Is there a historical basis for the stories about the life of the Buddha? The author of this book offers evidence for the existence of the Enlightened One, based on facts, dates and events related to his life. archaeological finds. The book provides an overview of the sources, draws interesting analogies, reveals the meanings of the terms and concepts of Buddhism.
Birth of Buddha
The birth date of Gotama Buddha is generally considered to be around 563 BC. e. In two places in the Canon he is said to be the son of Suddhodana and Queen Maya. The first of these passages in the Mahapadana Sutta is actually a story about the life of the Buddha, the city where he came from, his caste, parents and main disciples. In addition, the same details are given there in the same terms regarding the six previous Buddhas, the first of which - Vipassin - lived ninety-one kalpas before Gotama. Another fragment is contained in the "Buddhavamsa", a poem that was not recognized as canonical by all schools. It uses much the same phraseology, but it already speaks of twenty-four previous Buddhas. This indicates the development of the tradition, since the sequence of the last six buddhas (Vipassin or Vipashit, Sikhin, Wessabhu or Vishvabhu, Kakuchhanda or Krakuchhanda, Konagamana or Kanakamuni and Kassapa or Kasyapa) coincides with that adopted by other schools.
Tradition also developed in other schools, although in different ways. The Lalitavistara lists fifty-four Buddhas, and the Mahavastu lists more than a hundred, and both lists include Dipankara, the Buddha under whom Gotama decided to achieve enlightenment. Even the earliest form of the Pali legend recounts the birth, renunciation, enlightenment, and first sermon of Vipassin in much the same terms as the life of Gotama. All versions of the legend about the birth of the Buddha are based on the idea that he was a royal son. However, it is generally accepted that this is not historical. There is a common practice among researchers to exclude apparently implausible fragments and accept everything else as historically reliable information. Indeed, we find places where it is simply stated that the Buddha belonged to a noble family of Kshatriyas and in his family there were seven generations of pure-blooded Kshatriyas on both the maternal and paternal sides. However, there is no information about the names and events associated with his birth. Only in the legend of his royal origin do we find mentions of the names of his parents, and the question remains: is it justified to single out outwardly plausible fragments in it? Is not the whole tradition about the origin of the Buddha a later invention, to which are added not only the names of his uncles and cousins, but also the names of his wife and parents?
Fragments of this legend are also found in the Canon. For the first time, its consistent presentation is found in the commentary on the Jatakas and in the Lalitavistar. Gotama, who during his previous birth under Dipankara had made the decision to become a Buddha, was reborn after many lifetimes in the Tushita heaven. There he remained until the time came for his rebirth in the last existence. When the gods announce that a new Buddha is about to appear, the Bodhisatta thinks five times.
First of all, he chooses the time. At the beginning of a kalpa, when people live for more than a hundred thousand years, they do not understand what old age and death are, and therefore this is not yet the time for preaching. When their age is too short, the call to them will not have time to take effect; they need to preach when the duration of a human life is about a hundred years. He discovers that he should be born at this time.
Then he considers which continent suits him, and chooses Jambudipa (the island of Syzygy), that is, India, according to ancient geographical ideas - one of the four large continents(Mount Meru lies in the center of the world). Third, he chooses a country. This is Majjhi-madesa, the Middle Region, because it is there that the Buddhas, the great adepts of the teachings and the lords of the world, are born; there is Kapilavatthu.
Fourth, he considers the family - it should be Brahmin or Kshatriya, but not lower. Since the Kshatriyas, the warrior caste, were then in honor, he chose them, saying, "King Suddhodana will be my father." Then, considering the merits of his mother, he chose the queen Maha-maya - Maya the Great, and saw that her life would last another ten (lunar) months and seven days.
In Lalitavistara, the Bodhisatta does not think about the choice of parents, but describes sixty-four qualities required from the family, and thirty-two required from the mother. Based on this, the gods determine who will become his parents. When all this was established, he parted from the gods, descending to earth; and then, according to the Lalitavistara, he appointed Bodhisatta Maitreya as his vicar in heaven, who should become the next Buddha.
The following story of conception and birth is distinguished by two features that make useful analysis its various forms. This story is found both in the Canon itself and in later texts, and therefore we have an example of the oldest evidence. Secondly, the whole story was compared with miraculous birth in the Gospels, and it constitutes one of the elements of the problem of the historical relationship between Buddhism and Christianity. Its canonical version is set forth in the Discourse on Wonderful and Wonderful Events, where Ananda's beloved disciple tells the Buddha about conception and birth. Ānanda also states in the text that he heard about them from the Lord. This is not an inspired statement; it was natural for the commentator to make such a remark, since for him it was certainly true. Ānanda was believed to have memorized and recounted all the reasoning, and the truth about the remarkable events could only come from the Buddha.
Face to face, oh dear one, I heard from the Lord, face to face I contained: "Born in memory and in consciousness, Ananda, Bodhisatta was born in the body of Tushita." And, sir, I remember that the Bodhisatta was born in memory and consciousness in the body of Tushita as a wondrous and wonderful deed of the Lord.
In memory and consciousness, the Bodhisatta dwelt in the body of Tushita.
Throughout his life, the Bodhisatta dwelt in the body of Tushita.
In memory and consciousness, the Bodhisatta, having descended from the body of Tushita, entered the womb of his mother.
When the Bodhisatta, having descended from the body of Tusita, entered the womb of his mother, in the world with its gods, maras and brahmas, among creatures, including hermits and brahmins, gods and people, a great boundless radiance appears, surpassing the wondrous glory of the gods. And in the spaces between the worlds, gloomy, open, dark, in darkness and mist, where both the moon and the sun cannot shine so powerfully and majestically, even there a great boundless radiance arises, surpassing the wondrous glory of the gods. And the beings reborn there distinguish each other in this radiance and think: of course, gentlemen, there are other beings reborn here. And this universe of ten thousand worlds shakes, and trembles, and trembles, and there appears in the world a great boundless radiance, surpassing the wondrous glory of the gods.
When the Bodhisatta fits into his mother, the four gods approach her to protect the four quarters, saying: "Let nothing human, or superhuman, or anything else harm the Bodhisatta or the mother of the Bodhisatta."
When a Bodhisatta fits into his mother, the Bodhisatta's mother has the proper moral character– refrains from killing, from stealing, from harmful indulgence of sensual desires, from lying and frivolous use of intoxicating drinks.
When a Bodhisatta inhabits his mother, no sensual thoughts about men arise in her, the mother of a Bodhisatta cannot succumb to the passion of any man.
When a Bodhisatta takes possession of his mother, the Bodhisatta's mother has five senses, she is protected and endowed with five senses.
When a Bodhisatta dwells in his mother, she does not get sick, she is blissful, because her body is indefatigable. And the mother of the Bodhisatta sees in her body the Bodhisatta with all his limbs and all his senses. It is like precious beryl, pure, noble, octahedral, beautifully worked, pierced with blue, yellow, red, white or yellowish thread: whoever could see it would take it in their hand and, looking at it, would say: “This precious beryl, pure, noble, octagonal, beautifully worked, pierced with blue, yellow, red, white or yellowish thread. This is what a Bodhisatta is...
When seven days have passed since the birth of the Bodhisatta, the mother of the Bodhisatta dies. She is reborn in Tusita's body.
Other women give birth nine or ten (lunar) months after conception. This is not how the mother of a Bodhisatta gives birth. The Bodhisatta's mother gives birth to the Bodhisatta ten months after conception. Other women give birth while sitting or lying down. This is not how the mother of a Bodhisatta gives birth. The mother of the Bodhisatta gives birth to the Bodhisatta while standing.
When a Bodhisatta is born, the gods first accept him, and then the people.
When a Bodhisatta is born, he does not fall to the ground. The four gods pick him up and show him to his mother with the words: “Rejoice, mistress. A mighty son is born to you."
When a Bodhisatta is born, he will be born pure, not stained with liquid, not stained with mucus, not stained with blood, not stained with any dirt, but unblemished and pure. Similarly, if you place a pearl on a cloth from Benares, neither the pearl stains the cloth, nor the cloth stains the pearl, and why? Because both are pure, and so when a Bodhisatta is born, he is born pure...
When a Bodhisatta is born, two streams of water, one cold and the other hot, flow down from the sky, and the Bodhisatta and his mother are washed with them.
Having been born, the Bodhisatta immediately, firmly resting his feet, makes seven big steps to the north, and over it (the gods) hold a white umbrella. He looks around, and in a noble voice declares: “I am the head of the world. I'm the best in the world. I am the first in the world. This is my last birth. There will be no more lives after that."
This is followed by a description of the earthquake in the same terms in which its conception was described. These events are also mentioned in long history in Nidanakatha, and it is in this form that they are best known.
At that time, a celebration was announced in the city of Kapilavatthu in honor of the full moon of the month of Asalha (June-July), and many people celebrated it. Queen Maya from the seventh day before the full moon celebrated the triumph. She did not drink intoxicating drinks, but adorned herself with garlands and anointed herself with incense. Rising on the seventh day in the morning, she bathed in fragrant water and gave away four hundred thousand coins in alms, a great gift. In full attire, she ate selected dishes and took the vows of uposatha. She went into her decorated princely bedroom, lay down on the bed and, falling asleep, had a dream: four great kings, it seemed to her, lifted her along with the bed. Having brought it to the Himalayas, they lowered it on the plateau of Manosila, which stretches for sixty leagues, under a large sal tree seven leagues high, and stood at one side. Then their queens appeared and took her to Lake Anotatta, bathed her in order to wash away the human dirt, dressed her in heavenly clothes, anointed her with fragrances and decorated her with wondrous flowers. Not far away was a silver mountain, and on it was a golden tower. There they prepared a wonderful bed, the head of which faced the east, and laid it there. Then the Bodhisatta became a white elephant. Not far from there was golden mountain. He descended from it and descended on the silver mountain, approaching it from the north. In his trunk, which was like a silver rope, he carried a white lotus; trumpeting, he entered the golden chamber, described three regular circles around his mother's bed, hit her on the right side and ended up inside her womb. Thus, when the moon was in the lunar home of Uttarasalha, he gained new life. The next day the queen woke up and told the king about her dream. The king called 64 famous brahmins, honored them, pleased them with excellent food and other gifts. When they had enjoyed these pleasures, he ordered the queen to tell the dream and asked what was to happen. The Brahmins said: “Don't worry, O king, the queen has carried a male baby, not a female one, and you will have a son; if he lives at home, he will become a king, the ruler of the world; if he leaves home and leaves the world, he will become a Buddha, one who will remove the veil (of ignorance) from the world.”
Then follows the story of the earthquake and a list of thirty-two signs revealed at that time. The first of these is the great boundless light; and, as if longing to contemplate his glory, the blind see, the deaf hear, the dumb speak, the crippled limbs straighten, the lame walk, the fire in all hells goes out. Further, up to birth, other events are recounted that coincide with those described in the sutta; and then the story continues.
Queen Mahamaya, who carried the Bodhisatta for ten months like butter in a goblet, when her time came, wished to go home to her relatives and addressed King Suddhodana: “I want, O king, to go to Devadaha, the city of my family.” The king agreed and ordered that the road from Kapilavatthu to Devadaha be leveled and decorated with vessels filled with bananas, flags and banners. And, having seated her in a gilded palanquin, which was carried by a thousand courtiers, he sent her away with a large retinue. Between the cities there is a lovely grove of sal trees, belonging to the inhabitants of both cities; it is called Lumbini Grove. At that time, from the roots to the tips of the branches, it was a continuous mass of flowers, and among the branches and flowers fluttered swarms of five-colored bees and flocks of various birds chirping melodiously. When the queen saw this, she wanted to have fun in the grove. The courtiers carried the queen into the grove. She went to the foot of a large sal tree and wanted to grab hold of a branch. The branch, like a flexible reed, bent and was not far from her hand. Reaching out, she grabbed a branch. After that, she started having contractions. Then the retinue, placing a screen in front of her, withdrew. Clutching the branch and standing, she resolved. At that moment, four Mahabrahmas, possessing a pure consciousness, appeared with a golden net and, having accepted the Bodhisatta into it, showed him to his mother with the words: “Rejoice, O queen, you gave birth to a mighty son.” Other creatures are stained with dirt when they are born, but not a Bodhisatta. The Bodhisatta, like a preacher of the Doctrine, descending from the place of teaching, like a man descending the stairs, straightened his arms and legs, and, not soiled or stained by any dirt, shining like a pearl on the fabric of Benares, was born to his mother. However, in order to honor the Bodhisatta and his mother, two streams of water fell from the sky, performing the proper ceremony over the bodies of the Bodhisatta and his mother. Then from the hands of the Brahmas, who stood accepting it in a golden net, the four great kings received it, placing it on a solemn cover of soft antelope skin, and from their hands the people received it, placing it on a silk pillow. When he freed himself from the hands of people, he stepped on the ground and looked at the eastern quarter of the earth. Then the gods and people honored him, decorating him with fragrant garlands, and said: “O great one, there is no one who would be like you, and even more so, there is nowhere superior to you.” So, having studied the four quarters of the world, the intermediate quarters of the nadir, the zenith and ten quarters, and seeing no one like him, he said: "This is the northern quarter" - and took seven steps. When Mahabrahma held a white umbrella over him, a suyama a fan, and the rest of the deities followed him with other symbols of royal majesty in their hands, at the seventh step he stopped and, raising his noble voice, roared with a lion's roar: "I am the head of the world."
On this day, seven other creatures also begin to exist: the Tree of Enlightenment, the mother of Rahula (his future wife), four vases with treasures, his elephant, his horse Kantaka, his charioteer Channa and Kaludaiin - the minister's son. They all reappear in the legend. On the same day, the inhabitants of both cities accompanied the Bodhisatta back to Kapilavattha. His mother died, like all Bodhisatt mothers, after seven days.
The day of his conception was the day of the full moon of uttarasalha, the second of the two lunar constellations, after which the month of asalha or asadha (June-July) is named. This is consistent with the traditional date of his birth on the full moon day of Visakha or Vaisakhi (April–May). But in Lalitavistar it is the date of conception; in addition, the Sanskrit text contains many other differences. Thus, he describes the descent of the Bodhisatta in the form of a white elephant as a real event, immediately followed by an apparently older verse account of the same event, presented, however, as a dream of Queen Maya. When she wakes up, she goes with her maid to the grove of ashoka trees and sends for the king. But he cannot enter the grove until the gods of the Pure Dwelling tell him what has happened. She asks him to send for the Brahmins who interpret the dream. Then follows a detailed description of the state of the Bodhisatta and how he is worshiped by innumerable gods and bodhisattas for ten months.
Maya does not mention her intention to go to Devadaha, she just wants to walk in the Lumbini grove. She expresses her desire to the king in verse, which speaks of sal trees, but in a further prose narrative, when she gives birth, she grabs not a branch of a sal tree, but a weeping branch. Both the Lalitavistara and the Mahavastu say that the Bodhisatta came out of her right side, and specifically add that her right side appeared to be intact. After all, the Bodhisatta is brought back not on the same day, but on the seventh day after birth.
It is clear that none of the forms of this legend in this form can be taken as a record of real events. But why should "Nidanakatha" be taken as at least a sketch of a probable story, and the other versions ignored? Obviously because the Pali text is considered older. This is pure illusion. Here we are not talking about the age of the Canon, but the age of the commentary (this is a completely different matter). As for that, we have no reason to consider the Pali text older than the Lalitavistara. The commentary is based on an older Sinhalese commentary which in turn is derived from early Indian material. But Lalitavistara also contains earlier material, and it has not gone through the process of back-translation (except for the translation of the text from the vernacular into Sanskrit). As a result, the language of the Sanskrit version often corresponds verbatim to fragments of the Pali canon to a greater extent than the Pali commentary, which has gone through a translation into Sinhala and back-translation into Pali. The legendary and probably traditional material in both the Pali and Sanskrit texts comes from earlier commentaries, and we have no reason to consider one of them more trustworthy than the other.
The doctrinal aspect of the doctrine of the incarnation of a bodhisatta or potential Buddha includes a number of features very characteristic of Hindu beliefs. The philosophical aspect of the Vedic religion developed into the doctrine of the soul (atman) as the ultimate reality. Atman meant both the individual soul and the infinity of souls enclosed in matter. Buddhism, apparently, knew only the second meaning, in the form in which it is considered in the philosophy of Sankhya and Jainism. It is in this sense that the Buddhists denied the atman, arguing that nothing exists beyond the psychic and mental elements that make up the empirical individual. The elements are constantly changing, but never completely dissipate until the force that holds them together and forces them to respawn is not destroyed. This force is thirst, desire, desire to exist. (tanha, in Sanskrit - trishna).
With death, the individual transmigrates, passing into a new body and a new existence, which is more or less happy depending on the amount of good or bad deeds. (karma), committed by them before. Migration, according to Buddhist theory, can occur in various ways, but in the case of rebirth as a person, the father, mother of childbearing age and gandhabba- a disembodied individual who must be reborn.
The oldest accounts of the Buddha's lineage do not seem to suggest that his birth was in any way unusual. It simply says that on both his mother's and father's side, seven generations of his ancestors were noble. According to a later tradition, he was not born like other people, on the contrary, like the ruler of the world (chakravartin), he descended from Tushita heaven by choice, and his father had nothing to do with this. It is not a virgin birth in the full sense of the word, but we can speak of parthenogenesis in the sense that Suddhodana was not its parent. According to the Lalitavistara, during the midsummer festival, Maya approached the king and asked him for a boon, saying that she had taken the eightfold uposatha vows. “O lord of people, do not desire me ... May it not seem unworthy to you, O king; let me keep my moral vows for a long time.” This is also implied in the Nidanakatha, not only in the course of the story, but also because it says that the queen took the uposatha vows for a certain period.
An attempt has been made to discover the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception in the Mahavastu (i, 147), in the French translation of Barthes: "Even in thought they (that is, the mothers of Bodhisattvas) have no carnal intercourse with their spouses." But in fact, the text says: “Even in thoughts, passion does not arise in them. (raga) to any man, starting with their husbands. "Mahavastu" does not really imply ideas different from those reflected in other texts, which is proved by the queen's request to Suddhodana (ii, 5, i, 201): "It is my desire, O delight of the Shakyas, to spend the night without you."
It is in this story that A.J. Edmunds suggests seeing an Indian influence on Christianity. He correlates this with the words of the Evangelist Luke (i, 35): "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." There is no need to state his arguments, since the whole strength of this comparison is based on the dubious similarity of these stories. Are they sufficiently similar to each other to suggest that the gospel story is a distorted borrowing of the Indian? This problem can be finally appreciated when other, more remarkable parallels are taken into account.
The founder of Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama or Buddha Shakyamuni was born around 500-600 BC in northern India in the family of King Shuddhodana. The story of the enlightened Buddha begins when the wife of King Maha Maya had a dream in which she found herself high in the mountains on a bed of petals, and an elephant descended from heaven, holding a lotus flower in its trunk. The Brahmins interpreted this dream as the arrival of a great ruler or sage who would bring a new teaching to the world.
Birth of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama
On the full moon in May, Maya gives birth to a baby and soon dies. Legend has it that a baby tells his mother that he has come to free the world from suffering. He walks on the grass, and flowers bloom around him. Also, signs are found on the baby's body to prove his chosenness by the gods. Thus begins the story of the enlightenment of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautam - one of the greatest teachers ancient world. Here the author believes that the supernatural qualities described above are nothing more than an exaggeration, an attempt to embellish history. (later you will understand why).
The boy is called Siddhartha (going to the goal), he grows up within the walls of the palace, in abundance, in abundance and locked up ... Raja Shuddhodana knows about the prophecy and intends to make a worthy heir out of the prince - a great warrior and ruler. Fearing that the prince would not hit the spiritual quest, the king protects Siddhartha from the outside world so that he does not know what illness, old age and death are. He also does not know about monks and spiritual teachers ( here the paradox is obvious - if Gautama is enlightened from the moment of birth, he must know about old age, illness, and even more so about death).
Childhood of Buddha Shakyamuni
WITH early childhood the boy is initiated into the secrets of martial arts, where he shows a special talent. At the age of 16, the young prince wins the military tournament and marries Princess Yashodhara, a year later they have a son, Rahul. Raja sees that worldly concerns and military affairs are of little concern to Gautama. Most of all, the prince's inquisitive mind longs to explore and know the nature of things in the world. The future Buddha Siddhartha Gautama loves to observe and think, and often inadvertently plunges into meditative states.
He dreams of a world outside the walls of his father's palace, and one day he has such an opportunity. Speaking of the palace, the life story of Gautama Buddha describes the greatest luxury in which the prince literally “bathed”. We are talking about lakes with lotuses, rich decoration and three palaces in which she lived The Royal Family during the change of seasons. In fact, when archaeologists found one of these palaces, they found only the remains of a small house.
Let's go back to the story of Buddha's enlightenment. The prince's life changes when he leaves Father's house and plunge into the real world. Siddhartha understands that people are born, they live their lives, their bodies grow old, they get sick, and soon death comes. He realizes that all beings suffer, and after death are born again to continue suffering.. This thought strikes Gautama to the very core of his soul. At this moment, Siddhartha Gautama comprehends his destiny, he realizes the purpose of his life - to go beyond and achieve the enlightenment of a Buddha.
Teachings of Buddha Gautama
The future Buddha Shakyamuni leaves the palace forever, cuts off his hair, removes jewelry and rich attire. In simple clothes, he embarks on a journey through India. Then the main religion was Brahmanism - an early form of Hinduism, and the prince-monk begins to comprehend this doctrine. At that time there were several meditation techniques. One of them was asceticism, partial or complete starvation for immersion in altered states of consciousness. The future Buddha Siddhartha Gautama chooses the second path and practices penance for a long time. He has his first followers. Soon Gautama brings his body to the brink between life and death and realizes that self-restraint destroys a person, as well as excess. Thus, the idea of the Middle Way is born in him. His companions become disillusioned and leave the teacher when they find out that he has left the penance.
Siddhartha Gautama finds a tree in the forest and makes a vow to himself that he will remain under its shadow until he reaches enlightenment. The monk-monk watches his breath by concentrating on the tip of his nose when inhaling, watching how the air fills the lungs and also carefully accompanies the exhalation. Such meditation calms the spirit and precedes the state when the mind is pure and very strong in the process of knowing. Perhaps he remembers his previous lives, looks at his birth, childhood, life in the palace, the life of a wandering monk. Soon he mentally comes to a long-forgotten state from childhood, when he spontaneously plunged into meditation.
It is worth noting here that when a person re-lives situations from the past, he returns the expended energy to himself. In the teachings of don Juan Carlos Castaneda, this technique of remembering is called recapitulation.
Let us return to the story of Buddha Siddhartha's enlightenment. Under the crown of the Bodhi tree, the demon Mara comes to him, who personifies dark side person. He tries to make the prince feel fear, lust or disgust, but Shakyamuni remains undisturbed. He indifferently accepts everything as part of himself and passions subside. Soon the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama comprehends the Four Noble Truths and attains enlightenment. He calls his teaching the Eightfold or Middle Way. These truths go something like this:
- There is suffering in life
- The desire to possess is the cause of suffering
- Bad desires can be subdued
- Following the Middle Way Leads to Buddha's Enlightenment
These are humility, generosity, mercy, abstinence from violence, self-control and the rejection of extremes. He learns that if desire is eliminated, suffering can be eliminated. The desire to possess is a direct road to disappointment and suffering. It is a state of consciousness free from ignorance, greed, hatred and delusion. This is an opportunity to go beyond samsara - an endless cycle of rebirths. The path to Buddha's enlightenment begins with following several precepts: morality, meditation, and wisdom. It also means not to kill, not to steal, to control your sex life(but do not give it up), do not lie and do not intoxicate the mind.
Rise of Siddhartha Gautama
Buddha Shakyamuni begins to preach the Four Noble Truths for all who wish to achieve enlightenment. After eight years of wandering, Buddha Siddhartha Gautama returns to the palace to his abandoned family. His father forgives him wholeheartedly, and his stepmother prays for acceptance as a disciple. Siddhartha agrees, she becomes the first nun in history, and his son becomes a monk. Soon Gautama again leaves his land and continues to preach the truth that he comprehended under the Bodhi tree. Siddhartha founds the Sangha meditation school, where he teaches everyone to meditate and helps to embark on the path of enlightenment.
He dies on the May full moon at the age of 80, possibly from an illness or poisoning, it is not known for certain. Before leaving, Buddha Shakyamuni plunges into a deep trance on the way to nirvana - eternal bliss, freedom from new births, from suffering and death ... The body of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama is cremated, and his ashes are preserved. Thus ends the story of Buddha's enlightenment, but not his teaching. After death, Buddhism spread en masse with the help of King Ashoka of India, but most of all thanks to itinerant monks. A council is convened to preserve the legacy of the Buddha, thus the sacred texts were immortalized and partly survived to this day in their original form. Modern Buddhism has about 400 million followers worldwide. It is the only religion in the world without violence and blood.
Symbol of Buddhism
The symbol of Gautama Buddha is the lotus, a beautiful flower that grows out of the dirt, but always remains pure and fragrant. So the consciousness of each person is able to open up and become as beautiful and pure as a lotus. Closing at sunset, the lotus hides in itself - a source of enlightenment and purity, inaccessible to the filth of the earthly world. Buddha Shakyamuni searched and found his way. He attained Knowledge, which is the opposite of possessing things and satisfying desires. Buddhism is the only religion that does not contain the worship of God. Through the teachings of the Buddha, a person learns to control his mind, he can become the master of his mind and achieve nirvana. Siddhartha was a man, he taught that every person, with due diligence, can achieve enlightenment and be freed from the endless cycle of rebirths.
The Buddha's story of enlightenment, Siddhartha Gautama, teaches that life is a union of body and mind, continuing as long as there is unsatisfied desire. Desire is the cause of rebirth. The thirst for pleasure, power, wealth, plunges us into the circle of samsara. To find deliverance from this terrible world full of sorrow, you need to get rid of your desires. Only then will the soul of the enlightened one enter nirvana, the sweetness of eternal silence.
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Stories about one of the greatest sages of the world are read with pleasure by adults and children. He lived a long and eventful life, tearing away everything wealth in exchange for true wisdom and knowledge of the world. Both during his lifetime and after his death, he is surrounded by a host of legends, many of which are not reliable, but are designed to exalt the already ambiguous figure of this person, who is the embodiment of Vishnu for his admirers. Also, unfortunately, little is known about him from official sources, and therefore researchers have to rely on Buddhist treatises, in which more emphasis is placed on philosophy and reflection, and not on history.
Legends say that the Buddha began his journey to the knowledge of the truth tens of hundreds of years before his birth. Significant event happened in Lalitavistara, when the learned brahmin Sumedha and the Buddha Dipankara met. The brahmana was shocked at the serene state of Dipankara and decided to achieve the same peace at all costs. After that, Sumedha was nicknamed "Bohisattva" for his aspirations.
Soon the Brahmin died, but his thirst for knowledge was so great that he got a chance to be reborn both in human form and in the form of animals. During this time, the bothisattva became wiser and more merciful, until: finally, he was born among the gods. There he could choose the place of his last incarnation. The devas did not want to let him go to earth, but the sage insisted. He decided to be born in the family of the Raja of the Shakya tribe in order to have better conditions for future sermons.
The ruler of Shuddhodana Gautama, the head of the Shakyas with the capital Kapilavastu (now the territory of Nepal) according to historical chronicles is the biological father of Shakyamuni Buddha. Official years life - 563 (623) BC - 483 (543) BC A week after the birth, the mother of the future founder of the world religion, Princess Mahamaya, died, leaving the baby in the care of her heartbroken husband and younger sister, Princess Mahapajapati. Immediately after the birth of the heir, King Shuddhodana invited the hermit Asita to the palace. The guest examined the baby and found on his body 32 signs of a great sage and a great king. Later, eight brahmins invited by the Raja confirmed the words of the old hermit.
Having received such predictions, the father did everything so that his son would not become a hermit. Three palaces were built specially for the young prince, he was surrounded by happy and healthy people. Until the age of thirty, Siddhartha did not know what illnesses, misfortune, death are. He soon married his cousin Yashodhara and had a son, Rahula. However, he felt spiritual emptiness. But one day, having got out of the palace, accompanied by a servant, the prince saw something that shocked him to the core - a beggarly old man, a sick man lying on the road, decomposing human body and a hermit.
And he realized how the human mind is fragile and imperfect. Therefore, Siddhartha secretly left home, exchanged his clothes with the first person he met on the street and went to Rajagriha, where he lived on alms. Upon learning of this, the ruler of Magadh, Raja Bambisar, offered the throne to the Buddha, but he refused, but promised to visit the kingdom when he could find the truth.
The future great teacher had as his mentors two famous Brahmin sages - Kalama and Udaka Ramaprutta. The teachers asked their student to stay with them, but he decided to go to the southeast of India with his students. The Buddha tried to achieve enlightenment through asceticism and mortification, but these exercises only exhausted his mind and body. Four companions left their mentor, and then he continued on his way alone. In Gaia, a bodhisattva found shelter under a ficus tree, fed by a local woman whom he struck exhausted look. Further, the Buddha plunged into meditation, constantly being attacked by demons, and after 48 days, on his birthday, he achieved the long-awaited enlightenment.
So he became the first Awakened. The Buddha thought for a long time whether he should initiate the rest of humanity into the Dharma, because most people, through their stupidity, greed and ignorance, will not accept him. Nevertheless, one of the devas stood up for the people and asked the sage to preach, bringing the revealed teaching to the world.
The Buddhists were supported by many wealthy people of India, including the Raja of Bambisara. King Shuddhodana sent ten delegations to his son, begging him to return home, but nine of them joined the Sangha themselves and became arhats. The tenth mission has successfully completed. Shuddhodana saw his son, accepted his teachings, and before his death also became an arhat.
Princess Mahapajapati asked permission from her nephew to join the Sangha, but he refused. But she did not agree with the refusal, gathered a group of like-minded people and followed the community. She was accepted, but the women's Sangha was added additional rules.
During this time, various fanatics and extremists repeatedly tried to kill the Buddha. As an octogenarian old man, the Buddha announced to everyone that soon his soul would leave his body. After his death, he was cremated, and the remains were divided into eight parts and hidden in special mortars. Some of these stupas have survived to this day.
Buddhism continues to have a strong influence on a significant part of humanity, and his birthday in many countries is considered national holiday. Buddhism preaches love and mercy to all living things, and the ultimate goal is self-knowledge and the achievement of Nirvana.
Video - Buddha. History of the Buddha
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Buddha Shakyamuni, also known as Gautama Buddha, lived, according to traditional dating, from 566 to 485 BC. in central North India. In various Buddhist sources there are many various descriptions his life, and many of its details appeared in them only over time. The accuracy of this information is difficult to establish, given that the first Buddhist texts were not compiled until three centuries after the death of the Buddha. Be that as it may, these details cannot be considered incorrect just because they were written about later than others: they could be transmitted orally.
As a rule, the traditional biographies of Buddhist masters, including the Buddha, were compiled not for the preservation of history, but for moralizing purposes. The biographies were compiled to educate the followers of Buddhism about the spiritual path to liberation and enlightenment and to inspire them to achieve these goals. To benefit from the life of the Buddha, one must view it in this context, analyzing what can be learned from it.
Sources describing the life of the Buddha Arrow down Arrow up
Most early sources that describe the life of the Buddha are several Pali suttas from the Collection of Teachings of Medium Length (Pali: Majima-nikaya) in the Theravada tradition and several Vinaya texts on the rules of monastic discipline from other Hinayana schools. However, each of these sources contains only fragmentary descriptions of the life of the Buddha.
The first detailed biography appeared in Buddhist poetic works of the late 2nd century BC, for example, in the text “Great Matters” (Skt. Mahavastu) of the Mahasanghika school. Thus, in this source, which is not included in the Three Baskets (Skt. Tripitaka), that is, in the three collections of the teachings of the Buddha, it is first mentioned that the Buddha was a prince in royal family. A similar poetic work is the Vast Play Sutra (Skt. Lalitavistara Sutra) is also found in the Hinayana school of Sarvastivada. Later Mahayana versions of this text borrowed fragments from this earlier version and added to it. For example, they explained that Shakyamuni had attained enlightenment millennia ago and had manifested as Prince Siddhartha only to show others the path to enlightenment.
Over time, some of the biographies were included in the Three Baskets. The most famous of them is the "Acts of the Buddha" (Skt. Buddhacharita) by the poet Ashvaghoshi, written in the 1st century AD. Other versions of the Buddha's biography appeared in the tantras even later. For example, the Chakrasamvara texts say that the Buddha simultaneously manifested as Shakyamuni to teach the Sutras on Far-reaching Discrimination (Skt. Prajnaparamita Sutra, Perfection of Wisdom Sutras), and as Vajradhara to teach the tantras.
Each of these stories teaches us something and gives us inspiration. But let's first look at the texts that describe the historical Buddha.
Birth, early life and renunciation Arrow down Arrow up
According to the earliest biographies, the Buddha was born in a wealthy aristocratic military family in the state of Shakya, whose capital was in Kapilavastu, on the border of modern India and Nepal. These sources do not say that Shakyamuni was Prince Siddhartha: information about his royal lineage and the name Siddhartha appear later. The Buddha's father was Shuddhodana, but the name of his mother, Mayadevi, is mentioned only in later biographies, where also appears a description of the miraculous conception of the Buddha in a dream, in which a white elephant with six tusks enters Mayadevi's side, and a story about the predictions of the sage Asita that the baby will become a great king or a great sage. After this there appeared the story of the pure birth of the Buddha from his mother's side in the grove of Lumbini, not far from Kapilavastu, where he immediately took seven steps and said: "I have appeared"; it also mentions the death of Mayadevi during childbirth.
The Buddha's youth was spent in pleasure. He married a girl named Yashodhara and they had a son, Rahula. When the Buddha was 29 years old, he renounced family life and the royal throne, leaving to wander as a mendicant spiritual seeker.
The Buddha's renunciation must be seen in the context of his contemporary society. Leaving everything to become a spiritual seeker, he did not leave his wife and child in a difficult situation or in poverty: they would certainly have been taken care of by members of his large and wealthy family. In addition, the Buddha belonged to the warrior caste, which means that one day he would undoubtedly have to leave his family and go to war: this was considered the duty of a man.
You can endlessly fight with external enemies, but real battle fought with internal opponents: it was for this duel that the Buddha went. The fact that he left his family for this purpose means that it is the duty of the spiritual seeker to devote his whole life to this. If in our time we decide to leave our families in order to become monks, we need to make sure that our loved ones are well taken care of. We are talking not only about the spouse and children, but also about elderly parents. Whether we leave the family or not, it is our duty as Buddhists to reduce suffering by overcoming addiction to pleasure, as the Buddha did.
The Buddha wanted to deal with suffering by understanding the nature of birth, aging, sickness, death, rebirth, sorrow, and delusion. In later texts there are stories of how the charioteer Channa takes the Buddha out of the palace. The Buddha sees the sick, the elderly, the dead, as well as ascetics in the city, and Channa tells him about each of these phenomena. The Buddha understands the suffering that everyone experiences and thinks about how to get rid of them.
The episode in which the driver helps the Buddha on the spiritual path is reminiscent of the story from the Bhagavad Gita about how the charioteer Arjuna explained to Krishna that he, as a warrior, should fight with his relatives. In both Buddhist and Hindu history, one can see the great significance of going beyond a comfortable life in search of truth. The charioteer symbolizes the mind as a vehicle that takes us to liberation, and the words of the charioteer symbolize the power that impels us to seek the truth.
Teaching and Enlightenment of the Buddha Arrow down Arrow up
As a wandering spiritual seeker who took a vow of celibacy, the Buddha studied with two teachers the methods of achieving mental stability and formless absorption. He reached the highest levels those deep states of perfect concentration in which he no longer experienced gross suffering, nor even ordinary worldly happiness, but he did not stop there. The Buddha saw that such states are only temporary relief from polluted feelings. These methods did not relieve the deeper, universal suffering he sought to overcome. Then the Buddha and his five companions practiced severe asceticism, but this also did not save them from deeper problems associated with the uncontrolled cycle of rebirth (samsara). Only in later sources does the story appear about how the Buddha interrupted his six-year fast on the banks of the Nairanjana River, where the girl Sujata brought him a bowl of milk rice porridge.
The example of the Buddha shows that we should not be satisfied with the complete peace and bliss of meditation, not to mention artificial ways to achieve these states, like drugs. Falling into a deep trance or exhausting and punishing yourself with extreme practices, there is no solution. We must go all the way to liberation and enlightenment, not dwelling on spiritual methods that do not lead to these goals.
Abandoning asceticism, the Buddha went alone to meditate in the jungle to overcome fear. All fear is based on clinging to the "I" that exists in an impossible way, and on an even stronger self-love than that which drives us to irresistibly seek pleasure and entertainment. Thus, in the text “Disc with sharp blades”, Dharmarakshita, an Indian master of the 10th century AD, used the image of peacocks who are looking for poisonous plants in the jungle as a symbol of bodhisattvas who use and transform the poisonous emotions of desire, anger and naivety in order to overcome selfishness and clinging to an impossible self.
After prolonged meditation, the Buddha attained full enlightenment; he was then thirty-five years old. Later sources describe the details of this event and say that the Buddha attained enlightenment under the bodhi tree, where Bodhgaya is located today. He repelled the attacks of the envious god Mara, who tried to thwart the Buddha by appearing in terrifying and seductive forms to disturb his meditation.
The very first texts describe that the Buddha attained full enlightenment with three kinds of knowledge: perfect knowledge of all his past lives, the karma and rebirth of all beings, and the four noble truths. Later sources explain that, having attained enlightenment, the Buddha gained omniscience.
Buddha gives teachings and establishes a monastic community Arrow down Arrow up
After enlightenment, the Buddha began to doubt whether it was worth teaching others how to achieve this goal: he felt that no one would understand him. However, the Indian god Brahma, the creator of the universe, and Indra, the king of the gods, begged him to give teachings. Making his request, Brahma told the Buddha that if he refused to teach, there would be no end to the suffering of the world, and that at least a few people could understand his words.
Perhaps this episode has a satirical meaning, showing the superiority of the teachings of the Buddha over traditional methods Indian spiritual tradition of the time. If even the highest deities have recognized that the world needs the teachings of the Buddha, because even they do not know the methods that would forever end universal suffering, then ordinary people need his teachings even more. Moreover, in Buddhist representations, Brahma personifies arrogance and pride. Brahma's delusion that he is the all-powerful creator symbolizes the delusion about the existence of an impossible "I", which is able to control everything that happens. Such a belief inevitably leads to disappointment and suffering. Only the Buddha's teachings about how we actually exist can lead to the true cessation of true suffering and its true cause.
Having heard the request of Brahma and Indra, the Buddha went to Sarnath, where in the Deer Park he gave his five former companions the teachings of the four noble truths. In Buddhist symbolism, the deer represents gentleness. Thus the Buddha teaches a moderate method that avoids the extremes of hedonism and asceticism.
Soon the Buddha was joined by several young men from the vicinity of Varanasi, who strictly adhered to the vow of celibacy. Their parents became lay disciples and supported the community with alms. A student who reached a sufficient level of training was sent to teach others. The begging group of the Buddha's followers grew rapidly: they soon founded different places"monastic" communities.
The Buddha organized monastic communities following pragmatic principles. When accepting new candidates into the community, the monks (if it is permissible to use the term at an early stage) had to follow certain restrictions in order to avoid clashes with secular authorities. Therefore, at that time, in order to avoid difficulties, the Buddha did not allow the admission of criminals into the community; royal servants, such as the military; slaves who were not freed from slavery; as well as people affected by contagious diseases, such as leprosy. Moreover, those under the age of twenty were not accepted into the community. The Buddha sought to avoid trouble and maintain people's respect for monastic communities and for the Dharma teachings. This means that we, as followers of the Buddha, must respect local customs and act with dignity so that people have a positive opinion of Buddhism and they also treat it with respect.
Soon the Buddha returned to Maghada, the kingdom that occupied the territory where Bodhgaya is now located. King Bimbisara, who became the patron and disciple of the Buddha, invited him to the capital of Rajagriha (modern Rajgir). Here the growing community was joined by Shariputra and Maudagalyayana, who became the closest disciples of the Buddha.
Within a year of becoming enlightened, the Buddha visited his home in Kapilavastu, where his son Rahula joined the community. By that time, Nanda, the Buddha's half-brother, who was famous for his beauty, had already left home and joined the community. King Shuddhodana, the father of the Buddha, was very sad that their family line was interrupted, and asked that in the future the son must ask the consent of his parents before becoming a monk. The Buddha fully agreed with him. The point of this story is not that the Buddha was cruel to his father: it emphasizes the importance of not antagonizing Buddhism, especially in one's own family.
In later descriptions of the Buddha's meeting with his family, a story appears about how he, using supernatural abilities, goes to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods (in other sources - to the Tushita Heaven) to give teachings to the mother who was reborn there. This story shows the importance of appreciating and repaying a mother's kindness.
Buddhist monastic order grows Arrow down Arrow up
The first monastic communities were small: no more than twenty men. They maintained their independence by respecting the boundaries of the area in which each community collected alms. To avoid disagreement, actions and decisions were approved by a vote in which all members of the community took part, and no one person was considered the only authority. The Buddha taught that the Dharma teachings themselves should be the authority for the community. If necessary, even the rules of monastic discipline were allowed to be changed, but any changes had to be adopted unanimously.
King Bimbisara advised the Buddha to adopt the customs of other spiritual communities living on alms, such as the Jains, who held meetings every quarter of the month. Traditionally, members of the community met at the beginning of each of the four phases of the moon to discuss the teachings. The Buddha agreed, showing that he was open to suggestions to follow the customs of his time. As a result, he adopted many aspects of the life of the spiritual community and the structure of the teachings from the Jains. The founder of Jainism, Mahavira, lived about half a century before Buddha.
Sariputra also asked the Buddha to write a set of rules for monastic discipline. However, the Buddha decided that it was better to wait until certain problems arose and establish vows in order to avoid repeating similar difficulties. He also followed this approach both with respect to naturally destructive actions that harm anyone who performs them, as well as morally neutral actions that are forbidden only to certain people in certain situations and for certain reasons. The rules of discipline (vinaya) were practical and aimed at solving certain problems, because the Buddha's first concern was to avoid difficulties and not offend anyone.
Then, based on the rules of discipline, the Buddha established a tradition: at the community meetings, which were held at the beginning of each quarter of the lunar month, the monks recited vows aloud and openly confessed all their transgressions. They were expelled from the community only for the most serious offenses: usually violators were threatened only with shameful probation. Later, these meetings began to be held only twice a month.
The Buddha then began the tradition of a three-month retreat that took place during the rainy season. At this time, the monks stayed in one place and avoided traveling. This was done so that the monks did not harm the crops of cereals, bypassing rain-flooded roads through the fields. The tradition of retreats led to the founding of permanent monasteries, and this was practical. Again, this was done in order not to harm the laity and earn their respect.
The Buddha spent twenty-five summer retreats (beginning with his second retreat) in the Jetavana grove near Shravasti, the capital of the Koshala kingdom. The merchant Anathapindada built a monastery here for the Buddha and his monks, and King Prasenajit continued to support the community. Many events took place in this monastery. important events in the life of the Buddha. Perhaps the most famous among them is the victory that the Buddha won over the heads of the six non-Buddhist schools of that time, competing with them in supernatural abilities.
Probably none of us now possess miraculous powers, but the Buddha used them instead of logic to show that if the opponent's mind is closed to reasonable arguments, the best way to convince him of the correctness of our understanding is to show him the level of insight through actions and behavior. There is an English proverb: “Actions speak louder than words.”
Establishment of a female Buddhist monastic community Arrow down Arrow up
Later, the Buddha, at the request of his aunt Mahaprajapati, founded a community of nuns in Vaishali. At first he did not want to do this, but then he decided that it was possible to create a women's community if more vows were established for nuns than for monks. The Buddha did not mean that women are less disciplined than men and therefore they need to rein themselves in more by having more vows. Rather, he was afraid that the female monastic order would bring a bad name to his teachings and they would disappear ahead of time. Moreover, the Buddha sought to avoid disrespectful attitude towards the community as a whole, so the female monastic community should have been beyond suspicion of immoral behavior.
On the whole, however, the Buddha was reluctant to make rules and was willing to set aside those secondary rules that would prove unnecessary. These principles show the interaction of two truths: the deepest truth is combined with respect for the conventional truth in accordance with local customs. From the point of view of the deepest truth, there is no problem in founding a female monastic community, but in order to prevent disrespect for Buddhist teachings on the part ordinary people, more vows had to be established for the nuns. At the level of the deepest truth, it doesn't matter what the society says or thinks, but from the point of view of conditional truth, it is important for the Buddhist community to earn the respect and trust of the people. Therefore, in our days modern society When prejudice against nuns, women in general, or any minority would cause disrespect for Buddhism, the essence of the Buddha's approach is to change the rules according to the customs of the time.
After all, tolerance and compassion are the key ideas of the Buddha's teachings. For example, the Buddha advised new students who previously supported another religious community to continue doing so. He taught members of the Buddhist community to take care of each other when, for example, one of the monks or nuns fell ill, because they are all members of a Buddhist family. This important rule applies to lay Buddhists as well.
The methods by which the Buddha taught Arrow down Arrow up
The Buddha taught both by oral instruction and by example. When giving oral instructions, he followed two methods depending on whether he was teaching a group of people or one person. When giving teachings to a group, the Buddha explained them in the form of a lecture, saying the same thing over and over in different words so that the audience could better understand and remember. When giving personal instructions—usually at the home of lay people who invited the Buddha and his monks to dinner—he took a different approach. The Buddha never objected to the listener, but accepted his point of view and asked questions to help the student clarify his ideas. In this way, the Buddha guided a person to improve his own understanding and gradually comprehend reality on a deeper level. One day, the Buddha helped a proud Brahmin understand that superiority does not depend on what caste a person was born in, but on the development of positive qualities.
Another example is the Buddha's instructions to a desperate mother who brought him her dead child and begged him to resurrect the child. The Buddha asked the woman to bring a mustard seed from a house where death never came, saying that he would then try to help her. She went from house to house, but in every family she was told about the loss experienced. Gradually, the woman realized that death would inevitably overtake everyone, and was able to take the cremation of the deceased child more calmly.
The method taught by the Buddha shows that in order to help others with whom we meet personally, it is better not to contradict them. The most effective way is to help them think for themselves. However, when teaching groups of people, it is better to explain everything clearly and unambiguously.
Video: Dr. Alan Wallace - "Are we sleeping or awake?"
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Conspiracies against the Buddha and schisms in the community Arrow down Arrow up
Seven years before the Buddha passed away, Devadatta, his envious cousin, decided to lead the monastic community instead of the Buddha. And Prince Ajatashatru wanted to overthrow his father, King Bimbisara, and become the ruler of Magadha. Devadatta and Prince Ajatashatru conspired to work together. Ajatashatru made an attempt on Bimbisara's life, and as a result, the king renounced the throne in favor of his son. Seeing the success of Ajashatru, Devadatta asked him to kill the Buddha, but all attempts were unsuccessful.
Frustrated, Devadatta tried to lure the monks over to him, claiming that he was even more "holy" than the Buddha, and offering to tighten the rules of discipline. According to the text "The Path of Purification" (Pali: Visuddhimagga) written by Buddhaghosa, a 4th century CE Theravada master, Devadatta proposed the following innovations:
- sew monastic robes from rags;
- wear only three robes;
- limit yourself to offerings and never accept invitations to a meal;
- collecting offerings, do not miss a single house;
- eat everything that was brought at one meal;
- eat only from the begging bowl;
- refuse other food;
- live only in the forest;
- live under trees;
- ·Live on outdoors rather than in houses;
- be located mainly in burial places;
- constantly wandering from place to place, be content with any place to sleep;
- Never sleep lying down, only sitting.
The Buddha said that if monks wish to follow the additional rules of discipline, they may do so, but it is not possible to oblige everyone to follow such precepts. Some monks followed Devadatta and left the Buddha community to found their own.
In the Theravada school, the additional rules of discipline introduced by Devadatta are called the "thirteen branches of observed practice." Apparently, it is on this set of rules that the forest monastic tradition relies in the form in which it can still be found in modern Thailand. The Buddha's disciple Mahakashyapa was the most famous of the followers of these more rigid rules of discipline, a large part of which are observed by wandering saints (sadhus) in Hinduism. Probably, with their practice, they continue the tradition of wandering and mendicant spiritual seekers from the time of the Buddha.
The Mahayana schools have a similar list of twelve aspects of observed practice. However, the instruction “not to miss a single house while collecting offerings” was excluded from it, “wear discarded clothes” was added, and the rules “collect offerings” and “eat only from the begging bowl” were combined into one. Later, most of these rules were followed by mahasiddhas - followers Indian tradition highly accomplished tantric practitioners from both Mahayana Buddhism and Hinduism.
At that time, it was not a problem to break away from the Buddhist tradition and establish another community (in our terms, this would be like creating a new Dharma center). This action was not considered as one of the five gravest crimes– creating a “schism in the monastic community”. Devadatta, on the other hand, made a split because the group that followed him was very hostile to the Buddha community and severely condemned it. Some sources claim that the bad consequences of this split affected several centuries.
The case of a split in the community shows the exceptional tolerance of the Buddha and the fact that he was not a supporter of fundamentalism. If his followers wanted to borrow a stricter code of discipline than the one the Buddha wrote, that was acceptable. If they didn't want to abide by the new rules, that was also considered normal. No one was required to practice what the Buddha taught. If a monk or nun wished to leave the monastic community, this was also acceptable. However, it is truly destructive to provoke a split in the Buddhist community, especially in the monastic one, when the community is divided into two or more hostile groups that are trying to dishonor and harm each other. It is disastrous to even join one of these communities later and engage in a vicious campaign against the rest of the groups. However, if one of the communities commits destructive acts or adheres to harmful discipline, it is necessary out of compassion to warn people about the dangers of joining this group. In doing so, our motives should not be mixed with anger, hatred, or a desire for revenge.
Shakyamuni was born into a royal family belonging to the Shakya family.
Father - King Shuddhodana Gautama (Skt. ?uddhodana, Pali Suddhodana, Tib. zas gtsang ma - - Zetsangma, lit. "Pure food offering", "Pure food") - ruled a small state with a center in the city of Kapilavastu (Skt. Kapilavastu, fell Kapilavatthu), located on the banks of the Rohini River, which flows at the southern foot of the Himalayas (now it is the territory of Nepal in its southern part). Mother - Queen Maya (Skt. M?y?, lit. "Illusion" / Mahamaya) - was the daughter of the king's uncle, who also reigned in one of the neighboring states.
For more than twenty years, the spouses had no children. But one night the queen had a dream in which a white elephant entered her through her right side, and she conceived. The king, courtiers and all the people were looking forward to the birth of a child.
When the time of childbirth approached, the queen, according to the custom of her people, went to give birth in the house of her parents.
On the way, she sat down to rest in the Lumbini garden (Skt. Lumbini, the place is located in the western part of modern Nepal). It was a fine spring day, and the ashoka trees were in bloom in the garden. The queen reached out with her right hand to pluck a flowering branch, grabbed it, and at that moment childbirth began.
In the story of the life of the Buddha, it is said that Mahamaya gave birth painlessly and miraculously: the baby came out of the left side of the mother, who at that time was standing, grabbing a tree branch. Having been born, the prince took seven steps forward. Where he stepped, lotuses appeared under his feet. The future Buddha proclaimed that he had come to free mankind from suffering.
The king, having learned that a boy was born to him, was delighted. He named his son Siddhartha, which means "fulfillment of all desires."
But after the joy of the king, grief awaited: Queen Maya soon died. Tsarevich began to raise her younger sister Mahaprajapati (Skt. Mah?praj?pati, Tib. skye dgu "i bdag mo chen mo / Prajapati, lit. "Lady of living beings"; the first of the women who subsequently accepted the Teachings of the Buddha).
Not far away in the mountains lived a holy hermit named Asita. He was shown a newborn, and Asita found on the body of the baby thirty-two great signs and eighty small signs, according to which he predicted that when the prince grew up, he would either become a universal ruler who could unite the whole world (Skt. cakravartin)*, or if he will leave the palace and enter the path of hermitage, soon become a Buddha, saving sentient beings from suffering.
The king was at first delighted, but then worried: in his only son, he wanted to see an outstanding royal heir, but not an ascetic hermit. Then Siddhartha's father decided: in order not to push his son into philosophical reflections about the meaning of life, he, the king, will create for him a completely heavenly atmosphere, full of pure pleasures.
From the age of seven, the prince has been studying literacy and martial arts. Only the most gifted peers came to play in the palace with the prince, in whose circle Siddhartha received excellent education and mastered the basic martial arts, excelling in everything among his comrades.
When Siddhartha was 19 years old, at the insistence of the king, he chose as his wife Yashodhara (Skt. Ya?odhar? , the elder brother of the prince's mother, who lived in the castle of Devadaha). From Yashodhara, Siddhartha had a son, whom he named Rahula.
Until the age of 29, the prince lived in the palaces of his father. Later, the Buddha told his disciples about these days:
- “Monks, I lived in luxury, ultimate luxury, total luxury. My father even had lotus ponds in our palace: one of them had red lotuses, another white lotuses, the third blue lotuses, all for my sake. I used sandalwood only from Benares.My turban was from Benares, my tunic, undergarment, and cape too.A white umbrella was held over me day and night to protect me from cold, heat, dust, dirt, and dew.
I had three palaces: one for the cold season, one for the hot season, and one for the rainy season. During the four months of the rainy season, I was entertained in the palace for the rainy season by musicians, among whom there was not a single male, and I never left the palace. In other houses, servants, workers and butlers were fed lentil soup and crushed rice, and in my father's house the servants, workers and butlers were fed with wheat, rice and meat.
Although I was gifted with such wealth, such complete luxury, the thought came to me: "When an uneducated, ordinary person, who himself is subject to aging, has not overcome aging, sees another person who is old, he feels fear, contempt and disgust, forgetting about that he himself is subject to aging, has not overcome aging. If I, subject to aging, have not overcome aging, feel fear, contempt and disgust at the sight of another old person, it will be inappropriate for me. When I noticed this, the intoxication of youth, characteristic of young people, completely disappeared.
(From the Sutra on luxury - "Sukhamala Sutta")
He came to his father and said:
“The time has come for me to leave. I ask you not to interfere with me and not to be sad.
The king replied:
“I will give you anything you can wish for, as long as you stay in the palace.
To this Siddhartha said:
Give me eternal youth, health and immortality.
“I am powerless to give you this,” the king replied, and that very night Siddhartha secretly left the palace.
Having cut off his hair as a sign of renunciation of the world, he joined the wandering monks. He was at that time 29 years old.
At first, Siddhartha went to the hermits who lived around the Brahmin Raivata, but quickly left this place and moved to Vaishali, to the famous contemplative Arada-Kalama, who, according to his views, apparently belonged to the ancient Indian philosophical school of Sankhya. Arada-Kalama had 300 students whom he taught the meditation of the Sphere of Nothing (the World of the Complete Absence of Everything, belongs to the World Without Forms). After a short training, the Bodhisattva managed to reach the state of immersion in the Sphere of Nothing and asked the teacher: "Have you reached only this level of concentration?" "Yes," said Arada, "now what I know, you know." Then the Bodhisattva thought: "So, we need to look for something more effective." And he went to Central India. There, after some time, he met Udrak Ramaputra, who taught 700 students to concentrate the mind on the Sphere of Neither Consciousness, nor Non-Consciousness (the World of Neither Presence [cognition], Nor Absence [cognition], belongs to the World Without Forms) and began to learn from him. In a short time the Bodhisattva mastered concentration on the Realm of Neither Consciousness nor Non-Consciousness.
Then, after questioning Udraka as well as Arada, he left him realizing, "No, that doesn't lead to Nirvana either!" Then five of Udraka's disciples followed him.
Arriving on the banks of the Nairanjana River, Siddhartha decided that he would lead a life of austerity on his own. He spent six years immersed in deep concentration. It is said that at that time he ate no more than three grains a day, and therefore became very weak.
Feeling once that such austerity was becoming extreme, and he needed to refresh himself in order to continue his spiritual practice, he went along the river towards Bodhgaya and, meeting a peasant girl Sujata, accepted from her an offering of food, a bowl of curdled milk or milk with honey and rice. Five ascetic companions, seeing that Siddhartha returned to normal food, took it as a fall, lost faith in him, left him and went towards Varanasi. The Bodhisattva washed himself, cut his hair and beard, which had grown over the years of hermitage, and, restoring strength with food, crossed the river and sat down under spreading tree, since then called the Bodhi tree (note: in botany, this species is now called ficus religiosa).
Siddhartha made a promise to himself: "Let my blood dry up, let my flesh rot, let my bones decay, but I will not move from this place until I reach it." Ignoring the devilish intimidations and temptations of Mara, he entered into a deep meditative absorption (samadhi) and, without leaving his seat, soon realized the unsurpassed state of the Buddha. At this time he was 35 years old.
From that time on, the work of saving sentient beings from the shackles of Samsara began for the Buddha.
His first disciples were those five associates (Tib. lnga sde bzang po) who had previously left him, thinking that Gautama could not stand the severe austerity. To them the Buddha gave his first sermon, which was later called "The First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma" ("The Sutra on the Beginning of the Turning of the Wheel of the Law").
In it, the Buddha laid out the foundations of the doctrine of the Four Noble Truths. This happened in the Deer Park of the city of Sarnath (near Varanasi in the Refuge for the Games, in Isipatan).
In Rajagriha, King Bimbisara became filled with faith in the Teachings of the Buddha. Staying in his palace, Buddha Shakyamuni began to preach the Teaching throughout the country. Soon more than two thousand people became his disciples, including his two main disciples Shariputra and Maudgalyayana.
King Shuddhodana, who at first did not want his son to leave worldly life, and therefore deeply saddened by his departure from the palace, Mahaprajapati, who nursed the prince, Princess Yasodhara and others from the Shakya clan also became his followers and disciples.
Preaching the Teaching for 45 years, the Divine Sage from the Shakya clan reached the age of 80 years. In Vaisali, on the way from Rajagriha to Shravasti, the Buddha in a conversation with Ananda predicts that he will go to Nirvana in three months. Then, continuing his journey and preaching the Dharma, the Buddha reached Pava, where he tasted the food brought to him by the blacksmith Chunda, dried pork, the cause of his physical ailment. Knowing what he eats, the Buddha forbids the disciples who accompanied the Buddha to use it.
At the age of 80, on the outskirts of the city of Kushinagara, the Buddha left this World of Suffering, entering Maha-Parinirvana (Supreme Ultimate Nirvana).
That day he entered the forest of sala trees and lay down to rest between two tall trees. Lying on the ground, he continued to instruct his disciples.
Here are the words of the Buddha, when before his death he instructed a man who came to him named Subhadra:
- "O Subhadra, when I reached the age of 29 years, I became a monk and practiced every possible virtue for 51 years. O Subhadra, religious discipline, which lacks the Eightfold Holy Path, does not realize the four results achieved by a hermit. But if the Eightfold Path exists, then these results are realized. Separately, there can be no real attainment of holiness."
"Even the Buddha died. His death was a teaching meant to shake the naive, the lazy and the contented, to awaken us to the truth that everything is transient and that death is an inevitable fact of life."
Sogyal Rinpoche. "The Book of Life and the Practice of Dying"
Sogyal Rinpoche says:
- "In Buddhism, we determine whether a teacher is real by whether the directions he or she gives are consistent with the teachings of the Buddha. It cannot be emphasized strongly enough that only the truth of the teaching matters, and never the personality of the teacher. That's about it The Buddha tells us in the Four Pillars:
Rely on what the teacher conveys, not on his personality;
Rely on meaning, not just words;
Rely on the true meaning, not on the temporary;
Rely on your wisdom mind, not your ordinary judgmental mind."
Buddha Shakyamuni is depicted in forms that reflect the events of his life. Hand gestures, wise, change in them. They symbolize the merits of the past, generosity, meditation, turning the Wheel of Dharma, fearlessness, etc. The form of Munindra tells about the episode when the Buddha appeared among the devas (gods). In the form of Nirvana, the Buddha is depicted lying between two trees in the pose of a lion on the day of his Parinirvana.
Perhaps the most revered form of Buddha among Tibetans over the centuries has been the legendary 1.5-meter sculpture by Jowo Rinpoche (lit. "Precious Lord").
Note: * In the Buddhist understanding, chakravartin is the Ruler of the World, turning the Wheel of the Law, that is, rightly ruling on the basis of the Teachings of the Buddhas.
