Buddhism in India

Buddhism was founded 2,500 years ago and it is one of the largest religions in India. The founder of Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha was born in Lumbini Province, Nepal in 623 BC. The early life of Buddha starts with the path to Enlightenment from the time when he left his home at the age of 29 to fully understand the sufferings. The life journey from leaving his palace in Kapilavastu to living an ascetic life and becoming a Buddha inspires many people around the world.

The Buddha principles are very famous and Vipassana centres created all around the world teach Buddha principles and the path to Dhamma (Dharma in Hindi) free of cost. All it depends on how much charity we can offer for the next round of people to join in and learn these principles. Also, these teachings are very beneficial for people suffering from mental ailments or suffering from day-to-day stress. 

This page will help us understand Buddhism’s history, including the story of Buddha's path to enlightenment in detail. Along with this, you will get to learn about the founder of Buddhism, i.e., Gautam’s principles and interesting facts on the Buddhist era.

Early Life of Buddha: A Painless and Pure Birth

The history of Buddhism is divided into the following stages:

• A painless and a pure birth

• Marriage with Yashodhara

• Leaving his all possessions and the first stage of Buddha's path to enlightenment

563 B.C. - Birth in Lumbini, Nepal 

The Buddha was born from when his mother was leaning against a tree, in a painless and pure birth.

The birth of Gautam Buddha was magical, like the moment he took seven steps, lotus flowers sprang up in his footsteps.  Seeing this magical energy sprouting in his footsteps, a wise man predicted that he would be either a great secular ruler or a great religious leader. Therefore, he was named Siddhārtha (or Sarvārthasiddha). The meaning of Siddhartha is a man who achieves his goals. However, his mother died just after his birth and he was raised by his maternal aunt Mahāprajāpati.

548 B.C. - Marriage in Kapilavastu, Sakya

Siddhārtha was married at a very young age of 15  to Yaśodharā. She gave birth to a boy, who was named Rāhula. Gautam is believed to have been a well-educated young man, trained in martial arts, and to have enjoyed his privileged life in the capital city, Kapilavastu.

Earlier Than 534 B.C.: An Existential Crisis in Kapilavastu

Siddhartha’s father Śuddhodana wanted his son to be the political ruler predicted at his birth. So he protected his son from any religious aspirations by offering him all the privileges of life and preventing him from seeing the harsher sides of reality. Eventually, his plan failed and Siddhartha decided to explore his society and was deeply disturbed by seeing sufferings, sickness, and death. He was also intrigued by the sight of religious people searching for answers to life’s big questions.

The Prince Leaves His Home

The following four stages explain the journey of Siddhartha leaving his palace and leading a simple life to reach the path of enlightenment:

1. Party for the Birth of Gautam’s son

Siddhartha's father, king Śuddhodana, arranged a grand dinner in which he called the famous dancers to celebrate the birth of Siddhartha’s newborn baby, Rahula. Invited were the exceptional dancers, singers, and musicians in the country. It was not just out of pleasure that the king organised the celebration. He found that the prince was stressed and that his newborn son was not offering him happiness. The king was scared if Siddhartha was making plans to leave the palace for right and, for the last time, did his best to distract him far away from his sombre reflections and returned to the abundance of palace life.

The prince attended the party simply to delight his father. During the dinner, the relishing food was served, the most enchanting and cheerful dancing girls in the country performed, the most melodious musicians played and the best puppets and magicians performed tremendous feats. But Siddhartha was so tired from contemplating that he quickly fell asleep.

When the singers and the dancers noticed this they too stopped and fell asleep. Sometime later that night the prince awoke and was shocked to see these dozing people. What a sight! All the prettiest, most cheerful dancing girls, the best singers, best musicians, and cleverest performers in the country, who, hours ago, were trying to make the prince so happy, were now all over the ground of the room in the ugliest, shameful and loathsome positions. 

2. The Time for Leaving his House

The moment Siddhartha was leaving his palace, he could hear the voice of some people snoring like pigs, with their mouths huge open, a few grinding and chewing their teeth like hungry devils. This alteration in their look made the prince, even more, suppressed and unhappy. "How oppressive and stifling this all is," he thought, and his mind turned once more in the direction of leaving the palace. He woke up silently and waking Channa, asked for his horse, Kanthaka to be saddled (meaning: to burden someone).

As Channa was preparing his horse, Siddhartha silently watched his newborn son for the first time. His spouse was sleeping with the toddler beside her, her hand resting at the toddler's head. 

Further, the prince said to himself, "If I attempt to move her hand so I can take the child for one last cuddle I worry I will wake her and she will prevent me from going. No! I need to go, however after I have determined what I am searching for, I shall come back and see him and his mother again."

3. Buddha Left his Palace and all the Wealthy Possessions

Quietly then, Siddhartha left the palace. It was the middle of the night, and the prince was on his white horse Kanthaka along with his devoted servant Channa, holding on to its tail. Nobody stopped him as he rode far away from all who knew, respected, and cherished him. He took a last glimpse of his city Kapilavasthu — walking very silently in the moonlight. He left all his possessions to understand old age, illness, and death. 

He went to the bank of the river Anoma and dismounted from his horse. He removed his jewellery and princely clothes and handed over them to Channa to give back to the king. After the prince took off his sword, he cut his long hair and wore simple clothes. Also, took a begging bowl, and asked Channa to return to the palace with Kanthaka.

"It is useless residing in the palace without you, my master," stated Channa very sadly, "I need to follow you." But Siddhartha would not permit him to stay, even though Channa asked thrice.

4. The Death of His Horse Kanthaka After His Master Buddha Left the Palace

At last, Channa commenced to go, however, Kanthaka refused. The prince talked to the horse very gently. "Please, Kanthaka, go along with my friend. Don't wait for me." But Kanthaka thought, "I shall never see my master again." Tears rolled down from the horse's eyes as it saved them, fixed on the prince, till he went far away and walked out of sight. As Siddhartha vanished from the horse’s sight, Kanthaka's heart burst, and he died of sadness.

The History of Buddhism: How Buddha Started His Ascetic Life

For the first time, Siddhārtha took training from a consecutive number of meditation teachers, including the masters Ālāra Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta.

These people taught him meditation techniques by which he could calm his mind and enter clearer and clearer states of 'one-pointed serenity, in which awareness of the outside world stops. Although these experiences are mighty and satisfying in themselves, they are endless. Once his meditation was finished, he retired to his earlier stage. So, Siddhārtha wanted permanence and, despite being known as fully competent by his teachers, left them behind.

• 532–528 B.C.: Asceticism in Uruvelā

Siddhartha relocated to a spot close to this pleasant village in the far west of Magadha, where he took up a completely different course of action.

Another method adopted in his day was asceticism – the testing of one’s bodily body by exhausting tasks. These included: facing the extreme heat of the sun without protection; escaping a single physical posture, which includes lying or sitting down; holding one’s breath; or fasting by lowering food intake regularly till surviving on tiny amounts of food. The idea became that one should wear down the physical influence of one’s being and release the soul, an insubstantial essence in every individual.

• 528 B.C. Collapse: Varanasi

Siddhārtha took up this kind of exercise wholeheartedly and ultimately settled with a collection of 5 others close to Varanasi.

He became extraordinarily proficient, however, after a few years of attempting lots of practices, Siddhārtha collapsed. He determined that all he was doing was risking death with no strategy to the problems of suffering and death. He accepted a small rick milk meal from a young woman called Sujātā, offered in thank you for having just given birth to a much-desired son.

• 528 B.C.: Awakening: Bodh Gayā

Siddhārtha’s companions rejected him while he gave up asceticism. As he recovered strength, he moved close to the river Nerañjarā and settled beneath a tree.

He found a way out to understand the situation of a human and that could be liberating. He merged restraint with the removal from the senses he had observed in meditation. Commemorating a moment of quiet illumination ( to see something clever within) from his childhood days, he entered a stage of thoughts in which he could recall his past life and apprehend what saved him and others tied to the cycle of rebirth. He attained ‘awakening’ or bodhi. This was the core experience by which he came to be known as Buddha, which means ‘awakened’.

Buddhist Era: Facts and Information

The below facts show how the rise of Buddhism has its own place to date:

• The Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya

The Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya is stated to mark the spot wherein the Buddha completed enlightenment. It is one of the most sacred sites of Buddhism.

• 528 B.C.: Teaching To Buddhism Followers At Sārnāth, Varanasi

The actual time varies according to the source, however numerous weeks after his awakening, the Buddha determined to communicate his level of trust in other people.

He was not at first optimistic about this but was persuaded that someone would possibly recognize it. For the need of anyone better to talk to, he walked to Sārnāth, not far from Varanasi, to discover his former ascetic (meaning: living away from worldly pleasures) companions. He took a lot of care to explain his insights to them. The teaching he gave is briefed in the context referred to as the Dharma-chakra-pravartana Sutra – the discourse describing the primary turning of the wheel of the coaching. The 5 ascetics have become his first 5 disciples.

• The Fifth Century Dhamekh Stupa At Sarnath

The fifth Century Dhamekh Stupa at Sarnath, that is stated to mark the spot withinside the deer park wherein the Buddha gave his first sermon.

• 483 B.C.: Death of Buddha At Kuśinagara, Malla

The Buddha taught constantly in the final 45 years of his life. He travelled around northeast India, teaching in lots of dialects.

In his 80th year, his life ended close to a small city called Kuśinagara, in Malla (Uttar Pradesh). Falling ill, probably from food poisoning, he got it examined with his monastic followers whether or not they had any questions to ask before he died. They had none. He encouraged them with his very last words: “Things that arise from causes can even decay. Press on with due care.” Amidst the sudden fall of forest flowers, he lay on his right side, entered a deep meditative state, and passed away.

Conclusion

So, we can see how Buddha left all the worldly possessions to know one and the ultimate truth of life. Buddhism’s history teaches us that to gain something extraordinary, we need to sacrifice all our loving possessions, even our family.