changing. Life is like a river flowing on and on, ever-changing. Sometimes it
flows slowly and sometimes swiftly. It is smooth and gentle in some places, but
later on snags and rocks crop up out of nowhere. As soon as we think we are safe, something unexpected happens.
3. Law of Cause and Effect: The third universal truth explained by the Buddha is that there is continuous
changes due to the law of cause and effect. This is the same law of cause and
effect found in modern science. The law of cause and effect is known as karma. Our thoughts
and actions determine the kind of life we can have. If we do good things, in the
future good things will happen to us. If we do bad things, in the future bad things will happen to us.
THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
The Four Noble Truths are:
1. There is Suffering Suffering is common to all.
2. Cause of Suffering We are the cause of our suffering.
3. End of Suffering Stop doing what causes suffering.
4. Path to end Suffering Everyone can be enlightened.
Suffering: Everyone suffers from these thing
Birth - When we are born, we cry.
Sickness - When we are sick, we are miserable.
Old age - When old, we will have ache and pains and find it hard to get around.
Death - None of us wants to die. We feel deep sorrow when someone dies.
Other things we suffer from are: Being with those we dislike, Being apart from those we love, Not getting what we want, All kinds of problems and disappointments that are unavoidable.
The cause of suffering: The Buddha explained that people live in a sea of suffering because of ignorance
and greed. They are ignorant of the law of karma and are greedy for the wrong
kind of pleasures. They do things that are harmful to their bodies and peace of mind, so they can not be satisfied or enjoy life.
The end of suffering : To end suffering, one must cut off greed and ignorance. This means
changing one's views and living in a more natural and peaceful way. Buddhists call the state in which all suffering is ended Nirvana. Nirvana is an everlasting state
of great joy and peace. The Buddha said, "The extinction of desire is Nirvana." This is the ultimate goal in Buddhism.
The path to the end of suffering: The path to end suffering is known as the
Noble Eightfold Path. It is also known as the Middle Way
The Noble Eightfold Path
When the Buddha gave his first sermon in the Deer Park, he began the 'Turning of
the Dharma Wheel'. He chose the beautiful symbol of the wheel with its eight spokes to represent the Noble Eightfold Path. The eight spokes on the wheel
represent the eight parts of the Noble Eightfold Path. Just as every spoke is
needed for the wheel to keep turning, we need to follow each step of the path.
1. Right View. The right way to think about life is to see the world through the eyes of the Buddha -- with wisdom and compassion.
2. Right Thought. We are what we think. Clear and kind thoughts build good, strong characters.
3. Right Speech. By speaking kind and helpful words, we are respected and trusted by everyone.
4. Right Conduct. No matter what we say, others know us from the way we behave.
5. Right Livelihood. This means choosing a job that does not hurt others. The
Buddha said, "Do not earn your living by harming others. Do not seek happiness by making others unhappy."
6. Right Effort. A worthwhile life means doing our best at all times and having
good will toward others. This also means not wasting effort on things that harm ourselves and others.
7. Right Mindfulness. This means being aware of our thoughts, words, and deeds.
8. Right Concentration. Focus on one thought or object at a time. By doing this,
we can be quiet and attain true peace of mind.
The Triple Jewel
The Buddha knew it would be difficult for people to follow his teachings on
their own, so he established the Three Refuges for them to rely on. If a person
wants to become Buddhists take refuge in and rely on the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. These are known as the Triple Jewel.
There is a special ceremony for taking refuge with the Triple Jewel. With a
sincere mind, one recites the following verse in front of an ordained monk or nun.
|
|
The
Lotus Sutra has also been highly regarded in Asian countries where Mahāyāna
Buddhism has been traditionally practiced. Translations of this title into the languages of some of these countries include:
Sanskrit : सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र (Saddharma Puudarīka Sūtra)
Chinese : 妙法蓮華經 (miàofǎ liánhuá jīng).
Japanese : 妙法蓮華経 (myōhō-renge-kyō).
Korean : 묘법연화경
(myobeop yeonhwa gyeong_ )
Tibetan
...
དམ་ཆོས་པད་མ་དཀར་པོའི་མདོ (dam chos pad-ma dkar po'i mdo)
Vietnamese (Diệu pháp liên hoa kinh),
|
|
बुद्धं शरणं गच्छामि।
धर्मं शरणं गच्छामि।
संघं शरणं गच्छामि।
Buddham śaranam gacchāmi.
Dharmam śaranam gacchāmi.
Sangham śaranam gacchāmi.
I go to the Buddha for refuge.
I go to the Dharma for refuge.
I go to the Sangha for refuge.
The Five Precepts
In Buddhism, the most important rules are the Five Precepts.
These have been passed down from the Buddha himself. 1. No killing Respect for life.
2. No stealing Respect for others' property. 3. No sexual misconduct Respect for our pure nature. 4. No lying Respect for honesty.
5. No intoxicants Respect for a clear mind
Wheel of Life
Buddhists do not believe that death is the end of life. When one dies, one's consciousness leaves and enters one of the six paths of rebirth. These
are: Heavenly Beings, Humans, Asuras, Animals, Hungry ghosts and Hell-beings.
Buddhists Moncks and Nuns
Ideally, monks and nuns own only a few things, such as robes and an offering
bowl and shave their heads. The shaven head is a reminder that the monks and nuns have renounced the home life and are a part of the Sangha
Buddha Purnima (Buddha Jayanti)
Buddha was born on the Full Moon day in the month of Vaisakh in 563 BC. On the same date, Buddha achieved enlightenment and nirvana
(salvation). So Buddha Jayanti also marks the death anniversary of Gautam Buddha (who died at the age of 80).
For the Tibetans, it is the full moon day in the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar. In Sikkim, Buddha
Purnima is called "Saga Dasa" and "Vaishakh Pooja" in the Thervada
tradition. This year Buddha Jayanti being celebrated on 6th May 2012
Buddhists offer prayers in their temples on this day. Prayers, sermons, recitation of Buddhist scriptures are the activities performed by the followers. Monks and
devotees meditate and worship the statue of Gautam Buddha. Offerings of fruits, flowers, candles are made to the Buddha statue.
Along with the Buddha statue, even the Bodhi tree (pipal tree) is worshipped as Buddha achieved enlightenment at the age of thirty-six under a bodhi tree in Gaya. The
branches of the trees are garlanded and decorated with coloured flags. Lamps are lit around the trees. Milk and scented waters are sprinkled on its roots.
Bodh Gaya
Hundreds of Buddhists from across the world
celebrated Buddha Purnima, the day Lord Buddha was born, at Bodh Gaya in Bihar
on May 17, 2011 where he attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya temple management committee organised a function to celebrate
the 2,554th Buddha Jayanti at the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya, Buddhism’s holiest shrine.
“Special prayers were organised under the Bodhi tree for world peace,” a
committee official said. The celebration began with a procession from the 80-ft tall Buddha
statue up to the Bodhi tree behind the temple. Hundreds of Buddhists, including members of the International Buddhist Council, took part in the procession.
Pilgrims from all over the world come to Bodh Gaya in India to participate in the Buddha Poornima celebrations that highlight prayer meets, sermons and religious discourses,
recitation of Buddhist scriptures, group meditation, processions and worship of the statue of Buddha.
On this day, Buddhists wear only white clothes and gather in praying halls to give alms to the monks. Many
of them spend almost the whole Buddhism called Panchsheel.
They are: not to take life, not to steal, not to lie, not to drink alcohol or other intoxicants, and not to commit
adultery. Meat eating is avoided on this day. Most of the houses make kheer (rice pudding in milk) as the sweet dish. People distribute food and
clothes to poor and also free birds from cages. Buddha Purnima is celebrated all over the world. Bodh Gaya in Bihar, Sarnath in
UP, Sanchi and Kushinagar are the main centers of celebration of this festival.
In Delhi the mortal remains of the Buddha are taken out at the National Museum for public viewing. In
Sanchi, on this holy day, images and portraits of Buddha are taken out in a procession. On this day, there is a great fair held at Lumbini in the Rupandehi district,
which is the birth place of Lord Buddha. In Sri Lanka all the houses are brightly illuminated. In Japan, Buddhists have fixed the eighth of April as the Buddha's birthday. On this day, they make replicas of shrines with spring flowers and place a small idol of the Buddha on them. They bathe and
worship these idols. In Burma, the Buddhists set a day apart every month in honour of the Buddha.
Dharma Day
Asalha Puja, known as 'Dharma Day', is celebrated during full-moon in July. This holiday
commemorates the first sermon of the Buddha to the five monks in the Deer Park at Benares.
Sangha Day
Sangha Day or Kathina Day is usually held in October. In the Theravada
tradition, monks and nuns go on a three-month retreat during the rainy season. After the retreat, the laity offers robes and other necessities to them. This
day symbolizes the close relationship between the Sangha and laity.
Lotus Sutra
The Lotus Sūtra is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sūtras and the basis on which the Tiantai and Nichiren schools of Buddhism were established.
The earliest known Sanskrit title for the sūtra is the Saddharma Pundarīka Sūtra (सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्र
) , which translates to "Sūtra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma The
Lotus Sūtra has also been highly regarded in a number of Asian countries where Mahāyāna Buddhism has been traditionally practiced.
The Lotus Sutra presents itself as a discourse delivered by the Buddha toward the end of his life. The tradition in
Mahayana states that the sutra was written down at the time of the Buddha and stored for five hundred years in a realm of nāgas
. After this they were reintroduced into the human realm at the time of the Fourth Buddhist Council in Kashmir.
The Lotus Sutra was originally translated from Sanskrit into Chinese by
Dharmaraka , aka Zhu Fahu, in 286 CE in Chang'an during the Western Jin Period (265-317CE). The ultimate teaching of the sutra is implied to the reader that "full
Buddhahood " is only arrived at by exposure to the truths expressed implicitly in the Lotus Sutra via its many parables and
references to a heretofore less clearly imagined cosmological order.
Skillful means of most enlightened Buddhas is itself the highest teaching (the "Lotus Sutra" itself), in conjunction with the sutra's
stated tenets that all other teachings are subservient to, propagated by and in the service of this highest truth, that there are not actually.
Three Vehicles as previously taught, but only One Vehicle leading to Buddhahood.^[7] <#cite_note-6> The text also implies a parent-child
relationship between Shakyamuni Buddha and living beings.
Buddhist pilgrimage
The four holy places of Buddhist pilgrimage related to the life of the Buddha are Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Kushinagar and Saranath.
Lumbini: Lumbini is the brithplace of the Buddha and it's located in
Kapilavastu, on the Indian-Nepalese border. The Asoka Pillar in Lumbini which was erected by Emperor Asoka in the
Third Century B.C. marks the place where Prince Siddhartha was born. The Maya Devi Temple and the pond where Queen Mahamaya took her ritual
dip prior to Prince Siddhartha's birth and also where the Prince had His first bath are located in
Lumbini. The Maya Devi Temple and the pond where Queen Mahamaya took her ritual
dip prior to Prince Siddhartha's birth and also where the Prince had His first bath are located in
Lumbini. The famous Kapilavastu Palace is also situated in Lumbini.
Both Gaya: Buddhagaya or Both Gaya in India is where Prince Siddhartha Gauthama
became the Buddha, seated under the Bodhi Tree (Ficus religiosa). The Mahabodhi Temple and the Vajrasana (the Seat of
Enlightenment) was founded by Emperor Asoka about 250 years after Buddha's Enlightenment.
The Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura is a branch (or sapling) of the Bodhi Tree under which Buddha attained Enlightenment.
Kushinagar: Gautama Buddha attained Parinibbana in a sal forest in Kushinara in
Uttar Pradesh. Kushinara is also known as Kushinagar or Kushinga |
|
India's tallest Buddha statue,
India's tallest Buddha statue, towering at 125 ft, will be unveiled soon in this pilgrim centre in
Guntur district. The cement concrete statue will be installed in such a way that it will be visible from both the national highways of
Vijayawada- Hyderabad and Howrah-Chennai.With Vijayawada -Guntur-Mangalagiri-Tenali Urban
Development Authority (UDA) expressing its desire to complete the works, the prestigious
project would soon become a reality. Till now, an amount of Rs 1.7 crore was spent.
UNESCO to commemorate Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi
The Permanent Delegation of Sri Lanka to UNESCO and the Asia Pacific
Group of Member States in association with the Director General and Secretariat of UNESCO have finalized preparations for the holding of an
International Buddhist Symposium to commemorate the completion of 2600
years enlightenment of Lord Buddha. The scholarly symposium on “the Contributions of the Buddha’s Teachings to Universality, Humanism and
Peace” will be chaired by the Director General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova,
and co-chaired by Indian Parliamentarian and scholar, Dr. Karan Singh which is scheduled to be held on 20 May 2011.
The Sri Lanka Embassy in France in a press release said that the International Scholars including Prof. Yang Jian of the Institute of
World Religions, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) in Beijing, Prof. Dr. Phra Dhammakosajarn, Rector of the Mahachulalongkornraja
Vidyalaya University in Bangkok, Prof. Osmond Bopearachchi, Director of Research, French National Centre for Scientific Research, Ecole Normale
Supérieure (CNRS-ENS.) in Paris, Mr. Orya Maqbool Jan, Secretary of the
Government of Punjab in Pakistan, Prof. Narang Nouth, Ambassador of Cambodia to UNESCO and Ambassador Mohan Krishna Shrestha of Nepal are
presenting papers at the symposium.
President of the General Conference of UNESCO, Dr. Davidson Hepburn is
due to moderate the paper presentation and subsequent discussion.
|
|
