The Ten Acts of the Buddha

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  • Created by: Gem-Short
  • Created on: 18-09-17 09:48

The Ten Acts of the Buddha

Conception: the Queen dreamt a white elephant entered her womb. The conception was marked by miraculous events: a light entered the world and there were earthquakes.
Birth: the Queen gave birth in Lumbini. There was no blood and the baby came from her right side. Sage Asita predicted he would be a great king or spiritual leader.
Accomplishment in worldly skills: He excelled in everything. When he was 8 he went to a ploughing festival and had his first spiritual experience under a rose-apple tree.
Youth, pleasure and indulgence: He married Yasodhara and had a son called Rahula.
Leaving the palace: He took four trips, seeing an old man, a sick man, a funeral and an ascetic. He was moved by the sights and gave up his royal status to find a solution to suffering.
Life as an ascetic: He spent six years as an ascetic. He abandoned ascetisism as he realised only meditation would lead to enlightenment.
Victory over Mara: he sat under a Bodhi tree to meditate and was confronted by temptations by the demon Mara. Siddhartha touched the earth with his right hand to call the earth goddess to witness his enlightenment and Mara fled.
Englightenment: he had three insights known as the Threefold Knowledge. At dawn he was enlightened.
Spreading the teaching: His first teaching was of the Four Noble Truths at a deer park in Isipitana
Death: He died at 80 on his right side after teaching for 40 years.

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