BUDDHA (SIDDHARTA GAUTAMA): BIOGRAPHY, TEACHINGS AND INFLUENCES - BIOGRAPHIES - 2024

Siddharta Gautama (c. 563/480 BC - c. 483/400 BC), known as Gautama Buddha, was a monk, sage, and philosopher from northern India. Buddhism, one of the most popular religions in Asia and with millions of followers around the world, is based on his teachings.

It is noteworthy that according to tradition he is not the first, nor will he be the last Buddha to live on earth. The concept of "Buddha" was used by many religions in the area, but the most popular meaning until today was that of "the one who has reached enlightenment."

Meditating Buddha, sculpture from the Kushan era, reflecting the Gandhara style of India. Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Gautama showed what he called "the middle way", which consists of a balance between asceticism, which was the most popular method in the search for spiritual enlightenment, and the hedonism proper to common life.

Some of the fundamental teachings that Siddhartha Gautama bequeathed to his followers and that still stand as the foundations of Buddhism were that of the four noble truths, also the noble eightfold path and, finally, dependent origin.

What is known about his life?

The data about the life of the Buddha are relatively obscure, since there are several sources that sometimes contradict each other. The first text about the life of Siddharta Gautama is the poem Budacarita, written in the second century. But since then many versions have been narrated.

The Buddha Siddharta Gautama is believed to have been born in the south of present-day Nepal, near the source of the Ganges River. He was a member of the Chatria caste, who served as warriors and controlled the political power of the region.

His parents were Sudoana, the leader of the Sakia, and Mayadeví, commonly known as Maya. Prince Siddharta was to, according to family tradition, follow in his father's footsteps as ruler and soldier.

The mother had a dream at the time of conception in which an elephant with six tusks entered her side. As the date of delivery approached, she went to her father's house, but the child was born on the way, under a living tree, in the Lumbini garden.

Early years

Shortly after, Maya died and when Sudoana performed the ceremony to give the boy a name, they made a prophecy in which they affirmed that Siddharta would become a great king or a saint.

His father wanted the boy to emulate him. To prevent him from becoming an enlightened being, he kept him protected from all ills, such as illness, poverty, old age, or death. Nor was religious education provided during his early years.

At the age of 16 he married a cousin his age named Yasodharā and they had a son, named Rahula. Despite being surrounded by all the comforts, Siddhartha wanted to meet with his subjects and left the palace.

That meeting had also been planned by Sudoana, but Siddhartha on the way saw an old man, then he saw a sick man, a corpse and a poor man. That episode is known as the four encounters. After them the prince resigned his position and became an ascetic.

Life after the four meetings

After abandoning his palace life, Siddhartha learned meditation and yoga practices. However, he could not find the way to liberation. So he decided that he must be tougher about the austereness of his life, a practice in which four men followed.

Siddharta Gautama hardly ate any food and consequently had little strength. Then he realized that the path to enlightenment must be a middle way, since extremes were harmful.

In this way he understood that he must follow the noble eightfold path. Then he sat under the bodhi, a sacred tree, and assured that he would not get up until he found the truth. He stayed there for 49 days until he reached the state known as "enlightenment" and woke up from the sleep of ignorance.

At that moment the four noble truths were revealed to him and he became a Buddha. Then Siddharta Gautama was about 35 years old.

Then the Buddha dedicated himself to traveling around the Ganges teaching the dharma, the set of his teachings. When he was 80 years old, he announced that he would reach paranirvana, that is, he would leave his earthly body, so that he would end the cycle of death and reincarnation.

Biography

Conception

Siddharta Gautama's father was King Sudoana, who ruled the Sakia. There are versions in which it is said that his mandate had been granted by popular acclamation of the confederations and others that assure that it was a traditional reign that was transferred from father to son.

It is assumed that the Gautama family descended from Gótama Rishi, one of the sages who created the mantras of the ancient Indian texts known as Vedas, on which the religion of the time was based.

His mother, Mayadeví, who is regularly referred to simply as Maya, was a princess of the Koli, daughter of King Añjana.

On the night of the conception of Sudoana and Maya's son, she had a dream in which a white elephant with six tusks entered her right side.

Birth

Tradition indicated that Maya had to give birth in her paternal home, so she had left for the kingdom of Añjana. However, halfway between her husband's land and her father's, in Lumbini's garden, under a living tree the child was born.

Siddhartha is claimed to have emerged from under his mother's right arm; in addition, it is assumed that he could walk and speak as soon as he was born. It is also assured that lotus flowers appeared in his path and that the infant said that this would be his last reincarnation.

Baby Buddha, by Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada via Wikimedia Commons

The date of the Buddha's birth is celebrated in many countries, especially in East Asia. Despite this, there is no fixed date for this celebration, but it rotates every year, since it is dictated by the lunar calendar and varies according to the area.

It is normally located between April and May and is sometimes celebrated in June.

Early years

Prophecy

The date of the death of Maya is contradicted in the sources that exist about the life of Siddharta Gautama. Some claim that she died at the same time as their son's birth and others that she died a week later.

After the birth of the young prince, a hermit named Asita, who was highly respected by the Sakias, came down from the mountain where he lived to meet the boy. That was an extraordinary event, since it is said that he had spent years without being seen by anyone.

After examining the baby's birthmarks, Asita made a prophecy in which he claimed that he would become a great king or supreme religious leader.

Five days after the birth, the naming ceremony was held for the prince. Siddharta was chosen by Sudoana for her son, the meaning of it is "one who reaches her goal."

The king invited eight Brahmins to make predictions about what awaited his young son. They all agreed with what Asita had said, that is, that Siddhartha would be a great king or a saint, except Kaundinya, who said that the boy would become a Buddha.

Childhood

After the death of his mother, Siddhartha was taken over by his maternal aunt named Mahapajapati Gotami. She was also the boy's stepmother, since after Maya passed away she married King Sudoana.

It is said that the child was once left unattended during a celebration. Then they found him sitting meditating under a tree that, to prevent the sun from hurting him, paralyzed all its leaves and gave shelter to Siddharta.

From the marriage of Sudoana and Mahapajapati, two children were born, a girl and a boy: Sundari and Nanda, respectively.

His father did not want young Prince Siddhartha to become a saint, but a statesman like himself. That is why he built three castles for him in which the boy found all possible comforts and pleasures at his disposal.

Furthermore, Sudoana prevented the boy from being instructed in religious matters to prevent the development of this inclination in Siddhartha. She also prohibited suffering from being shown to her, so she did not know real life, but a kind of fictional paradise full of beauty, youth and health.

Youth

When Siddharta Gautama was 16 years old, King Sudoana arranged a marriage for him with a girl of the same age, who was the boy's cousin by her maternal family. The young princess was called Yasodharā.

The couple are thought to have remained together until Siddhartha turned 29, which is when he gave up his palace life. Before that she had a son with Yasodharā, who was baptized as Rahula.

Although he was surrounded by beauty, youth, comfort and abundance during the first years of his life, Siddhartha had not managed to be totally happy, since he thought that wealth was not the goal of life.

The four encounters

At 29, curiosity about the outside world assailed Siddharta, and he asked his father to leave the palace to meet his subjects and the kingdom that according to what was planned he would have to rule.

Sudoana carefully prepared the prince's tour. She ordered the streets to be cleaned and all the sick, the poor and the elderly to be removed from the path, so that Siddhartha would find a palace-like environment outside.

However, an old man managed to get closer to the meeting between the prince and the people. The moment Siddhartha saw this man, he asked Chana, who was driving the carriage, to what was the appearance of that person.

The coachman then explained to the prince that this was old age and that as time went by, everyone became old and looked that way.

Siddharta and Chana continued a journey in which they found a sick person, a corpse and an ascetic. These events were known as the four encounters and from them Siddhartha decided that he must find the way to break the chain of suffering in life.

The great resignation

After returning to the palace, Siddhartha knew that he could not continue surrounded by worldly pleasures without worrying about the evils that affected humanity. Then he asked his father to allow him to retreat to the forest.

The Departure of Siddharta Gautama, by Abanindranath Tagore, via Wikimedia Commons

Sudoana refused and told him that he would give her anything if he stayed by his side and took over the kingdom when due. Siddhartha replied that if she never grew old, sick or died she would agree to stay and her father told her that was not possible.

Before leaving, the prince visited the rooms of his wife, who was sleeping peacefully together with little Rahula; and seeing them so helpless, he knew that he must try to find a way to stop the infinite cycle of lives and deaths to free them from suffering.

There is another version that indicates that that night Rahula was conceived and was born six years later, when Siddhartha became the Buddha.

Then the act known as the great resignation occurred: Siddharta left the palace along with Chana and Kantaka, his horse. The story claims that the gods silenced his steps and those of the animal to allow him to leave without being seen by anyone.

Siddharta left the capital of his kingdom, Kapilavastu, and went into the forest. There he cut his hair, took off his elegant clothes and put on that of a beggar. From that moment he became an ascetic.

Search

While in Rajagaha, the identity of Siddharta was discovered by the men of King Bimbisara, who upon learning that the prince had abandoned everything to seek enlightenment offered him his kingdom.

Siddhartha did not accept Bimbisara's offer, but promised that Magadha, his kingdom, would be the first to visit once he had achieved his goal. Then he went on his way in search of the truth. To achieve this, he joined sages who taught meditation through practices such as yoga.

The first was Araba Kalama, who, seeing that Siddhartha had been a great student, asked him to take his place and, again, Siddhartha refused. Afterwards, he studied with Udaka Ramaputta, who also requested that he replace him and whom he once again rejected.

So Siddhartha thought that the way to achieve enlightenment was extreme asceticism, depriving him of all pleasures and material items, among which was food. He and four ascetics who followed him only ingested a leaf or a small nut daily.

This weakened the health of Siddhartha and his followers to such an extent that they did not have the strength to perform the most basic activities.

The awakening

After almost drowning in a river while taking a bath, Siddhartha realized that the life of extreme mortification would not lead him to reach his goal, which was to achieve the union between the individual and the universe.

In this way he discovered that he must take the middle path between austerity and abundance. He also understood that the knowledge he sought to find could not be found outside, but only within himself.

Another source affirms that this truth was understood when listening to a conversation in which the teacher explained to his student that to play the sitar, an instrument similar to a guitar, the strings should not be too loose, because they would not sound, nor too tight because they would break.

In order to lead that life of moderation, Siddhartha Gautama knew that he must follow the path of the noble eightfold path, which comprises three great categories: wisdom, ethical conduct, and training of the mind.

Then he sat for 49 days under the bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya. The ascetics who accompanied him ceased to trust his search, considering him undisciplined.

Buddha

Mara, the god of desire, decided to tempt him, but as that was impossible, he attacked him with different elements such as wind, rocks, fire and rain. However, nothing succeeded in disturbing the search for Siddhartha.

After Siddhartha placed his hand on the ground to ask the earth goddess if it was her right to sit under the tree and she answered in the affirmative, Mara disappeared.

At that moment Siddhartha Gautama began to remember all his past lives and knew that he had ceased to be him and had become the Buddha.

First

After the Buddha understood the causes of suffering, the four noble truths and the dependent origin, he did not know whether he should teach what he had learned to the rest of the world. Then the god Brahma told him that some human would understand his discovery and Buddha agreed to share it.

The Buddha teaches the dharma, by ก ฤ ษ ณะ สุริยกานต์ via Wikimedia Commons

He first wanted to search for his first teachers, but they had died by that time. Gautama was then 35 years old. He then approached his former companions, the ascetics, but they were initially indifferent to the fact that Gautama had attained enlightenment.

Despite that, they were the first to hear the Buddha's dharma. He revealed to them all the knowledge that he acquired and that led him to enlightenment. They understood and became arhat, that is, they would pass into nirvana after death.

These men were also the first members of the sangha, which is the name given to the Buddhist community, when they became monks.

After the conversion of the ascetics, the fame of the sangha grew rapidly. At 5 months the number of members exceeded 50 monks. After being joined by three brothers surnamed Kassapa, there were 200 members of the la sanga. Later, Buddha had 1,000 followers.

Master Buddha

Since then the Buddha Gautama dedicated himself to traveling to the banks of the Ganges River; And wherever he went, he taught the dharma to those who cared regardless of their caste or customs. It is believed that he showed the way to enlightenment alike to servants and princes, cannibals and assassins.

The only time of the year when the sangha did not travel was in the rainy season, when they retired to monasteries or public places where those interested in learning about the dharma would approach them.

Buddha kept his promise to King Bimbisara and went to Magadha. It is believed that he stayed for almost a year in a monastery in the kingdom's capital, Rajagaha. At that time, Sudoana learned that her son was there and sent 10 delegations to request that he return to Kapilavastu.

However the men sent the first 9 times instead of giving the message to Buddha, they joined the sangha. The last delegation, which was in charge of Kaludayi, did tell Gautama of his father's wishes.

So Gautama Buddha decided to travel to his father's kingdom. He moved on foot and as usual he was spreading, together with the monks of his sanga, the teachings of the dharma throughout his journey.

Return to Kapilavastu

It is said that during lunch the members of the sanga begged for alms in the palace, a situation that made Sudoana uncomfortable, since warriors like him should not beg. Buddha replied that his line of enlightened ones had been begging for alms for a long time.

Gathered there, Gautama Buddha and Sudoana talked and the former showed the dharma teachings to the king. Several nobles decided to join the sangha, including the Buddha's cousins ​​and his half brother, Nanda.

Before Suodana died, the Buddha went to visit him on his deathbed and spoke with his father once more, after which he became an arhat.

Gautama's foster mother requested that he wanted to become a sangha nun, but the Buddha was not sure that this should be allowed. However, she and other noble women like her daughter set out on the path to enlightenment and traveled with the sanga to Rajagaha.

Eventually, the Buddha agreed to allow the ordination of women, since they had the same ability to awaken from the dream of ignorance as men, but he facilitated the Vinaya with rules specially created for them.

Paranirvana

According to one source, Gautama Buddha claimed that if he wished, he could increase the length of his life to a full era. But Maya appeared once more before her and told her that she must fulfill her promise to pass into nirvana when she finished teaching what she had learned.

Death of the Buddha, by KarlHeinrich, via Wikimedia Commons

When the Buddha was about 80 years old, he informed his followers that he would soon enter paranirvana, which is the last state of nirvana, or the end of mortality. When he reached that state he would finally separate from his earthly body.

The last food he ate was an offering from Cunda, a blacksmith. Although it is not certain which was the last meal of the Buddha, some sources assure that it was pork. Gautama himself claimed that his death had nothing to do with food.

The site selected by the Buddha to become one with the universe, was the Kusinara forest. He lay on his right side between two trees that instantly blossomed. He ordered one of his servants to step aside so that the gods could see his passage to paranirvana.

He left instructions for his funeral to be held, as well as pilgrimages to the most important places in his life. He explained that when he left his body, they should follow the instructions of the dharma and the vinaya.

Gautama Buddha asked his disciples if anyone had a question and no one answered, he asked again three times and seeing that no one had any doubts, he entered a state of meditation and entered paranirvana.

Teachings

The middle way

In the teachings of the Buddha, one of the fundamental bases is non-extremism. This refers to the way of heading on the path while seeking enlightenment. This theory was present in his thought from his first speech at Sarnath.

What is proposed by Gautama Buddha as the middle way has been interpreted in various ways depending on the different philosophical schools of religion.

For some it consists in not following extreme asceticism, that is, deprivation of worldly comforts, nor excessive mortification; but neither do you enjoy the pleasures too much. This is because neither of the two courses can allow clarity of mind to awaken.

Others have considered it to be the middle ground between existence and emptiness, as a concept of metaphysics. It refers to whether the phenomena are really on a tangible plane or, on the contrary, they are part of nothing.

Four noble truths

From Gautama Buddha's first discourse, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutra, the four noble truths were introduced. On that occasion, the dharma was explained for the first time after the awakening of the Buddha.

Buddhist texts are called sutras. In them the four noble truths are used with a double purpose. The first is to illustrate Gautama's path to his ascension to buddha, but it is also a way of showing people what they must do to break the circle of materialism.

For some schools of Buddhism, simply knowing the existence of the four noble truths brings liberation. Meanwhile, for other traditions they are not as relevant as other aspects of Buddhist doctrine such as compassion.

one-

"This is the pain." Life, because it is not perfect, brings with it suffering and dissatisfaction. It is a truth that applies universally. Even experiences that provoke pleasure turn into pain, since they are fleeting.

“Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering, living with the undesirable is suffering, separating from the desirable is suffering, not obtaining what is desired is suffering. Everything entails suffering, existence and its parts are suffering ”.

According to the sutras, all stages of life carry suffering, as do the various situations in which a person may find himself. In other words, life is a state of absolute pain.

two-

"This is the origin of pain." Pain comes from human nature itself, since it is born from the passions and the choices that each individual makes.

"The origin of suffering is the desire that leads to rebirth, is accompanied by delight and lust, which seek pleasure everywhere."

That is to say, that man through his desires and attachments can only find suffering and perpetuate the cycle of samsara, or rebirths, which makes the state of dissatisfaction become a perpetual burden.

3-

"This is the end of pain." If someone is able to get rid of his desires and attachments, then he will find the end of pain accordingly. You must analyze your own behavior to identify which elements to delete.

"The suppression of pain is possible by eliminating our desire, getting rid of desire - attachment, abandoning it forever, not welcoming it into us."

Thus, the end of suffering is reached when the human being is able to know his desires and eliminate them completely. This is the only way to achieve a state of satisfaction, for as long as there is a longing, there will be pain present.

4-

"The path that leads to the cessation of pain." In this truth, Gautama Buddha showed the path to be followed to achieve enlightenment and the cessation of suffering. It is the starting point for those who seek the end of pain and the synthesis of Buddhist precepts.

"This is the noble eightfold path, it consists of the correct intention, the correct vision, the correct word, the correct action, the correct occupation, the correct effort, the correct attention and the correct concentration."

Anyone who wants to follow the dharma must begin to apply these eight principles in his life. By following these statements, anyone can become a Buddha, according to Gautama's words.

Gautama Buddha, by Mistvan, via Wikimedia Commons

The noble eightfold path

To achieve nirvana one must follow the noble eightfold path, the guidelines of which were explained by Gautama Buddha, represented on the wheel of dharma. Through this knowledge, a person can free himself from his suffering.

This path is divided into three broad categories: wisdom, ethical conduct, and training of the mind.

Wisdom (

1- Correct vision

Also known as correct "understanding." This point refers to the fact that actions have consequences that do not end with death, but also affect the next through karma.

In order to have a correct vision, you must eliminate confusion, misunderstanding and thoughts that have no purpose. For some Buddhist schools this means understanding that there are no rigid dogmas or concepts, so their own points of view should be discarded.

2- Right thinking

This element is also known as correct determination. It occurs when the one who seeks enlightenment decides to leave behind his worldly life, his home and what binds him to his preconceptions.

This can be exemplified by the great resignation that Siddhartha Gautama made when he abandoned his family, his title and his kingdom to try to awaken from the sleep of ignorance and break the chain of suffering.

The renouncer must leave behind the pleasures of the world and ill will. You must also be willing to consider that nothing is permanent. Consequently, everything is a source of suffering for people.

Ethical conduct (

3- Correct word

At this point, four things that must not be done in order to find enlightenment are explained: refrain from lying, professing slander or division, committing abuse or disrespect, and falling into frivolity.

Consequently correct speech contains truth, while being affective and pursuing the goal of finding the dharma. According to Gautama Buddha, nothing should never be said that was not beneficial. However, what was true and good had to be said whether or not it was welcome.

4 - Correct action

In the same way that guidelines are set in the correct word about what not to say, at this point the things that should not be done if you want to achieve nirvana are shown.

The first action that should not be committed is murder. This for Buddhists applies to all living things and not just humans. Plants are excluded from this because they are considered not to feel.

Then there is abstention from theft. You should only take something that is offered directly by its owner, since otherwise the karma of the recipient will be affected and it will not be able to be released.

Finally, people are urged to refrain from sexual misconduct. In general, this precept refers to not having relationships with someone who is not the individual's husband. However, for Buddhist monks this point refers to strict celibacy.

5- Correct occupation

Also known as the correct way of life. It is explained that the practitioner of Buddhism cannot dedicate himself to professions that may harm other living beings in any way.

In the case of monks, they must live on alms, but they must never accept more than is necessary. For ordinary individuals, this implies that they cannot participate in businesses such as arms, living beings, meat, alcoholic beverages or poison.

They should also not earn money by wrong means such as theft, cheating, corruption or scams.

Mind training (

6- Correct effort

It consists of four main edges that are to prevent evil and unhealthy mental states that have not arisen, destroy the unhealthy mental states that already exist, generate new healthy mental states and maintain those that already exist.

7- Correct attention

It is about keeping the mind in the present so that it can be attentive to the phenomena that surround it, at the same time that it has expelled from its thought the desires that disturb the calm and cause suffering.

8- Correct concentration

This last principle refers to meditation and is explained with the jhānas. The first consists of distancing oneself from sensuality and disturbance to achieve ecstasy and happiness, accompanied by thought.

In the second step, discursive and verbal thinking are suppressed to calm the mind. Then the third state is entered, which consists of contemplative absorption.

In the final state contemplation is achieved with pure equanimity. In this step there is no pleasure or pain.

Influence

In the eastern world

Although Gautama Buddha is not considered a god, he is recognized as the founder of Buddhism. This is one of the most widely practiced religions in the Eastern world, and its doctrines permeated others, such as traditional Chinese religion, Confucianism or Zen.

Buddhism became popular in northern India as it eliminated castes. Thus, those who belonged to the lower strata in the Hindu religion, preferred to convert to Buddhism and find a new way of life.

Cambodia is the country with the highest proportion of Buddhists among its inhabitants, since 96.90% of the population profess this religion. It is followed by Thailand with 93.20% and Myanmar with 87.90%. Despite this, China is the country that is home to the largest number of Buddhists, with 244,130,000.

In Tibet there was a theocracy ruled by the Dalai Lama, until 1950, when China invaded its territory. At present this figure only fulfills spiritual functions, being an equivalent of the Catholic Pope in the Tibetan Buddhist religion.

The Dalai Lama is considered to be a reincarnation of the Avalokiteśvara, who is a protective Bodhisattva of Tibet. The term translates to "someone who is on the way to enlightenment."

In the western world

In the United States of America, Buddhism has a large number of believers. The figure rises to 3.8 million people. Also, the Buddhist religion and the life of Gautama are subjects of study in some universities. In other western countries, this influence is also quite significant.

However, it was not until the late 1800s that Westerners became interested in understanding Buddhism. The demographic growth of Buddhists in America and Europe occurred during the 19th and 20th centuries, largely due to Asian migration.

The figure of the Buddha Gautama has appeared in films such as Little Buddha (1994), by Bernardo Bertolucci, the documentary called The Buddha (2010), narrated by Richard Gere. Also in the novel Siddharta (1922), by Hermann Hesse.

The representations of the Buddha Gautama are often confused with those of Budai, a fat Chinese monk carrying a sack on his back. However, although some suggest that Budai may be the incarnation of Matreiya, he bears no direct relationship to Gautama.

References

1. En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Gautama Buddha. Available at: en.wikipedia.org.
2. History.com Editors (2017). Buddhism - A&E Television Networks. HISTORY. Available at: history.com.
3. Sharma, A. (2016). Life Profile and Biography of Buddha. Diamond Pocket Books.
4. Schober, J. (2002). Sacred biography in the Buddhist traditions of South and Southeast Asia. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
5. Lopez, D. (2019). Buddha - Biography & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: britannica.com.