Personal life of Gautama Buddha
Real name – Siddhartha
Kshatriya prince belonging to the ruling Sakya clan of Kapilavatsu in Nepal
This clan belongs to Koshala mahajanapada with Shravasti as capital
Parents - Suddhodana, Maya devi (Mahamaya)
Buddha’s mother dreamt of a white elephant with six tusks entering her womb when she was pregnant
born in 567 BC (BCE) in Lumbini Garden, near Kapilavastu in Nepal – younger than Mahavira
Born on Vaisakha Purnima
Vaisakha is a month of the Hindu calendar that corresponds to April/May in the Gregorian Calendar.
Vaisakha is the second month of the year (After Chithirai).
When Siddhartha was only seven days old his mother died. So, he was raised by his step mother Gautami
married at the age of sixteen to a princess called Yashodhara. He had a son named Rahula
At the age of 29, Siddhartha saw Four Great Sights while riding on with his charioteer Channa
An uncared old man in rags with his bent back.
A sick man suffering from an incurable disease.
A man’s corpse being carried to the burial ground by weeping relatives.
An ascetic who had renounced the world and found no sign of sorrows
537 BCE - So, at the age of 29 he left his palace and became a hermit
Mahabhiraskramana or Great Going Forth - He left this palace in night and rode his chariot pulled by his favourite horse Kanthaka and driven by his charioteer Channa
He sacrificed six years of his life towards penance
He was a disciple of Alara Kalama for some period and sought guidance from Uddaka Ramaputta
Buddha sat under a Pipal tree and undertook a deep meditation in Bodh Gaya, south of Gaya after eating rice boiled in milk given by a milkmaid named Sujata
Gaya is on the bank of Phalgu river, tributary of Ganga
On the 49th day he finally attained enlightenment at the age of 35. From that moment onwards, he was called Buddha or the Enlightened One.
He was also known as Sakya Muni or Sage of Sakya clan
Life of Buddha
first sermon at Deer Park in Sarnath, near Benaras - “Dharma Chakra Pravartana” or Turning of the Wheel of Law
Buddha and his followers travelled for 8 months and stayed at a place for 4 months of rainy season
Places visited by Buddha
Vaishali (capital of Vajji), Kaushambi (capital of Vatsa), Rajgir (capital of Magadha), Shravasti (capital of Koshala), Kushinagar (capital of Malla)
487 BCE - Mahaparinirvana - After 45 years of preaching, he died at Kushinagar at the age of 80
Symbols of great events in Buddha’s life
Lotus – Buddha’s birth
Horse (Kanthaka) – Great Departure or Great Going Forth – Mahabhiraskramana
Bodhi tree – Enlightenment
Wheel of law – First sermon at Sarnath
reclining Buddha figure or stupa - Mahaparinirvana
Buddha’s Four Noble Truths
Noble Truth of Suffering - Dukkha - Life is full of sorrow and misery.
Noble Truth of Origin of Suffering - Samudaya - Desire is the cause of misery.
Noble Truth of Cessation of Suffering - Nirodha - Sorrows and sufferings can be removed by giving up one’s desire.
Noble Truth of the Path Leading to Cessation of Suffering - Magga - The desire can be overcome by following the right path (Noble eightfold path)
Eight Fold Path
Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.
Buddhist Sangha
Buddha laid foundation for missionary organization - Sangha, meaning ‘association’ for the propagation of his faith.
The members were called bhikshus (monks) and biskhunis (nuns). They led a life of austerity
Even women can become enlightened like men - Buddha
Chaitya – Buddhist shrine or a meditation hall
Viharas – Monasteries/living quarters for monks
Disciples of Buddha - Sariputta, Maha moggallana, Ananda, Mahakaccayana
Teachings of Buddha
Buddha's teachings are referred to as dhamma (Pali)
Adopting Middle Path - neither indulging in extreme attachment to worldly pleasure nor committing severe penance
Buddhism accepted the Theory of Karma – meaning that the quality of man’s life depends on his deed
saṃsara - the endless cycle of repeated rebirth, dukkha and dying
Buddha neither accepted nor denied the existence of God, but believed in the laws of universe
Buddhism did not indulge in metaphysical discussions that described one’s connection with universe of paranormal but suggested a simple and practical way of living
Buddha asserted that attaining nirvana is the ultimate aim of life by following eight fold noble path
Buddha advocated ahimsa or nonviolence.
Buddha had rejected the caste system and denied the authority of Vedas
Triratna under Buddhism –
Buddha (Enlightened One), Dhamma (Teachings of Buddha) and Sangha (Monastic order)
Split in Buddhism
Sthaviravadins or Believers in Teachings of the Elders
Mahasanghikas or Members of Great Community
Hinayana (Lesser vehicle)
Hinayana is also known as Theravada by some experts – oldest existing school
Because of the dismissive connotation of the term Hinayana, which means "lesser vehicle," its followers prefer the name Theravada, or Way of the Elders (meaning the early disciples of the Buddha
original creed preached by Buddha
Regarded Buddha as their guru and did not worship him as God.
Did not worship idols or images of Buddha
Practiced austerity
Used Prakrit language
Believed that salvation of individual as its goal
Salvation can be achieved through self discipline and meditation
Patronised by Ashoka and Spread to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, South East Asian countries
Mahayana (Greater vehicle)
Buddha was worshipped as God and Bodhisattva as his previous avatar
Followers made images and statues of Buddha and Bodhisattva and offered prayers and recited hymns (mantras)
Observed elaborate rituals
Believed in salvation of all beings as its objective
Salvation can be attained by means of faith and devotion to mindfulness of Buddha
Used Sanskrit language in religious books
Spread to Central Asia, Tibet, China and Japan where middle path was accepted
Two main philosophical schools of Mahayana – Madhyamika and Yogachara
Other sects
Vajrayana or Vehicle of Thunderbolt – popular in Bihar and Bengal - Vikramshila University found by Dharmapala was important centre of Vajrayana Buddhism
Causes for the spread of Buddhism
Simplicity of the teachings of Buddha in local language appealed to people
Buddhism rejected elaborate and expensive rituals and sacrifices practices by orthodox Vedic religion
Buddha’s emphasis was on observance of Dhamma
Buddhist Sanghas played an important role in spreading the messages of Buddha
Royal patronage under Ashoka, Kanishka and Harsha also helped the causes of Buddhism
Viharas or the Buddhist monasteries became great centres of education. One such centre was Nalanda
Gunabhadra, an Indian monk from Magadha, was an exponent of Mahayana doctrine, for which he earned in China the honorific nickname “Monkeyan” (Mahayana). He travelled to China in 435 AD.
Subakarasimha, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra were known as the “Three Major Buddhists of Kaiyuan” who took Vajrayana Buddhism to China in 716-20 AD which later caused the evolution of Lamaism in Tibet.
Buddhism vs Hinduism:
Rejects the authenticity of Vedas
Buddhists too recognized the varna system though they did not base it on birth. They, however, gave the kshatriya the highest place in the system.
Similarities between Jainism and Buddhism
Both Mahavira and Buddha hailed from royal Kshatriya families and chose to adopt an ascetic life
Both propounded simple, puritan, ascetic living - not permitted to touch gold and silver
Denied the authority of Vedas and Brahmanas
Both were supported by Vaishyas
Taught in the language of the common people.
Admitted disciples from all the castes and from both the genders
Opposed blood sacrifices
Believed in the doctrine of Karma
Emphasized on right conduct and right knowledge instead of performing religious ceremonials and rituals as the means to achieve salvation.
Jainism and Buddhism themselves did not materially change the Shudra’s position
Although he could be admitted to the new religious orders, his general position continued to be low.
Dissimilarities
Jainism followed extreme path. Buddhism followed middle path
Jainism does not believe in the existence of god but believes life in every living being
Buddhism emphasises Anatma (no eternal soul) and anitya (impermanence)
Jainism remained in India only
Buddhism spread across many parts of world
Generally, Buddhism used Pali and Jainism used Prakrit
Buddhism rejects the concept of existence of soul unlike Jainism
Buddhist Councils
First – Rajgir under patronage of Ajata Satru – Presided by Mahakasappa
headed by Upali
Upali recited Vinaya Pitaka and Ananda recited Sutta Pitaka
Second – Vaishali under patronage of Kalasoka of Shishunaga dynasty – Presided by Sabhakami
Held a century after death of Buddha
Third (250 BC) – Pataliputra under the patronage of Ashoka - presided by Moggaliputta Tissa
Outcome – to expand the reach of Buddhism to other parts and send missions to convert people. Thus, Buddhism became a proselytizing religion
Fourth (72 AD) – Kundalvana, Kashmir - under the patronage of King Kanishka – Presided by Vasumitra
Ashvagosha – vice President – author of Buddhacharita
Asvaghosha is the author of the first Sanskrit play, Sariputraprakarana – Greatest Sanskrit poet and dramatist prior to Kalidasa
split in Buddhism - Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism
Tripitaka - all three Pitakas were in Pali language
Vinaya Pitaka (Rules of order for Buddhists) by Upali
rules and regulations, which should be followed by Buddhist monks
Sutta Pitaka (Buddha’s sermons and doctrines) by Ananda
dialogues and speeches of the Buddha that deal with morality and righteous dharma
Abhidhamma Pitaka (Buddhist philosophy) by Mahakashyap
concentrates on philosophy and metaphysics – analytical and abstract understanding of Buddha’s teaching found in Sutta Pitaka
Buddhist literature
buddhis texts were compiled in Pali
Jataka stories
popular moral stories about the previous birth and life of Buddha, as human and as an animal.
Milinda Panha - Questions of Milinda by Nagasena – 100 BC
Questions of Milinda and Nagasena’s answers were written in a book Milindapanho (Pali language)
Originally written in Sanskrit. But only Pali version is available now
Ceylonese chronicles – Dipavamsa (Island Chronicles), Mahavamsa (Great Chronicle), Culavamsa (Lesser Chronicle)
Madhyamika Sutra of Nagarjuna
Buddhacharita by Asvagosha
Reasons for decline of Buddhism
Buddhism was popular in the beginning because it was preached in people’s language (Pali). The later texts were written in Sanskrit, which was difficult for the common people to understand.
The split in Buddhism into various sects like Hinayana and Mahayana made to lose its originality
Image worship in Mahayana made no difference between Hinduism and Buddhism.
Buddhism lost its royal patronage after Harsha Vardhana.
invasions of Huns and Turks almost wiped out Buddhism – Toramana and Mihirakula hated Buddhist
Exponents of Bhakti movement like Ramanuja and Ramananda helped restore the glory of Vedic religion
Slowly Buddhism came to be influenced by Hindu practices. Buddhism was also incorporated into Hinduism and Buddha came to be considered as an avatar of Vishnu in some traditions
Rajput rulers could not reconcile to Buddhist concept of non violence and as ardent advocates of Vedic religion persecuted Buddhists
Invading Arabs and Turks forced Buddhist monks to flee from India and seek asylum in Nepal, Tibet and Ceylon
Buddhism in TN
Buddhism spread to Tamil Nadu much later than Jainism
Buddhist complex of 4th century CE in Kaveripattinam
Manimekalai, one of the epics of the post-Sangam age is a Buddhist literature
Kundalakesi is a Buddhist epic
Kanchipuram was a famous Buddhist Centre, from where Dinnaga, the famous Buddhist logician, and Dharmapala, a great scholar of Nalanda University hailed.
Hieun Tsang who visited Kanchipuram noticed the presence of 100 feet stupa built by Ashoka there.
Buddhist temple was built in Nagapattinam at the request of a Ceylonese ruler during the reign of Pallava king Narasimhavarman II
Sri Vijaya king Sri Vijaya Maravijayattungavarman established Chudamani Vihara or Soolamani Varma Vihara Buddhist monastery at Nagapatnam during the reign of Raja Raja I
Sri Vijaya king Sri Vijaya Maravijayattungavarman established Chudamani Vihara or Soolamani Varma Vihara Buddhist monastery at Nagapatnam during the reign of Raja Raja I
The Light of Asia
The Light of Asia by Sir Edwin Arnold is a poem on life and teachings of the Buddha published in London in 1879.
This book contributed greatly to the international community’s knowledge of Buddhism
It has had an influence on many of Indian leaders such as Vivekananda, Gandhi, Nehru and Ambedkar