Background of Gautama and Buddhism
Buddhism began as a reformation movement within Hinduism. Its founder was SiddharthaGautama, who was born about 563 B.C. in the ruler warrior caste of Hinduism. (Died in483.) His father, Suddhodana, was a Raja a chieftain of the Sakya clan, a family of theKshatriya (warrior-nobility) caste of ancient Bharata. His father reigned over(Kapilavastu), a small district on the slope of the Himalayas on the Indian that bordersbetween India and Nepal. His mother's name was Maya. When Gautama was 16 or 19, he marriedthe princess Yasodharma and later had a son named Rahula. Gautama grew up surrounded by alife of luxury, but he grew dissatisfied in his 20s.
It is not easy to give an accurate historical account of the life of Gautama, since nobiography was recorded until hundreds of years after his death. Today, much of his lifestory is clouded in myths and legends which arose after his death. The best historians ofour day have several different and even contradictory accounts of Gautama's life. Thebiography of Siddhartha Gautama was not recorded during his lifetime. These teachings wereorally passed down to future generations of Buddhist monks within various Buddhistcommunities in India. The earliest available accounts of his life were collected somethree hundred years or more after his death. four centuries later, in about 80 B.C.,Buddhist scribes finally compiled the teachings of the Buddha on paper, which became thePali Canon. Both the historical and legendary descriptions of his life have been includedin the Pali Canon and Sanskrit accounts.
It has become indistinguishable to know where todraw the line between history and legend. Whether the stories about Siddhartha Gautama aretrue or myth, his life has been and still is an inspiration and model for all Buddhists.Buddhist scriptures and sayings attributed to Gautama written about four centuries afterBuddha's death. There is no way to be sure these are really Gautama's words. By the timethey were written Buddhism was split into opposing sects. The question of authority is animportant issue that needs answering in the Buddhist system.
At birth Gautama (his family name) received the name of Siddhartha, meaning "hewho has accomplished his objectives." Later in life he became known as the Buddha("the Enlightened One" or 'awakened one").
During Siddhartha's infancy, the sage Asita visited King Suddhodana's court and hadprophesied that Siddhartha would become either a great ruler like his father if heremained within his father's palace or a Buddha if he went out into the world. His fatherKing Suddhodana believed that if his son observed human misery in the world, Siddharthawould leave his home of luxury to seek for truth. The king naturally wanted his son toinherit his throne and kingdom after his death. So he issued strict orders to his subjectsthat the young prince was to be kept from seeing any form of evil or suffering. GautamasFather sheltered his son from the outside world confining him to the palace. so helived his life surrounded with pleasures and wealth. Despite his father's efforts, Gautamaone day finally saw the darker side of life by taking a trip outside the palace walls.
The legend of the Four Passing Sights tells how he became aware of the world'ssuffering in spite of his parents' efforts to keep him away from seeing the world of eviland suffering. Siddhartha decided to elude the royal attendants and was able to leave hisfather's palace where he rode his chariot four times through the city. During his journeyHe saw an old man, a person suffering from a disease(a leper), a dead man, and a beggar(an ascetic) shaven monk ( Other accounts say he merely envisioned these four states ofhumanity.) Going outside he saw for the first time that great suffering exists with thepeople. He realized from his observations that life was full of sorrows and that happinesswas an illusion. It was from these sights of suffering he became Deeply distressed. Hedecided to leave the luxury of palace life and begin a quest to find the answer to theproblem of pain and human suffering. and chose a path of renunciation.
It is said on the same night in which Yashodara gave birth to their son Rahula,Siddhartha who was 29 at the time abandoned his family and kingdom compelled to seek thetruth that was hidden from him all his life. This was of course not such an easy decisionand he certainly anguished over his decision to leave everything he loved, but now thathis son, whose name means "hindrance," was born and could continue the royalline. He was free to begin his spiritual quest that was burning inside himself. He tookhis faithful servant Channa and his devoted horse Kanthaka to the forest, where he shavedoff his hair and changed his robes in search of wisdom and enlightenment.
His journey began by seeking communion with the supreme cosmic spirit, He firstsubjected himself to Hindu masters and began a pilgrimage of inquiry and asceticism as apoor beggar monk. For six or seven years He studied the Hindu scriptures under Brahminhermit priests, and then in the company of five monks. but became disillusioned with theteachings of Hinduism. He then devoted himself to a life of extreme asceticism in thejungle such as fasting. . Other physical austerities included sleeping on brambles tomortify the desires of his body and abstaining from sitting by crouching on his heels todevelop his concentration. Legend has it that he eventually learned to exist on one grainof rice a day which ended up reducing his body to a skeleton. His practice of self-mortification had brought him closer to the point of death instead of enlightenment. Oneday while swimming he almost drowned being so weak. He soon concluded, however, thatasceticism did not lead to peace and self realization but merely weakened the mind andbody.
Despite all these efforts, Siddhartha did not succeed in attaining truth. Finally, in amoment of profound insight he realized that his life as an ascetic was of no greater valuethan his previous life as a prince living in luxury. Self-torture was vain and fruitless;depriving oneself was no better than pleasure. He understood then the importance of whathe called the Middle Way. Abandoning a life of extreme austerities, Siddhartha began toeat solid food. This act angered his fellow monks, who felt Siddhartha had weakened andsuccumbed to his physical needs. They promptly deserted him, thoroughly disgusted with hisseeming worldliness.
Gautama eventually turned to a life of meditation. On the wide bank at a major city innortheast India, While deep in meditation under a fig tree known as the Bohdi tree(meaning, "tree of wisdom"), Gautama experienced the highest degree ofGod-consciousness called Nirvana. There Mara, the evil one, tried to thwart Siddharthafrom becoming the Buddha, luring him with worldly temptations during his meditations.Siddhartha withstood all the challenges presented and experienced the revelation ofliberating awareness. The way that provides escape from the cruel causality of samsara(the cycle of rebirths). He discovered the Four Noble Truths, which became known as thewisdom of Realization. Gautama then became known as Buddha, the "enlightenedone." He believed he had found the answers to lifes most puzzling questions theanswer of why there is pain and suffering.
Gautama's approach to religion was quite different from the Hinduismout of which he had come from. Hinduism had degenerated to empty philosophicalspeculations and disputes, to polytheism, rituals, magic, and superstition. Authority fortruth was the exclusive ownership of the highest caste. Gautama attacked the caste systemand rejected their forms of speculation, ritual, and occultism. Interesting that TibetanBuddhism has become much of what Gautama rejected. Some compare Buddhas break to Martin Luthers reformation in Christianity. He believed everyone wasequally capable of the highest spiritual development.
The Buddha was 80 when Cunda the blacksmith served him pig's flesh or some claimmushrooms. He became extremely ill and died. Before he passed away, he sent a message toCunda saying that he should not feel guilty for being the cause of his death, for it wasdestined to be. Just before his death, he exhorted his disciples not to grieve. His lastrecorded words were: "Decay is inherent in all omponent things! Work out your ownsalvation with diligence." (Christmas Humphreys, Buddhism, p.41.)
By the time of his death at age 80, Buddhism had become a major force in India. Threecenturies later it had spread to all of Asia. Buddha never claimed to be deity but ratherthat he was an enlightened human being, a "way- shower." Strangely enough sevenhundred years later, some of the followers of Buddha began to worship him as deity despitehis not teaching this.
Since Gautama's death, many sects have developed within Buddhism. These sects cansometimes be like comparing two different religions. Many have developed their own uniqueconcept of God. Some are pantheistic in their view of God, others are atheistic. Stillothers have developed a polytheistic system of gods (like its originator Hinduism).
Somehave combined pantheism and polytheism. Several sects have elevated Gautama (or Buddha) tothe level of a savior or divine being although it is clear he never claimed to be a deity.Other sects have tried to synchronize together some of the doctrines of God from otherreligions with Buddhism . As there are some Churches that adopt some Buddhist teachingsinto Christianity. While there are general similarites in some ethics and moral teachingsBuddhism is not condusive to Christianity. The two are mutually exclusive, they bothcan't be right at the same time, nor can the two be blended together.
The two differ in there concept of God. For Buddhists in general, theiris no Absolute which has a purpose in our daily living. Gautama said little about anyconcept of God. Buddha was monistic in his view of the Absolute as an impersonal forcemade up of all living things but denied the existence of a personal God. The Bibleteaches of a God who rules the universe, is personal and sovereign and wants to havecommunion with man. Therein lies a vast difference in these religions teachings.
