life of buddha
TRANSCRIPT
LIFE OF THE
BUDDHA
The Buddha descended from Tusita Heaven after preaching
Abhidhamma to his mother (Queen Maya)
Queen Maya’s Queen Maya’s dreamt of a white elephant entering her side and she became pregnant The White Elephant was the Buddha-
to-be resided as an ‘enlightened existence’ in one of the six deva-heavens
Not long after Queen Maya’s Dream, she conceived. Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini 623 B.C.
Not long after Queen Maya’s Dream, she conceived. Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini 623 B.C.
Siddhartha’s Birth took place on a Vesak Full Moon Day.
The Baby began to walk 7 steps forward and at each step, a Lotus flower appeared.
“I am the Chief in the world. There is no equal to Me. I amsupreme. This is My last birth . No more Rebirth for Me.”
Asita at the Naming
Ceremony in
the Palace
The Ploughing Festival : Siddhartha meditating when he was 7 years old
Siddhartha Gautama, unlike his cousin,
Devadatta, was full of loving-kindness and
compassion.
At 16, Prince At 16, Prince Siddhartha married Siddhartha married Princess YasodharaPrincess Yasodhara
An old man, a sick man, a dead man and
a monk
Age 29, Gautama goes on four trips out of the castle and sees four sights that change his worldview
Siddhartha leaves the wife
and child
Siddhartha leaves the
Palace with Channa and
his horse.
The Great Renunciation
Prince Siddhartha Prince Siddhartha cuts off his haircuts off his hair
For 6 long years Siddhartha practised Ascetism
• Asceticism pleasure is bad
– Extreme fasting
– Holding one’s breath
– Exposure to bodily pain
• Gautama nearly starves himself to death without getting any closer to enlightenment
• psychological darkness within each of us to make our own worst fears real
• 3 Lusty Daughters of Mara
– Delight
– Desire
– Discontent
• was neither attracted nor disgusted by these three things
• they remained powerless over Gautama
• Defeated Mara, Gautama enters deeply into an inward spiritual journey
Mara’s Forces Invade The MindMara’s Forces Invade The Mind Literal belief that Mara was a demon
Conquering The Evils Of
Greed, Hatred and
Delusion
Sujata
offer food
to the
Bodhisattva
The Bodhisattva attained Enlightenment under the Bodhi
Tree – He was 35.
The Bodhisattva attained Enlightenment under the Bodhi
Tree – He was 35.
It was on
Vesak
Full Moon
that the
Bodhisattva
Attained Supreme
Enlightenment
Bodhi or Fig Tree
• Revived from near-death by young girl, dedicates himself to meditation.– Mindfulness of breathing to purify oneself
of defilements and as a way to nirvana
• Lotus position under fig tree, vows not to leave until he found “complete and perfect fulfillment” (Brodd, 72).
EnlightenmentEnlightenment
• Gautama realized, after nearly dying, that asceticism is actually counter productive.
– Self-hating practices that brought little spiritual benefit
– One becomes stuck on self while the goal is to transcend one’s self.
• Middle Way is a way of proceeding that exercises moderation between self-indulgence and self-mortification
Middle Way
The Mucalinda Lake Where The Buddha Meditated in The Sixth Week After Enlightenment
Three Watches under the Fig Tree
• First Watch – “Gautama perceived his own previous lifetimes…[his] continuous journey of suffering”
• Second Watch – “acquired the divine eye, ability to perceive the deaths/rebirths of all living things”
• Third Watch – Discovers Four Noble Truths– With this Gautama attained
enlightenment – reached spiritual perfection and had thus won his salvation
– Became the Awakened or Enlightened One
The Buddha Passed Away at Kushinagar The Buddha Passed Away at Kushinagar at the age of 80
Vesak Day Celebration
Vesak Day Celebration