type
status
date
slug
summary
tags
category
icon
password
AI summary
According to legend, Shakyamuni was a descendant of the famous ancient Indian royal family of the Shākya clan, with his father King Suddhodana being the ruler of the kingdom of Kapilavastu (now located in the southern part of Nepal, near the Indian border). His mother, Queen Maya, returned to her parental home to give birth, and on the way, she passed through the Lumbini Grove (now the site of Lumbini Temple in Nepal) and gave birth to Siddhartha. The exact date of this great birth is disputed among different texts, with some sources giving as many as 60 different dates. Scholars in China believe he was born in 565 BCE and passed away in 486 BCE, roughly around the same time as Confucius, but seven years earlier. This timeline is also accepted by countries such as Japan and India.
In modern times, excavations at the Lumbini site have revealed a shrine dedicated to Queen Maya, with a relief depicting her giving birth to Siddhartha. According to Buddhist legend, when Queen Maya passed through the Lumbini Grove, she saw a large tree with fragrant, beautiful flowers and abundant leaves. She raised her right hand to pluck a branch, and at that moment, Siddhartha slowly emerged from her right side. Queen Maya's left arm was resting on the shoulder of an attendant, while her right arm was raised, grasping the tree branch. Siddhartha's upper body emerged from her side, and a heavenly maiden stood by, holding a golden cloth to receive him, while another maiden held a water jar nearby.
In 1897, archaeologists discovered an Ashoka Pillar at the site. Over 1,300 years ago, the Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang, during his pilgrimage to the West, saw this stone pillar and recorded: “... There is a large stone pillar with a horse sculpture, built by the King of the Maurya Dynasty, Ashoka. Later, it was struck by an evil dragon and fell to the ground.” This pillar was erected by Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya dynasty, who ascended the throne more than 200 years after the Nirvana of Shakyamuni. The pillar's top is carved with a horse, a common motif in early Buddhist art symbolizing Siddhartha's departure from the city to seek enlightenment.
Queen Maya unfortunately passed away seven days after giving birth, and Siddhartha was raised by his aunt, Prajapati. This aunt later converted to the Buddhist teachings founded by Shakyamuni and became the first female monk in the Buddhist community. Siddhartha received the education typical for Kshatriya nobles at the time and later married his cousin, Yasodhara. They shared a deep affection, and Yasodhara was described as being beautiful and graceful, resembling a heavenly goddess. Together, they had a son named Rahula.
Although Siddhartha's kingdom was small, as the crown prince, he lived a comfortable and luxurious life. His father had high hopes for him and wished for him to inherit the throne. However, Siddhartha felt that his kingdom was surrounded by powerful nations, and its future was uncertain. He also witnessed the harsh realities of life—aging, illness, and death—and was deeply moved by the suffering of the people. He decided to abandon his comfortable life and leave the palace in search of a way to liberate his spirit. After leaving the palace, he practiced severe asceticism, subjecting his body to extreme forms of self-mortification in the hope of attaining enlightenment. However, after six years of such hardship, he found that asceticism did not bring the liberation he sought. He then abandoned this path and sought another way. He went to Bodh Gaya and sat beneath a Bodhi tree, entering a state of deep meditation. After seven days and nights (some sources say 49 days) of intense contemplation, he finally attained enlightenment, gaining insight into the true nature of the universe and life, and achieving liberation. He was 35 years old at the time.
The former Siddhartha no longer existed; the sage of the Shakya clan—Shakyamuni—was born. From then on, he began his 45-year-long teaching career. The Buddha first delivered his teachings to five ascetics in the Deer Park near Varanasi, including Araraj, Chunda, and others. These five men were deeply impressed and became his first disciples, marking the beginning of the Buddhist community. This event is known as the "First Turning of the Dharma Wheel." The term "turning" here refers to the act of teaching, while "Dharma Wheel" symbolizes the Buddha's teachings. There are two meanings: first, it refers to the Buddha's teaching, which rolls on like a wheel, continuously spreading; second, it refers to the way the Buddha's teachings destroy the suffering and evil of sentient beings, like a mythical king destroying mountains with his magical chariot. As the Mahā-Prajñāpāramitā-śāstra (Volume 22) says, “When the Buddha turns the Dharma wheel, all obstacles and evil views are eradicated, and all doubts, regrets, and disasters vanish.”
Following this, the Buddha continued to convert people, including the three brothers Kasyapa, Sariputra, and Maudgalyayana, as well as other key figures such as Ananda, Rahula, and his cousin Devadatta, who all became followers of Buddhism.
The Buddha's teachings reached a wide range of people, from various social classes and ethnic groups. Many kings and wealthy patrons offered significant political and economic support to the Buddha. The first "Sangha" (monastic community) was formed when the five initial disciples were joined by other followers, and over time, the monastic order expanded. Initially, only men were accepted as monks (Bhikkhus), but later, after the conversion of his aunt Prajapati, women (Bhikkhunis) were also admitted.
At first, monks and nuns traveled freely, without permanent residences. However, to adapt to the rainy season and provide a place for communal gatherings, monasteries were established, and monastic rules were codified.
When Shakyamuni reached the age of 80, while traveling, he fell seriously ill during the rainy season. He reached the town of Kushinagara (now Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, India), where he lay between two sal trees near the river. The moonlight filtered through the leaves, shining on his peaceful, serene face. Before his passing, he instructed his disciples to continue practicing diligently. In the middle of the night, he exhaled his last breath, and his great heart stopped beating. The Buddha attained complete liberation, entering Nirvana!
After Shakyamuni's death, his body was cremated, and his relics (sarira) were distributed among various countries as sacred relics, placed in stupas for worship. The process by which Siddhartha became a Buddha (a fully enlightened being) is largely as described above, without any mystery. Shakyamuni himself opposed rituals, idol worship (a practice that later Buddhists adopted), and emphasized self-cultivation and self-improvement. However, due to the needs of religion, Shakyamuni was gradually deified and idolized, and his life was imbued with supernatural qualities, leading to the concept of the "Eight Aspects of the Path to Buddhahood."
上一篇
The Three Buddhas: A Detailed Exploration
下一篇
Tathāgata: Sakyamuni Buddha, the Tathāgata, the World-Honored One
Loading...
