Early Buddhism - Basic Doctrine : L2

Life Of Buddha

Buddha Gotama was born in 623 BC on a full moon day

Father King Suddhodana

Birth Mother Queen Mahāmāyā. Died one week after son

was born

Step Mother Mahāpajāpati Gotamī. She raise him up and

take care of him.

Place of Birth Kapilavattu

Clan Name Gotama

Race Sākyan

Naming Ceremony 5 days Siddhartha (meaning wish fulfilled)

after birth

King’s tutor, Asita predicted that he will become a Buddha. The king paid his
first respect to the child.

Seven famous astrologers + soothsayers gave prediction. Six predicted he will

become a universal monarch. The seventh, Kodañña, predicted he will become
a Buddha. The King used his powers to prevent his son from seeing the dark
sides of life. For 29 years the Buddha lived in palaces, 3 different ones
according to the season (hot, cool, wet) was served by young attendants.
Sickness, old age and death were never in his sight. He never saw anyone who
was sick, old or dead.

IMPORTANT EVENTS

1) Ploughing Event

The royal plough was driven by the king. The oxen were goaded by attendants.
As a child, he saw how the animals suffered in pain and the followers suffered
under the hot sun. He was left alone by his attendants who had to leave him
to prepare the feast. He sat under the rose apple tree and entered into deep
meditation and attained first absorption (1st jhāna). When the attendants came
back, they couldn’t get any response as he was in deep meditation. They called
the king who came and paid his 2nd respect.

2) Marriage

According to custom, he was married at age of 16 to a Koliyan Princess

Yasodhara. He led a luxurious life with her for 13 years. When he was 29 years
old, he left the palace one day for a walk in the Pleasure Park. On the way, he
saw a sick man, an old man, a corpse and a recluse, exposed to the realities of
life, the universal ailments of humanity. He saw that the recluse was peaceful.
The thought arose in him to renounce and lead a peaceful life, to search for the
truth, for a remedy, to stop the unsatisfactoriness of life.

3) Renunciation

As he was having the thought of renunciation, he was informed by the

attendant that his wife had delivered a son. His reaction was that an
impediment （rāhu） was born. He asked Channa to prepare his horse. He
took one last look at his sleeping wife and son and left the palace. He rode to
the Anoma river, shaved his head/beard, don a yellow robe, held a bowl for
alms. He gave his garments to Channa and asked him to return to the palace.

1st teacher, Alara Buddha attained 3rd meditative absorption of the

Kalama formless sphere (realm of nothingness)

2nd teacher, Uddaka Buddha attained 4th meditative absorption of

Ramaputta formless sphere (neither preceptiion nor non-
perception – n’eva saññān’asaññāyatana))

He could not reach liberation. He could only master the mind with deep
concentration but could not attain nibbāna. So he left the teacher and
practiced on his own.

Further Reading: The Buddha And His Teachings by Nārada, pg 1 to 16.