upscdictionary:: Life History of Buddha

Life History of Gautama Buddha(568 BC- 483 BC)

Life History of Buddha

1. The Birth site of Buddha is marked by pillar of Ashoka inscription dated in to year 249BC
2. Siddhartha Gautama was born in a Kshatriya family in Lumbini, Nepal. (563 BC).
3. Buddha Father Suddhodhana was Saka ruler, and his mother Mahamaya died after 7days of his birth, Buddha was bought up by her aunt Gautami.
4. Married to yashodhara at the age of 16 years, and had a son named Rahul
5. Series of incidents made Siddhartha Gautama to transform himself and lead to the foundation of Buddhism 
6. Series of incidents when he was travelling by a chariot
7. Helpless Old manDiseased Sick manDead BodyReligious Mendicant – who lead of meditation life
8. These encounters motivated Buddha to follow the spiritual path and find solutions to human sufferings
9. He left home, wife and luxurious life and lead an ascetic life path (534 BC)
10. After Siddhartha left home he spent 7days in Garden of Mangoes at place ANUPIA
11. Went to Vaishali in search of Knowledge where he made Brahmin Alara Kalama as his teacher. Siddhartha was not impressed with his teachings met another teachers 
12. Rudraka in Rajgriha, Acharya  named Ramputtra. they also could not influenced Siddhartha 
13. Sidhhartha finally left all of them and practiced severe penance for 6 years there after he sat under papal tree in Gaya and started meditation till he acquired knowledge. On the eight day he was enlightened
14. Gautama attains Enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya (In Bihar), India. (528 BC)
15. From that day he was called as “Tathagat/Buddha”.Then he went to Banaras and Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh) near Varanasi and he delivered first sermon Dharmachakra Pravartan
16. After this sermon he was followed by 5 disciples later they laid foundation of Buddhist Sangha
17. At the age of 80 years he attained Nirvana at Kushinagara (483 BC)

Symbols associated with Gautama Buddha

Symbols	Represents the Events in Buddha’s life
Lotus and Bull	Janma(Birth)
Horse	Mahabhinishkarmana (Renunciation)
Bodhi Tree	Nirvana (Enlightement)
Wheel	Dharamachakra pravartana (Sermon/Teaching)
Stupa	Mahaparinirvana (Death)

Kingdoms associated with Buddha/Places travelled by Buddha

Buddha Preached his disciples Middle Path, then he went to Rajgriha, Kingdom of Bimbsara, from there he went to kosala, kingdom Prasenjith where he became his disciple The moved tokapilvastu a large people became order of sangha including buddha’s wife and son Yashodhara and rahul Then he went visited many kingdoms Magadha, Kashi, Kosala, Vaijji, Avanti etc. where he gained many disciples and followers After preaching at vaishali he went to patna, at the house of iron smith he ate food (truffle mushrooms ) which he could not digest, from there he went tokushinagar Continuing his preaching till 45 years,at the age of 80 years he attained Nirvana atKusinagara(483 BC)

Spread of Buddhisum

Some kings had most respect to Buddhism principles and practices, but it is at the time of Ashoka that Buddhism had wide spread to different parts of the world as shown in the following diagram

Spread of Buddhism

Ashoka believed in Buddhism and he build number of stupas

Buddhism spread to Srilanka – By Son of ashoka Mahinda (Mahendra) and his daughter Sanghamitra (whose name means Friend of sangha)

Prominent in this cause were his son Mahinda (Mahendra) and daughter Sanghamitra (whose name means “friend of the Sangha”), who established Buddhism in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)

and many parts as shown in the above diagram

Important Articles of the Buddha

1. Buddhist Mudhra/Buddha Symbols
2. Councils of Gautama Buddha/Buddhist Councils
3. Teachings/Philosophies of Buddha and Buddhism