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"Siddhartha" redirects here. For other uses, see Siddhartha (disambiguation) . "Gautama" redirects here. For other uses, see Gautama (disambiguation) . Gautama Buddha was a spiritual teacher of ancient India . He was born in Lumbini , a place situated in modern Nepal near the borders of modern India . He spent most of his life in the regions of Northern India . His dates are the subject of conflicting tradition and scholarly controversy. A consensus through much of the 20th century placed his dates of birth at 563 BCE and his death at 483 BCE . Almost all traditional accounts would place his dates sixty or more years earlier; some current scholars, on the other hand, place him as much as a century later, e.g. 480 BCE - 400 BCE . This revision affects the dating of many other events in early India that depend on the Buddha's date. (See the review article by Cousins for discussion {Link without Title} .) Born with the name (according to most texts) of Siddhārtha (Sanskrit) or '''Siddhattha''' (Pāli), meaning "he who has achieved his goals", he belonged to the clan or (Pāli: Kapilavatthu). Gautama, after entering on a quest for the causes of life and death, underwent a transformative spiritual change that led him to claim the name of gotra") and as the Tathāgata ("thus-come-one"). Gautama is the key figure in Buddhism , and accounts of his life, discourses, and Monastic rules were summarized after his death and memorized by the Saṅgha . Passed down by Oral Tradition , the Tripiṭaka , the collection of discourses attributed to Gautama, was committed to Writing about four hundred years later. Buddha's life Few of the details of the Buddha's life can be independently verified, and it is difficult to determine what is history and what is Myth . Therefore this article will describe the life of Siddhārtha Gautama as told in the earliest available Buddhist Texts . Conception and birth 's white elephant dream. Gandhara , 2-3rd century CE.]] According to tradition, Siddhārtha was born more than two hundred years before the reign of the Maurya king Aśoka . His mother dreamt one night that an elephant with six tusks and a head the colour of rubies came down from the highest heaven and entered her womb on the right side. Eight Brahmins told her husband the child would be holy and achieve perfect wisdom. Later she entered the garden of Lumbini with her attendants, and walked beneath the Śālā tree, which bent down. The queen took hold of the branch and looked up to the heavens. At that moment Siddhārtha was born out of her side. He immediately took seven steps towards each quarter of heaven, and at each step a lotus flower sprung up. He then declared he would have no more births, that this was his last body and he would pluck out by the roots sorrow caused by birth and death. Siddhārtha was born in Lumbini , a part of the ancient India n Śākya Kingdom which is now situated fully in modern Nepal , under the Full Moon of the sixth Lunar Month , in the spring (season)|spring. His father was Śuddhodana (Pāli Suddhodana), of the Kṣatriya Varṇa , was the chief (rājā, or king) of the Śākya nation, one of several ancient tribes on the margins of the growing state of Kośala (Pāli Kosala). His mother was Māyādevī , one of Śuddhodana's wives. The day of the Buddha's birth is widely celebrated in Buddhist countries as Vesak . Gautama was born a prince, destined to a comfortable, even luxurious life by the standards of the day. All traditions agree that the Buddha's mother died at his birth or a few days later. During the Birth celebrations, the Seer Asita announced that this baby would either become a great king or a great holy man. His father, King Śuddhodana, wishing for Gautama to be a great king, shielded his son from religious teachings or knowledge of human Suffering . While later tradition and legend characterized Śuddhodana as a hereditary monarch, the descendant of the Solar Dynasty of Ikṣvāku (Pāli: Okkāka), many scholars believe that Śuddhodana was the elected chief of a tribal confederacy. Since Siddhārtha belonged to the Śākya clan, he came to be known as Śākyamuni ("sage of the Śākyas"). Marriage When the young Prince Siddhartha Gautama was still a baby, an . Gautama lived up to the age of 29 as a prince in Kapilavastu , a place situated now in Nepal . Although his father ensured that Gautama was provided with everything he could want or need, Gautama was troubled and dissatisfied. The Great Departure In venturing outside of his palace, Gautama saw an old crippled man ( Old Age ), a Disease d man ( Illness ), a decaying Corpse ( Death ), and an Ascetic . These four scenes are referred to as the Four Sights . Gautama was inspired by these sights - he sought to overcome old age, illness, and death by living the life of an ascetic. Gautama soon left his home, his possessions, and his entire family at age 29, to take up the lonely life of a wandering Monk . Abandoning his inheritance, he dedicated his life to learning how to overcome suffering. He Meditated with two Brahmin hermits, and, although he achieved high levels of meditative consciousness, he was still not satisfied with his path. , 2-3rd century CE. British Museum .]] Gautama then chose the robes of a Mendicant Monk and headed to north-east India . He began his training in the Ascetic life and practicing vigorous techniques of physical and mental austerity. Gautama proved quite adept at these practices, and was able to surpass even his teachers. However, he found no answer to his questions. Leaving behind his caring teachers, he and a small group of close companions set out to take their austerities even further. Gautama attempted to find enlightenment through complete deprivation of worldly goods, including food, and became a complete ascetic. After nearly starving himself to death (some sources claim that he nearly drowned), Gautama began to reconsider his path. Then, he remembered a moment in childhood in which he had been watching his father start the season's plowing, and he had fallen into a naturally concentrated and focused state which was blissful and refreshing. After leaving After discarding asceticism and concentrating on Meditation , Gautama 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 buttermilk from a passing goatherder, Sumedha . Then, sitting under a Pipal tree, now known as the Bodhi Tree , he vowed never to arise until he had found the Truth. At the age of 35, he attained Enlightenment ; according to some traditions, this occurred approximately in May, and according to others in December. Gautama, from then on, was known as "The Perfectly Self-Awakened One", the Sammasambuddha . He stated that he had realized complete Awakening and insight into the nature and cause of human suffering, 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 . According to one of the stories in the , immediately after his Enlightenment, the Buddha was wondering whether or not he should teach the '' Dharma ''. He was concerned that, as human beings were overpowered by greed, hatred and delusion, they would not be able to see the true ''dharma'' which was subtle, deep and hard to understand. However, a spirit, Brahma Sahampati , interceded and asked that he teach the ''dharma'' to the world, as "there will be those who will understand the ''Dharma''". With his great compassion, the Buddha agreed to become a teacher. .]] At the Deer Park near Benares in northern India he set in motion the Wheel Of Dhamma 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. The Buddha emphasized that he was not a '' and see truth and reality as it is. The Buddhist system of insight, thought, and Meditation practice was not revealed divinely, but by the understanding of the true nature of the Mind , which could be discovered by anybody. For the remaining 45 years of his life, the Buddha traveled in the , in Chapter 12, contains a description of the dragon king's daughter attaining enlightenment in her present body), but he gave them certain additional rules ( Vinaya ) to follow. The Great Passing , Gandhara 2-3rd century.]] , 2-3rd century.]] At the age of eighty, the Buddha ate his last meal, which, according to different translations, was either a mushroom delicacy or soft pork, which he had received as an offering from a blacksmith named s, and then finally died. The Buddha's final words were, "All composite things pass away. Strive for your own salvation with diligence." The Buddha's body was cremated and the Relic s were placed in monuments or Stupa s, some of which are believed to have survived until the present. According to the Theravāda record of or 543 BCE , because the reign of Aśoka was traditionally reckoned to be about sixty years earlier than current estimates (based on Aśoka's own inscriptions, and therefore among the soundest dates in early Indian history). Personality and character Buddha, 1st-2nd century CE, Musée Guimet .]] The Buddha as presented in the Buddhist scriptures is notable for such characteristics as:
Physical characteristics , 1st-2nd century CE, Tokyo National Museum .]] See Also: Physical characteristics of the Buddha Buddha is perhaps one of the few sages for whom we have mention of his rather impressive physical characteristics. He was at least six feet tall and had a strong enough body to be noticed by one of the Kings and was asked to join his army as a general. Although the Buddha was not represented in human form until around the 1st Century CE (see Buddhist Art ), his physical characteristics are described in one of the central texts of the traditional Pali Canon , the Digha Nikaya . They help define the global aspect of the historical Buddha, his physical appearance is described by Buddha's wife to his son Rahula upon Buddha's return in the scripture of the "Lion of Men": 3. Like the full moon is His face; He is dear to Gods and men; He is like an elephant amongst men; His gait is graceful as that of an elephant of noble breed. That, indeed, is your father, lion of men. 4. He is of Aryan (aristocratic nobility) lineage, sprung from the warrior caste; His feet have been honoured by Gods and men; His mind is well established in morality and concentration. That, indeed, is your father, lion of men. 5. Long and prominent is His well-formed nose, His eye-lashes are like those of a heifer; His eyes are extremely blue ; like a rainbow are His deep blue eyebrows. (The word used is "adhi nila", meaning "very blue", nila is used for the word blue sapphire.) That, indeed, is your father, lion of men. 6. Round and smooth is His well-formed neck; His jaw is like that of a lion; His body is like that of king of beast; His beautiful skin is of bright golden colour. That, indeed is your father, lion of men. Interpretations may vary, and the reliability of the '' Sutras '' may be questioned. The description above is indicative of a typically Indo-Aryan body type. This can also be related to the tradition describing the historic Buddha as a member of the Indian Kshatriya warrior caste. Teachings in Thailand .]] The teachings of the Buddha are covered in the articles on Buddhism and ''' Buddhist Philosophy '''. While there is disagreement amongst various Buddhist Sects over more esoteric aspects of Buddha's teachings and over Disciplinary Rules rules for monks, there is generally agreement over these points:
Buddha as viewed by other religions Bahá'í Faith Bahá'ís believe that Buddha was a " Manifestation Of God ," or one in a line of prophets who have revealed the Word of God progressively for a gradually maturing humanity. In this way, Buddha shares an exalted station with Abraham , Moses , Zoroaster , Krishna , Jesus , Muhammad , The Báb , and the founder of the Bahá'í Faith , Bahá'u'lláh . However, the Central Figures of the Bahá'í Faith caution believers that, as is the case with many Manifestations, it is difficult to say which Buddhist teachings that have come down through history are authentic and which have been corrupted. Abdul Bahá, one of the Central Figures, said, "The founder of Buddhism was a wonderful soul. He established the Oneness of God, but later the original principles of His doctrines gradually disappeared, and ignorant customs and ceremonials arose and increased until they finally ended in the worship of statues and images." (Some Answered Questions, p. 165) Hinduism Contrary to most Buddhists, some Hindu Denominations , primarily in the northern regions of India, on the basis of the Purāṇa s of later Hinduism regard Buddha as the ninth avatar of Viṣṇu and the general decline of Buddhism in India has been attributed to the development of Vedānta philosophy which began challenging Buddhism's philosophically strong image. There are accounts of the Buddha as an incarnation of Viṣṇu that are pro- and anti- Buddhist . That is to say, either that Viṣṇu "really meant" what he said while incarnated as Buddha or that he was intentionally tricking those who follow unorthodox doctrines. In some, the Buddha has been described in such a manner that many Buddhists find unacceptable as the texts say that Viṣṇu had taken the Buddha incarnation to "mislead" the "demons" from the true Vedic path by deliberately propagating a false religion. Recently, there has been a mutual understanding established between Buddhists and Hindus that this is not true and two leaders from both communities, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Shri Jayendra Saraswathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Pith and Vipassanacharya S. N. Goenka , released a statement (reference) saying that : # The Buddha as Vishnu theory should be forgotten and no longer propogated. # That the theory should not be used by one community to try to establish dominance over the other. # Good deeds and the purging of defilements such as anger and hate should be undertaken by all in the pursuit of happiness and peace. Islam Some Muslims believe that Siddharta Gautama is the same person who is referred to in the Quran as '' Dhul-Kifl '', and that he was therefore a Prophet Of Islam . The meaning of ''Dhul-Kifl'' is unclear, but, according to this view, it means "the man from ''Kifl''", where ''Kifl'' is the Arabic pronunciation of Kapilavastu , where the Buddha spent thirty years of his life. Other views, however, hold that ''Dhul-Kifl'' was a different person and not a prophet at all, or that he was the prophet called Ezekiel in the Bible . Christianity The Greek legend of " Barlaam And Ioasaph ", mistakenly attributed to the 7th Century John Of Damascus but actually written by the Georgian monk Euthymios in the 11th Century , was ultimately derived, through a variety of intermediate versions ( Arabic and Georgian ) from the life story of the Buddha. The king-turned-monk Ioasaph (Georgian ''Iodasaph'', Arabic ''Yūdhasaf'' or ''Būdhasaf'') ultimately derives his name from the Sanskrit Bodhisattva , the name used in Buddhist accounts for Gautama before he became a Buddha. Barlaam and Ioasaph were placed in the Greek calendar of Saint s on 26 August , and in the West they were canonized (as "Barlaam and Josaphat") in the Roman Martyrology on the date of 27 November . See also External links
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