GAUTAMA BUDDHA

As I reflect on the life and teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, I am struck by the
profound impact he has had on my life. The Buddha's journey from a life of luxury to one of
simplicity and renunciation resonates deeply with me. His courage to question the status quo
and seek answers to life's fundamental questions inspires me to be more mindful and
intentional in my own life. The Buddha's teachings on the Four Noble Truths and the
Eightfold Path have helped me to better understand the nature of suffering and the path to
liberation. His emphasis on compassion, loving-kindness, and wisdom has encouraged me to
cultivate these qualities in my own life. One of the most significant ways in which the
Buddha has inspired me is through his example of mindfulness and meditation. His teachings
on the importance of being present in the moment and cultivating a non-judgmental
awareness of one's thoughts and emotions have been instrumental in helping me to develop
greater clarity and calm in my own life. Moreover, the Buddha's message of hope and
liberation has given me the courage to face my own challenges and difficulties with greater
equanimity and resilience. His teachings have reminded me that suffering is an inherent part
of life, but that it is also possible to transform that suffering into an opportunity for growth
and awakening. In conclusion, the Buddha's life and teachings have had a profound impact on
my life, inspiring me to cultivate greater mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom. His example
continues to guide me on my own spiritual journey, reminding me of the importance of living
a life of simplicity, clarity, and purpose.

LIFE HISTORY OF GAUTAMA BUDDHA

Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama and Lord Buddha, is regarded as the
founder of Buddhism; his followers are referred to as Buddhists. Gautama Buddha is also
commonly referred to as Buddha, which means an enlightened one who has attained freedom
from the state of suffering and ignorance, having attained the state of nirvana.

Gautama Buddha was born in a kingdom just below the foothills of the Himalayas on the
edge of the eastern Indian subcontinent. Lord Buddha was born into the prestigious family of
the Shakya Clan. His father was the head of the Shakya clan, and his mother was a Koliyan
Princess.

Gautama Buddha was born in the province of Lumbini, located in Southern Nepal, in 623
BC. He was born into a noble family of the Shakya Clan residing in the Himalayan foothills.
The head of the Shakya clan, Suddhodana, was his father, while his mother Maya was a
Koliyan princess. It is said that the court astrologers predicted that he would become a great
sage or a Buddha. Buddha’s father shielded him from the outside world and human suffering,
and Buddha grew up with every luxury he could desire. It was after 29 years of living a
sheltered and luxurious life that Buddha got a glimpse of the real world. In the streets of
Kapilavastu, Buddha came across an old man, a sick man and a corpse. His charioteer
explained to him that all beings are subjected to old age, sickness, and death. After hearing
this, Buddha could not rest. While returning, he saw a wandering ascetic walking along the
road. He comprehended that he could overcome all this suffering by becoming an ascetic and
then decided to leave his kingdom in search of answers to the problems of suffering. In
search of answers to the problems of suffering, Buddha bid a silent farewell to his wife
without waking her, and left for the forest wearing a simple robe of an ascetic. He worked
with two teachers: Alara Kalama and Udraka Ramaputra. From Alara Kalama, he learned
how to train his mind to enter the sphere of nothingness. Udraka Ramaputra taught him how
to enter the mind’s concentration zone, which is neither consciousness nor unconsciousness.
Eventually, Buddha left both his teachers in search of liberation. For six years, Buddha, along
with five other companions, practised asceticism by eating single grains of rice and
conflicting mind against body. His five companions left him after Buddha decided to abandon
asceticism. In a village, Buddha was offered a disk of milk and several vessels of honey by a
woman named Sujata. After this, he went to bathe himself in the Nairanjana river, and then
sat underneath the bodhi tree, where he meditated. After seven days, he was liberated from
the chains of human suffering and became “Buddha”, the enlightened one. After
enlightenment, Buddha hesitated to speak to people about his realisation. He believed it
would be too difficult for most people to understand. But it is said that God Brahma made
him change his decision. Buddha went back to find his teachers Alara Kalama and Udraka
Ramaputra, but they had died. Then, he went to find his five companions that left him.
Buddha met his five companions in Deer Park (Sarnath), located near Varanasi, and
convinced them about his awakening. This was the first time Buddha turned the wheel of
dharma. The five companions became the First Sangha, a community of men (and later,
women too) who followed the teachings of Buddha. They journeyed in small groups around
northeastern India, explaining dharma and practising meditation while begging for their
meals. Buddha walked through villages and towns of India for 49 years, preaching dharma.
Many kings knew him, and they donated gardens and parks for retreats of the sangha, where
people would come to them. Buddha developed a set of decrees for the sangha, preserved in
various texts called Pratimoksha. These texts were recited by the Sangha every two weeks.

Buddha died at the age of 80 after eating a meal of pork or mushrooms. On his deathbed, the
monks gathered made him realise that everything is transient. He asked them to take refuge in
themselves and the dharma. After some centuries of his death, Buddha was given the title of
“Lord Buddha”.
 Buddha, born in an aristocratic family with all the luxuries, decided to leave everything he
possessed to find answers to the problem of human suffering. He attained enlightenment after
meditating under the Bodhi tree, and eventually spread his teachings with the help of his
sangha. He became the founder of Buddhism. The year of Buddha’s death is still uncertain,
but the life and teachings of Buddha are still relevant after centuries of his death.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF BUDDHISM TO INDIAN CULTURE

Buddhism originated in the 5th-6th century BCE in northern India. It has produced a wealth
of philosophical and doctrinal literature in various languages and schools. Buddhism was
founded by former prince Siddhartha who later renounced his family in search of
enlightenment and was called Buddha. Buddhism’s core teachings are that all of the
sufferings in life are caused by desires. And one must stop the life desires to stop the
suffering, enlightenment can be achieved by following the Noble Eightfold path (Eight rules
that guide the life and morals of the followers to achieve enlightenment). Buddhist beliefs
denote that all actions bring rewards or retribution.

Although Buddhism is not widespread in India, where it originated, it has affected the culture
of India in many ways.

Societal Impact

 Buddhism had a huge influence on Indian culture as it provided the Indian people with a
popular religion that was simple to understand and follow
 Buddhist teachings disavowed the social norms of that time, ritualism, sacrifices, and
dominance of the priestly class prevalent in the 5th-6th BCE era and left a permanent
influence on religious thoughts in India
 Buddhism attracted the common people because of its simplicity and ease to understand, and
the scriptures and teaching method, and monastic order were given in the language
commonly spoken most
 It gave a tremendous push for social equality and democratic values
 It encouraged the abolition of social distinction and strengthened social equality, it opened a
way for the women and Shudras to be involved in society and religion, and it disorganised the
abstract philosophy of the Upanishads. Buddhism left a deep and significant impact on
society

Moral Impact and Monastic System

 Buddhism challenged the followers of orthodox Brahmanism

 Buddhist literature focused greatly on love, compassion, equality, and non-violence
 It emphasised that man is responsible for his destiny and actions
 It did not have any idea of a divine being as God
 These concepts challenged the existing religious beliefs of that era and caused institutional
changes in Indian society
 The Buddhists followed a system in which Buddhist monks followed a common code of
discipline and obeyed a common head and lived together in monasteries the head of the
monastery was elected by the monks
 Gradually with time and influence, this monastic system was also later adopted by Hinduism

Development of Language and Literature

 The Buddha preached his messages in the Pali language, the language of common people
 During the time of Kanishka, the Buddhist monks preached the message of Buddha in the
Sanskrit language, the language of common people at that time
 The spread of Buddhism in these languages gave various works of literature and enriched
them

Development of Universities

 The Buddhist temples and monasteries were used as educational institutes

 Taxila, Nalanda, Udyantpuri, Vikramshila, Vallabhi, and other cities progressed greatly at the
height of Buddhist teaching centres; it helped in the development and enhanced the literature
in Pali, the common language spoken by most people
 The scriptures documented in Pali and Sanskrit were enriched and developed by scholars of
the Hinayana and Mahayana sects
 The Buddhist texts like Tripitakas, Jatakas, Miliandpanho, LalitVistara Buddha Charita, and
Mahavibhasa, are assets to Indian literature and culture

Art, Architectural Sculpture, and Paintings of Buddhism

 One of the most prominent contributions of Buddhism to Indian culture is in the state of
architecture, the stupas, the sculpture and paintings, the viharas, and the chaityas that were
built at Sanchi, Bahrut, Amravati, Taxila, Bodhgaya, Nalanda, and other places are
spectacular and showed the flourishing of art in Buddhism
 The Sanchi Stupa, decorated with beautiful ornamental torans is considered a magnificent
masterpiece in architecture
 The cave temples of Ajanta, Karle, Bhaja, Ellora, etc. show their achievement in rock-cut
cave temples
 The paintings in Ajanta depicting touching scenes of Buddha’s life are world-famous
 The paintings bear testimony to the heights the arts reached in the Buddhist period in the
domain of painting
 This Buddhist art initiates a glorious part of the history of Indian art and architecture that
fostered a new awareness in the field of culture

Contact between India and Foreign Countries

 Buddhism established a close relationship between India and foreign countries

 The Buddhist monks and scholars travelled to foreign countries preaching about the teachings
of Buddha and spreading the word of Buddhism from the 3rd century BCE onwards and in
making Buddhism a prominent religion in Asia
 The foreign students and pilgrims who came to India in search of knowledge and foreigners
were bewitched by the rich Indian culture and gave up their names and heritage and adopted
the Indian culture and Hindu names and faith
 Buddhism hugely impacted the formation of modern Hindu society
 Buddhist teachings gave importance to animal life and its protection, the holiness of nature,
and non-violence
 The faith of Ahimsa Paramo Dharma was popularised by it
 Buddhism calls for the protection of nature and animals

Buddhism gave India many things, it influenced the society away from social hierarchy and
towards equality, it allowed and gave equality to women and Shudras, and challenged the
orthodox philosophy of that era. Its teachings stated that one is responsible for his actions and
destiny. Its scriptures are given in the common language Pali at first, then Sanskrit helped
develop and enriched it. Buddhism’s teaching is simple and the scriptures, the common
language of people at the time, made it popular. The use of its monasteries and temples as
teaching institutes and spreading its teaching in foreign countries attracted many in search of
knowledge like scholars, pilgrims, and students to India, some of whom were fascinated by
India’s culture, gave up their former lives, and adopted Hinduism and Indian culture. Art,
architecture, paintings of Ajanta, rock-cut temples, show that art flourished during the
Buddhist era.