Siddhartha Gautama or the person we call the Buddha was an ascetic prince. He rejected his throne to lead the world on a path of peace. Buddha was also the founder of the Buddhist religion which is well known around the world. In many sects of Hinduism, he is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Buddha was saddened by seeing the death of all living creatures. Not happy with the answers provided to him, he decided to leave his home and find the absolute truth. Buddha Purnima is celebrated in Hinduism as a devotion to Buddha. Let us look at the life of the Buddha.
Birth and Family
Siddhartha Gautama was born in the fifth or sixth century B.C. in Lumbini (modern-day Nepal). Siddhartha is a Sanskrit name meaning “one who accomplishes a goal” while Gautama is a family name. Prince Siddhartha and his family were of the caste of warriors and nobles. It is said when Siddhartha was only a few days old, a holy man had prophesied that he would either become a great king or a great spiritual teacher. His father King Suddhodana wanted the first outcome and prepared his life accordingly. His father decided to raise the young prince in great luxury and keep him away from human suffering and religion. He was married to his cousin Yasodhara at the age of 16. This was surely a marriage arranged by the families as was customary at those times.
Search and Renunciation
While the prince was 29 with little experience of the outside world. He was unaware of old age, death, or sickness. Out of curiosity, one day he asked his charioteer to take him on to ride through the countryside. While on this journey he was shocked to see an old man, a sick man, and a corpse. These graphic realities of life had shocked the prince. At the end of his ride, he saw an ascetic. His charioteer then explained to him that the person had renounced the world and was looking for release from the world of suffering and death. For a while, the prince returned to his palace and normal life but had no pleasure in it. At the same time, his wife Yasodhara had given birth to his son Rahula. While roaming around the palace alone one night he found the luxuries that he had enjoyed before now grotesque. Seeing the musicians and the dancing girls passed out, he started to again reflect on how their bodies would later die of old age, death, or disease leaving them to dust.
Seeing this, he realized that the life of a prince was no longer meant for him. Therefore, that night he decided to leave the palace with his head shaved and changed from his royal clothes to a beggar's robe. He began his search for enlightenment and renounced all his luxuries in life. Siddhartha began his journey by looking for many renowned teachers. He learned how to meditate and learned about various religious philosophies as well. His questions remained though and he along with five disciples decided to leave to find enlightenment for themselves. They attempted to find release through physical discipline: suffering pain, holding their breath, and fasting but Siddhartha was still unsatisfied. He realized by renouncing pleasure he had grasped its opposite which was pain and self-mortification. He sought to find a middle way between the extremes.
All of this made him remember an incident from his childhood where his mind had descended upon a state of deep peace. Seeing this he realized that the path of liberation was through the discipline of the mind. Instead of starving, he needed to store up his energy to build up his strength. When he accepted a bowl of rice from a young girl, his companions thought he had given up his quest and decided to leave him.
Enlightenment
Siddhartha sat under a fig tree, which is now known as the Bodhi tree. It is here that he sat into meditation. His mind came upon a great battle with the demon ‘Mara’ whose name means destruction and he represents the passions and desires within us all. While Siddhartha sat untouched and still, Mara brought great armies of monsters to attack him. You can perform Puja & Homam to get rid of evil effects.
Eventually, Mara claimed that the seat of enlightenment belonged to him as his accomplishments were greater. Siddhartha reached out and touched the earth and Mara disappeared. As the morning star rose, he realized enlightenment and had become a Buddha “a person who had achieved full enlightenment”
Buddha The Teacher
Initially, Buddha was reluctant to teach as he realized that what he had realized could not be communicated in words. It was only through great discipline and clarity of mind that all delusions and desires would fall away. But because of his compassion he later decided to share what he had realized. Instead of teaching people about doctrines he prescribed them a path of practice through which they could reach their enlightenment. He attracted hundreds of followers and reconciled with his father.
Buddha traveled all around India and Nepal tirelessly with his followers who were all seeking the truth. At 80, Buddha left his body behind. Before leaving he had abandoned the endless cycle of birth and rebirth.
Even after 2,500 years, Buddha’s teachings are still as relevant today as they have ever been. Buddhism is one of the fastest-growing religions around the world and keeps attracting new followers. It is estimated that approximately 350 to 500 million people practice Buddhism today.
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