The Buddha

The Life of the Buddha

  • Siddhartha Gautama, who became known as the Buddha, was born into a royal family in Lumbini, now located in Nepal, in 563 BC.
  • At 29, dissatisfied with his life of luxury, Siddhartha left his royal palace to seek the meaning of life and understand how to overcome suffering. This journey was referred to as ‘The Great Departure’.
  • He sorely practised meditation and severe asceticism for six years but realised that neither brought him closer to true enlightenment and therefore, he developed his ‘Middle Way’, between luxury and asceticism.
  • At the foot of a Bodhi tree, he finally found ‘the truths’ after meditating for 49 days and nights, thereby attaining Enlightenment. He thus became the ‘Buddha’, or ‘awakened one’.

Teachings of the Buddha

  • The Buddha’s first sermon after his Enlightenment centred on The Four Noble Truths, which are the truth of suffering (Dukkha), the truth of the cause of suffering (Samudāya), the truth of the end of suffering (Nirodha), and the path that frees us from suffering (Magga).
  • The Noble Eightfold Path is the practical guideline to ethical and mental development with the goal of freeing the individual from attachments and delusions; and it finally leads to understanding the truth about all things.
  • He taught his followers Dharma (Buddhist laws and teachings), Karma (the law of cause and effect), and Samsara (the cycle of death and rebirth).
  • The Buddha encouraged his followers to focus not on his personality or worship him as a god, but on his teachings or the Dharma.

Significance of the Buddha

  • Buddha is highly respected as a teacher who attained full Enlightenment and shared his insights to help sentient beings end suffering.
  • His teachings and life lessons remain influential political, ethical, and spiritual guidance for millions of people.
  • The Three Jewels of Buddhism, Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, are the three refuges for Buddhists, where Buddha represents the ideal human who fully understands the nature of existence and has reached Enlightenment.
  • His Enlightenment provides a path and hope for all sentient beings to obtain release from suffering and reach Nirvana, the ultimate goal in Buddhism.