Who Was The Buddha?
Category: Buddhist Path | Recent Meditation Posts
The Buddha was an actual human being who lived approximately 2,600 years ago. While deep in meditation, he experienced an awakening to the true nature of all things, liberating himself from suffering. He then spent the rest of his life sharing what he had learned. Learn who the Buddha was, and what he represents for those who seek to follow his spiritual path.
- Who was Shakyamuni Buddha?
- What is the Buddha’s life story?
- How did the Buddha awaken?
- What did the Buddha teach?
- Who founded Buddhism?
- When did the Buddha die?
Who was Siddhartha Gautama?
Siddhartha was born a prince, south of the Himalayas, in an area we now know as Nepal. Although scholars debate the exact dates of his life, many date his birth close to 563 BCE. Siddhartha was a member of the Shakya clan, a tribe ruled by his father, King Suddhodana. The name Siddhartha can mean ‘the one who has accomplished his goal.’ This name was given to him by his mother, Queen Maya, who birthed him from her right hip while standing under a sal tree, holding a branch for support.
Although the Buddha’s life is full of legends, scholars agree he was a real historical figure. He is referred to by his name when he achieved enlightenment, Siddhartha Gautama or Gautama Buddha. He is also referred to by the name of his clan, using the term Shakyamuni, meaning ‘Sage of the Shakya Clan.’
The Buddha’s Early Life
When Siddhartha was born, it was prophesied that he would go on to become a great king or a great spiritual teacher. His father, committed to the former, thought he could shield his son from the spiritual life by preventing him from ever seeing anything upsetting. Confined within the palace walls, the future Buddha thus lived a life of pleasure. He was never even informed of his own mother’s passing, just 7 days after his birth.
Throughout a few rebellious, clandestine excursions, however, the Buddha was exposed to the truth of suffering and the inescapability of old age, sickness and death. This prompted him to search for a spiritual solution. Inspired by a vision he had of a monk meditating, Siddhartha left the palace to explore life as an ascetic.
The Buddha’s Awakening
The Buddha recognized that his life of pleasure was not a solution for ever-lasting contentment. No matter the level of luxury, pleasure is impermanent, offering no protection from death. Curious if denying the body and all of life’s pleasures was the solution, he went to the forest to meditate. Extreme self-denial made him so weak, however, he could hardly continue to practice.
In a moment of complete surrender, the Buddha accepted an offering of some food and allowed himself to rest and simply be. As the story goes, he meditated with a centered presence, not grasping anything nor pushing anything away. Here, simply resting in the mid-point between two extremes, that very night he became awakened to the true nature of reality, thus freeing himself from suffering.
The Buddha’s Teachings
The Buddha was at first reluctant to share his spiritual understanding. After his enlightenment, he was unsure whether anyone could understand what he had experienced. His first sermon was to a group of ascetics he had once meditated with. Here he famously taught the four noble truths. The first truth is that suffering, or dissatisfaction exists. The second and third truths are that suffering is caused and therefore has an end. The fourth truth points to the cause of the end of suffering, the Buddhist 8-fold path.
The Buddha continued to teach for 45 years until the end of his life. A skillful spiritual teacher, the Buddha addressed his audience in different ways throughout his life, depending on their level of understanding. To help make sense of the variety of his extensive teachings, Mahayana Buddhists group his teachings into three turnings of the wheel of dharma.
The Founder Of Buddhism
The term “buddha” means an awakened one or one who has attained bodhi. Bodhi can mean the wisdom of understanding how things exist. It is the solution to our suffering, which is rooted in a mistaken perception of reality focusing on ourselves. We put all our hopes for lasting contentment into things that are, by nature, impermanent.
Siddhartha Gautama is the founder of Buddhism as it is known today. The life story of the Buddha has an important lesson to teach: inspiring us to spiritual practice. The Buddha taught that all living beings have buddha nature as their very essence. By living as the Buddha did, we too, can awaken to our true nature and become buddhas. The Buddha also explained that there were buddhas walking this earth before Siddhartha was born, just as there are buddhas among us right now, or buddhas who will arrive in the future.
The Buddha’s Death
The Buddha died at approximately 80 years of age, around 483 BCE. Legend has it he died of an illness after eating a contaminated meal, offered to him by a follower. The Buddha’s death is a teaching for us, a reminder of the great lesson of impermanence. Our human bodies will not live forever, even if we do become enlightened. We can, however, transcend the pain that accompanies death by accepting the truth of impermanence, here and now, while we are living.
