Buddhism and Its Beginnings: Story About Siddhartha Gautama
Buddhism and its Beginnings
Buddhism, being one of the oldest religions, has been one of the most influential and significant religions in the world. This essay will discuss major historical events related to Buddhism and the life of Buddha. The explanation and basic teachings/ moral aspects including; the three marks of reality, the Four Noble Truths, and The Noble Eightfold Path will also be discussed. Lastly, a comparison of the three major Buddhist traditions (Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana) will be conveyed.
The Beginning of Buddhism
Although Buddhism is big in Asia and continues to spread west, it found its origins in India. Due to changes and religious differences during the fifth century BCE, there was a big pull toward having a deeply personal experience, meditation, deep breathing, and studying with Gurus. The opposition to old philosophies and the Vedic religion grew rapidly. The original Buddha was a man named Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Awakened One. There is no one biography written about Buddha, and some stories are thought to be fiction.
The Story of Siddhartha Gautama
Siddhartha was born in the lower Himalayan Mountain region of what is today Nepal and was the son of a tribal prince, from the tribe of Shakyra. Siddhartha’s conception is said to be a legend. The legend is as follows; Siddhartha’s mother, Maya, was entered at the side by a white elephant, and after Siddhartha was birthed from Maya’s side, near her heart. Maya died a week after birth and Siddhartha was then raised by his aunt.
Special marks said to be on the baby, indicated that he would be illustrious. “At his naming ceremony, priests foretold that his life could go in one of two directions. One direction was that he would follow in his father’s footsteps, inheriting his position and becoming a great king, a “world ruler.” However, if he were exposed to the sight of suffering, he would move in another direction. He would become a great spiritual leader, a “world teacher”. Due to the above-mentioned, Siddhartha’s father confined his son to their palace compound, gave him a good education, trained him to be a warrior, and raised the child in a life of luxury. Siddhartha was married to a woman of his father’s choosing and they had a son together. Siddhartha disobeyed his father’s command and left the compound. For the first time in his life, Siddhartha witnessed suffering and ordinary life. “He saw—and was moved by—what are called the Four Passing Sights. He came across an old man, crooked and toothless; a sick man, wasted by disease; and a corpse being taken for cremation. Then he saw a sannyasin—a wandering holy man, a renunciate - who had no possessions but who seemed to be at peace”.
What followed After the Realization?
At 29 years old, Siddhartha felt trapped in his life and foresaw a future that made him very unhappy. After being in a depression, Siddhartha decided to leave his luxurious life and live that of a simple man, leaving his wife and child, cutting his hair, and giving up his horse and his jewels. In the next six years, Siddhartha would seek many teachers and the answers to questions like “Why is there suffering?”, “Why do people grow old and die?”, “Can we avoid suffering?” etc. Siddhartha joined other people seeking the same answers, all the while living on little food, sleep, and water believing that living this way would give him spiritual powers.
Moderation, Enlightenment, and Awakening
Siddhartha eventually collapsed from being emaciated and living on such little food and water. It was said that at this time he was tempted by an evil spirit but he resisted. The people that were traveling with him abandoned him. Found under a tree by a woman near the town of Gaya, Siddhartha was given food and decided to take life on in moderation. During some meditation, it is said that he found profound understanding and awakening called “Bodhi”. After his enlightenment, he was known thereafter as Buddha meaning “to wake up”. It is said that Buddha traveled west after being in the place of his enlightenment for some time. After reconnecting with his former companions that were also seeking the same answers to life, the same five people became known as his disciples. Buddha would spend the rest of his life traveling all over India and began an order of monks and nuns. The lifestyle of Buddha and his decuples was a very healthy one consisting of no alcohol, meditation, clear air, and walking.
Basic Teaching and Moral Aspects
The teachings of Buddha were not written and were recorded hundreds of years later, mainly based on oral traditions and many interpretations. Buddha’s teachings (called Pali, related to Sanskrit) were practical and concentrated. The core of Buddhism is called “the Three Jewels (related to Sanskrit)—that is, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. The Dharma (Sanskrit), or Dhamma (Pali), means the sum total of Buddhist teachings about how to view the world and how to live properly. The Sangha is the community of monks and nuns”. The concentration of Buddha was to minimize suffering and how to attain inner peace.
Three Marks of Reality
The perspective that “reality manifests three characteristics: constant change, a lack of permanent identity, and the existence of suffering” is the platform for the “Four Noble Truths” and the “Noble Eightfold Path”. Concepts such as change (Anichcha), non-permanent identity (Anatta), and suffering (Dukka) are key to Buddhism. The Four Noble Truths are as follows: suffering exists, it has caused, it has an end, and that there is a way to get a release from suffering. The Noble Eightfold Path contains somewhat of an eight-step program conveying practicality and are the following: right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right work right effort, right meditation, and lastly right contemplation. The early teaching of Buddhism was largely influenced by Vedic practice from India and was shared from other religions such as Jainism and Hinduism.
The Comparison of Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana
There are three different types of Buddhism. Starting with Theravada Buddhism, the teachings are divided into three groups also known as “three baskets”. Three collections consist of the following: the first outlining rules of the livelihood, the second of saying of Buddha, and the third of “the works that go beyond the elementary teachings”. The art and architecture of Theravada Buddhism are comprised of symbols that represent Buddha. Many artists had trouble depicting what Buddha stood for. Images of Buddha began to appear in the first century of the Common Era. Mahayana Buddhism is the second branch of Buddhism and it means “big vehicle”. “The Mahayana tradition maintains that a person must save himself by saving others”. Basically, compassion and what is called Nirvana play a huge part in this branch. There is also a “three-body doctrine” called “Trikaya”. The doctrine’s three focal points are Heavenly Bodhisattvas, Shunyata, and Tathata. Mahayana literature is said to be from Buddha also called “Sutras”. Mahayana Buddhism was very popular throughout China and India. Buddhism was one of three doctrines also linked to two other doctrines called Daoism and Confucianism. Vajrayana Buddhism is the last of the three Buddhism. This specific type of Buddhism is practiced in northeast India and is often called Tantric Buddhism. This Buddhism contains Shamans, and Tibetan spiritual teachers and was combined by a popular Buddhist by the name of Padmasambhava. The spiritual leader (called a Lama) ran monasteries that held libraries, courtyards, prayer halls, etc. The Mahayana practice with many important ritual objects. For example, a Vajra (a metal scepter) represents lightning. A bell is also an important object as well as music and dance to keep demons away.
Conclusion
Buddhism is a deep and very complex religion. There are many things not discussed above that pertain to the religion of Buddhism. Buddhism started in India but is now considered to be known around the world, and is continually changing in the present day. Things like Zen, taking care of the earth (Green Buddhism) and Haiku poems are largely influenced by that of Buddha and his teachings. Even if one is not Buddhist, it is very easy to see in the modern world that Buddhism has influenced many of the cultures in today’s society.
References
- Malloy, M. Experiencing the World’s Religions. [University of Phoenix] Retrieved from
- https://phoenix.vitalsource.com/#/books/1260529932/
