Buddhas Life Key Points

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  • Buddha's Life Key Events
    • 1. The Buddha or the enlightened one was born Siddhartha Gautama in the 6th Century BC in Lumbini, Nepal
    • 2. His father Suddhodhana was king of the Shakya tribe. Gotama Buddha is sometimes called Shakyamuni: the Sage of the Shakyas
    • 3. The Jataka Tales tell stories of the Buddhas previous lives as they believe he lived countless lives
    • 4. Maya, Siddharthas mother had a dream.
      • The dream was a white elephant holding a white lotus flower in its trunk which went round three times entering her womb through her right side
    • 5. Maya died 7 days later after giving birth to him
    • 6. Her dream was prophesying great things for Siddhartha
      • great king
      • spiritual leader
      • military leader
    • 7. To stop his son from witnessing the suffering of the world, Siddhartha's father raised him in a palace and stopped him from developing an interest in a religion
    • 8. He married his cousin Yasodhara at the age of 16. They had a son called Rahula and he lived life in total seclusion for another 13 years
    • 9. One day, Siddhartha ventured outside the palace with his charioteer, Channa, and was confronted with the realities of human existence. These are called the 4 sights:
      • 1. Old Man
      • 2. Sick Man
      • 3. Corpse
      • 4. Ascetic (monk)
    • 10. The Buddha's early life reminds Buddhists that suffering and death are inevitable parts of human existence
    • 11. Siddhartha was deeply moved by these sights, and the next day at the age of 29, he left his kingdom, wife and son to lead life as a renunciant
    • 12. For the next six years, Siddhartha lived an ascetic life.
      • when meditation didn't work he partook in acts of suffering like
        • drinking own urine
        • sleeping on beds of nails
        • eating one grain of rice a day
        • refusing water
    • 13. One day, a little girl gave him a bowl of rice , as he accepted it, he realized that punishing his body wouldn't do anything
    • 14. This part of the story reminds Buddhists that leading a rich life nor a life full of extreme harshness was not going to do anything. Therefore follow the path called the Middle Way
    • 15. That night, Siddhartha sat underneath the Bodhi Tree vowing not to get up until he felt inner happiness
    • 16. Siddhartha remained there for several days , purifying his mind, seeing his entire life and previous lives in his thoughts.
    • 17. During his time, he had to overcome the temptations of devil Mara an evil demon. Mara's three daughters attempted to seduce him
    • 18. Siddhartha touched his hand to the ground and asked the Earth to bear witness to his enlightenment, which it did, banishing Mara
    • 19. Buddha has reached enlightenment

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