Gautama Buddha

Gautama Buddha Biography

Gautama Buddha is the founder of Buddhism, one of the ancient religions originated in India. He is simply known as Buddha. He was the prince of the kingdom of Kapilvastu in Nepal with the birth name Siddhartha Gautama. Buddha founded Buddhism in 6th century BC, one of the ancient religious practices which emphasizes on and recommends the principle of Ahimsa (Non-Violence) and give up desires to end sufferings, exists till now. Buddhism is accepted by people across the world including India, China and Nepal, and through Central, East, and Southeast Asia. At a time, its influence prevailed throughout Asia, before the existence of Christianity and other major religions took place.

He founded a monastic order during the Mahajanapada era during the reign of Bimbisara, the ruler of the Magadha Empire. Thus it’s widely accepted that he was a younger contemporary of Mahavira, the Jain tirthankara. Though there are no clear written records of his date of birth, it’s believed that he lived during the period - 563 BCE to 483 BCE. He was born into the Shakya clan as the son of a ruler.

Gautama was born in the kingdom of Kapilvastu in Nepal to King Suddodana Tharu and Mahamaya. His birthplace is Lumbini. A seer once predicted that if young Siddhartha come into contact with the external world of miseries and sadness, he will abandon the kingdom to become a saint. Otherwise he will become a great king. Fearing this predicted, King Suddodana Tharu kept Siddhartha in the palace for his whole childhood without making him know the real truth of life and death. He married Yashodhara at the age of 16 and had one son – Rahul.

Once Siddhartha happened to get out of the palace and for the first time he witnessed the truths of human life - an old crippled man, a sick man, a dead man, and a holy man with no home. These sights made a huge impact on Siddhartha’s mind and he decided to find the truths behind the sufferings of man. He gave up all his belongings and family life and left home at one night without letting anyone know it. He accepted a saint’s life.

He accepted different methods like Asceticism to seek answers of the questions troubling him. He searched his answers from teachers, saints etc and starved him by eating only six grains of rice a day. He tried holding his breath too. After six years, he found another method. He found a fig tree and started to meditate. He meditated for 49 days under the tree, which was later named as Bodhi Tree. His mind became pure and found Enlightenment. He found the answers to suffering and ways to defeat it – and those later came to be known as “The Four Noble Truths”.

He taught people what he believed and travelled extensively Southern Nepal and parts of India. He started Sangha, a group of monks and nuns. He believed that whole pains of man are because of desires and if one is able to leave all desires, it will end pain and gain enlightenment. Many people became enlightened through his thoughts. Gauthama Buddha died of food poisoning at the age of 80. He accepted his final meal from a blacksmith named Cunda, though its precise contents are still topics of hot debates.

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Updated: December 26, 2015