The Life of Siddartha
The stories attached to the conception and birth of the Buddha are rather remarkable…..
The Buddha’s mother was called Queen Maya and his father was called King Suddhodana. When Maya was pregnant with the Buddha, she dreamt that a pure white elephant entered her womb – there are variations of this but it always includes a pure white elephant
Maya gives birth to Siddhartha Gautama in the garden in Lumbini. Tradition says that when Siddhartha was born, Maya’s birth pains were practically non-existent
Also when Siddhartha was born, he took seven steps – where his foot touched the ground a lotus flower sprang up.
Then, at the seventh stride, he stopped and with a noble voice, he spoke:
“This is my last birth, There is no more coming to be” <-----Wisdom and Authority!!
The Buddha’s mother was called Queen Maya and his father was called King Suddhodana. When Maya was pregnant with the Buddha, she dreamt that a pure white elephant entered her womb – there are variations of this but it always includes a pure white elephant
Maya gives birth to Siddhartha Gautama in the garden in Lumbini. Tradition says that when Siddhartha was born, Maya’s birth pains were practically non-existent
Also when Siddhartha was born, he took seven steps – where his foot touched the ground a lotus flower sprang up.
Then, at the seventh stride, he stopped and with a noble voice, he spoke:
“This is my last birth, There is no more coming to be” <-----Wisdom and Authority!!
The birth of Buddha
That the man known as the Buddha was a real historical person is not seriously disputed nowadays.
However, it is very difficult to establish the exact details of his life history 2,500 years after it happened.
The stories and teachings of the Buddha were passed down orally until they were written down several hundred years later
King Suddhodana had an old teacher who was known to be very wise. He was called Asita the Sage. Asita visited the newly born Siddhartha
The king was very happy to see his wise old teacher again. In the palace, after the sage was seated, the king brought the prince before him and said, "Teacher, my son was born only yesterday. Here he is. Please see if his future will be good.“
Asita predicted that the new born baby would either be a great leader – like his father – or a wise religious leader.
King Suddhodana decided that he wanted his son to become a great leader – like himself – so he devised a plan that would imprison his son in luxury.
To stop Siddhartha from thinking about issues that may have influenced him to become a religious person, Siddhartha Gautama was imprisoned in paradise – he wasn’t allowed to leave the grounds of his ‘palace’
However, it is very difficult to establish the exact details of his life history 2,500 years after it happened.
The stories and teachings of the Buddha were passed down orally until they were written down several hundred years later
King Suddhodana had an old teacher who was known to be very wise. He was called Asita the Sage. Asita visited the newly born Siddhartha
The king was very happy to see his wise old teacher again. In the palace, after the sage was seated, the king brought the prince before him and said, "Teacher, my son was born only yesterday. Here he is. Please see if his future will be good.“
Asita predicted that the new born baby would either be a great leader – like his father – or a wise religious leader.
King Suddhodana decided that he wanted his son to become a great leader – like himself – so he devised a plan that would imprison his son in luxury.
To stop Siddhartha from thinking about issues that may have influenced him to become a religious person, Siddhartha Gautama was imprisoned in paradise – he wasn’t allowed to leave the grounds of his ‘palace’
Revision Notes
•Buddha was born a Prince called Siddartha Gautama
•His father was called King Suddhodana
•King Suddhodana takes Buddha to see Asita the Sage
•Asita the Sage says Buddha will either be a wise man or a leader
•Buddha’s father wants him to be a leader
•Buddha’s father imprisons him in a life of luxury to stop him thinking about being a religious leader.
The Four Sights
Sight one:
Old Age Siddhartha and Channa see a frail old man. Siddhartha had never seen a frail old man before. He was shocked at his first sight of an old man.
Sight two:
Illness Siddhartha saw a man lying in the road in agony. He was disturbed because he had never seen sickness or illness before. Now he began to understand illness as a reality of life.
Sight three:
Death Siddhartha saw a dead man being carried through the street in a funeral procession. This struck him even more deeply. It was the first time he had seen death! He realised that death came to everyone; even kings. The process of life, he worked out, was growing old, illness, suffering and death.
Sight four:
A Holy Man A man sitting in rags, carrying an alms bowl, and with a peaceful expression on his face, impressed Siddhartha very much. He felt inspired to become a wandering truth seeker. This was the beginning of Siddhartha’s path to find out why people suffer and how to stop it.
Sight one:
Old Age Siddhartha and Channa see a frail old man. Siddhartha had never seen a frail old man before. He was shocked at his first sight of an old man.
Sight two:
Illness Siddhartha saw a man lying in the road in agony. He was disturbed because he had never seen sickness or illness before. Now he began to understand illness as a reality of life.
Sight three:
Death Siddhartha saw a dead man being carried through the street in a funeral procession. This struck him even more deeply. It was the first time he had seen death! He realised that death came to everyone; even kings. The process of life, he worked out, was growing old, illness, suffering and death.
Sight four:
A Holy Man A man sitting in rags, carrying an alms bowl, and with a peaceful expression on his face, impressed Siddhartha very much. He felt inspired to become a wandering truth seeker. This was the beginning of Siddhartha’s path to find out why people suffer and how to stop it.
The Four Noble Truths
1. Dukkha - suffering
2. Samudaya - craving
3. Nirodha – the end of suffering
4. Magga – the middle way (8 Fold Path)
1. Dukkha* exists throughout life.
2. Dukkha is caused by craving, desire, and attachment.
3. By giving up craving, desire and attachment dukkha can be destroyed.
4. The path to ending dukkha is ‘the noble eightfold path’…
“Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering.”
Source: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta ("The Discourse That Sets Turning the Wheel of Truth")
Suffering comes in many forms. Three obvious kinds of suffering correspond to the first three sights the Buddha saw on his first journey outside his palace: old age, sickness and death.
•The three root causes of all suffering
•Moha (Ignorance)
•Lobha (greed)
Dosa (hatred).
The third noble truth is that there is an end to suffering. This means that Buddhism teaches it is possible to end a person’s suffering through managing their actions and efforts and that this can lead to enlightenment.
The message of the third noble truth is that if people stop craving (tanha) then suffering will cease. Buddha taught that when people crave things but don’t get them then they become frustrated with life. So to let go of tanha stops people feeling dissatisfied.
The Fourth Noble Truth (the 8 Fold Path)
Right View
Having the correct understanding of things.
Right Intentions
Having correct goals in life.
Right Action
If you want to be happy you should not do actions that cause harm.
Right Speech
Not lying, telling the truth.
Right Effort
If you want to be happy you should let go of the things that cause harm in your life.
Right Livelihood
If you want to be happy you should not have a job that causes harm.
Right Concentration
Training one’s mind to focus and concentrate (Meditation)
Right Mindfulness
Filling one’s mind with the right memories, concepts, and ideas / Learning useful ideas.
2. Samudaya - craving
3. Nirodha – the end of suffering
4. Magga – the middle way (8 Fold Path)
1. Dukkha* exists throughout life.
2. Dukkha is caused by craving, desire, and attachment.
3. By giving up craving, desire and attachment dukkha can be destroyed.
4. The path to ending dukkha is ‘the noble eightfold path’…
“Now this, bhikkhus, is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering.”
Source: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta ("The Discourse That Sets Turning the Wheel of Truth")
Suffering comes in many forms. Three obvious kinds of suffering correspond to the first three sights the Buddha saw on his first journey outside his palace: old age, sickness and death.
•The three root causes of all suffering
•Moha (Ignorance)
•Lobha (greed)
Dosa (hatred).
The third noble truth is that there is an end to suffering. This means that Buddhism teaches it is possible to end a person’s suffering through managing their actions and efforts and that this can lead to enlightenment.
The message of the third noble truth is that if people stop craving (tanha) then suffering will cease. Buddha taught that when people crave things but don’t get them then they become frustrated with life. So to let go of tanha stops people feeling dissatisfied.
The Fourth Noble Truth (the 8 Fold Path)
Right View
Having the correct understanding of things.
Right Intentions
Having correct goals in life.
Right Action
If you want to be happy you should not do actions that cause harm.
Right Speech
Not lying, telling the truth.
Right Effort
If you want to be happy you should let go of the things that cause harm in your life.
Right Livelihood
If you want to be happy you should not have a job that causes harm.
Right Concentration
Training one’s mind to focus and concentrate (Meditation)
Right Mindfulness
Filling one’s mind with the right memories, concepts, and ideas / Learning useful ideas.
