Life+of+the+Buddha+Sakyamuni+(Siddartha+Gautama)+ca.+563-483+BCE

Sakyamuni Buddha, one of many Buddhas believed to have existed, is credited as the founder of Buddhism. He was born Siddhartha Guatama in 563 BCE to the ruler of the Shakya clan. Upon his enlightenment, he became known as Sakyamuni Buddha which means “Sage of the Shakya Clan”. Sakyamuni Buddha’s life is often depicted through eight great events, ranging from his Descent from Tusita heaven to his death, or Parinirvana.

Since Buddhist tradition holds that it takes numerous lifetimes to perfect oneself, it is not uncommon to find depictions of the Buddha's previous lifetimes. These "jakaka" stories, as they are known, recount the various virtueous acts of the Buddha prior to his enlightenment. Canonical works depict over five hundred jakatas and as early as the second century BCE, recognizable jakata stories appear on reliefs in northern India (Trainor, 2001, pg. 191). The jakata stories are reflective of the Buddhist belief of a contineuous narrative that extends beyond any one lifetime and, furthermore, the idea that it is not only the deeds which Sakyamuni Buddha did in this lifetime, but in previous lifetimes that account for his eventual attainment of enlightenment.
 * Jataka Stories - Previous Lifetimes**

Prior to his final birth, the Buddha is believed to have resided in Tusita Heaven, where he lived and ruled for thousands of years as the deva Svetaketu. Knowing he would be reborn only one more time, he choose Shuddhodana, the ruler of a small state, and his wife Queen Maya for his parents; thus, beginning his descent from the Tusita Heaven. He came to Queen Maya in a dream as an elephant and entered her side. She then became pregnant and gave birth in the Lumbini Garden. Just as he had entered her side, he was born from her side as she held onto a tree branch of the pipal tree, while the gods looked on. Shortly after his birth, the soothsayer Ajita visited Siddhartha and discovered he had 32 auspicious marks or “Laksanas”. He told Siddhartha’s parents that he was going to be someone special, either a great king or a great religious leader. His father, wanting his son to be his successor, did not want him to become a religious leader and seek a life of renunciation.
 * Svetaketu in Tusita Heaven planning his last birth,** **Queen Maya’s dream and the birth of Siddhartha**

"Dream of Queen Maya" - Medallion from Bharhut railing -http://cla.calpoly.edu/~jwetzel/India/slides/DreamOfMaya.html "Birth of the Buddha", Kushan Period - http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/buda/ho_1987.417.1.htm

Hoping to direct his son's destiny to that of a great ruler, Shuddhodana protected his son from the realities of life. He restricted Siddhartha's exposure only to things that were luxurious and beautiful. Consequently, up to the age of twenty-nine, the ravages of poverty, disease, and old age were unknown to Siddhartha. Legend has it that one fateful day, Siddhartha left the palace and, for the first time, he saw someone who was sick. He then saw someone who was old and then someone who was dead.¹ These visions greatly disturbed Siddhartha. He did not know how one could be happy in the face of such suffering. He then saw a wandering ascetic begging for money. To Siddhartha, the man appeared satisfied, happy and content. Believing this man knew something that he didn’t, he inspired Siddhartha to leave the palace and follow a similar path.
 * Palace life and the Four Visions**

Siddhartha left the palace on the night of his son’s birth. Before leaving, he visited his wife and newborn son as they laid sleeping. He wanted to pick up his newborn son, but did not for fear of waking his wife. He instead vowed to return and see his son after he attained enlightenment. He proceeded to give all of his jewels and belongings to his attendant and, accompanied by his charioteer Chandaka, fled the palace. Legend holds that supernatural beings, knowing the fruits which would come to bare from his departure, assisted Siddhartha by putting the palace guards into a deep sleep and quieting the hooves of his horses. He then went into the woods to meditate and spent six years in the forest as a mendicant. After six years, and near death due to his fasting, he came to realization that extreme asceticism was not the answer. Having experienced both a life of extreme indulgence and a life of extreme asceticism, he came to believe that neither path was the way to spiritual enlightenment. He began to preach the idea of the "Middle Way", a balance between these two extremes.
 * The Great Departure and life as a mendicant**

"Fasting Siddhartha", Kushan period, ca. 3rd century - http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/buda/ho_1987.218.5.htm

At a place now known as Bodh Gaya, Siddhartha mediated under a pipal tree (later known as the Bodhi Tree, or "the tree of awakening") and vowed not to move until he became enlightened. Sensing Siddhartha was near enlightenment, the demon Mara attempted to dissuade him, sending his armies to attack Siddhartha. When this did not work, Mara sent his beautiful daughters to seduce him. When this too did not work, Mara approached Siddhartha himself. Mara attempted to unseat Siddhartha, claiming he, not Siddhartha, had the right to the throne of enlightenment. Mara claimed his armies could attest to his worthiness and asked Siddhartha who could attest to his worthiness. At that moment, Siddhartha touched the ground with his right hand to summon the Earth as his witness. With this act Siddhartha defeats the forces of the demon Mara and attains enlightenment.
 * The defeat of Mara (Maravijaya) and enlightenment**

"The Buddha Triumphing Over Mara", ca. 900-1000 BCE - http://67.52.109.59/code/emuseum.asp?style=browse&currentrecord=1&page=search&profile=objects&searchdesc=B60s2&quicksearch=B60s2&newvalues=1&newstyle=single&newcurrentrecord=2

The first teaching, also known as the "First Turning of the Dharma Wheel", was held at Mrigadava Park, or “Deer Park”, in Sarnath. There, with five ascetics listening on, he shared his ideas of the "Middle Way" and the "Four Noble Truths". Considered the first "dharma", or law, in Buddhism, the first three of the Four Noble Truths describe the nature and root cause of suffering. The Fourth Noble Truth, known as the "Noble Eightfold Path", describes the way to liberation, or nirvana. It is said that the Buddha's teachings were so effective that the five ascetics achieved nirvana within one week (Trainor, 2001, pg. 37).
 * First Teaching (Four noble truths and the eight fold path) at Mrigadava**

"Buddha's First Sermon at Sarnath", Kushan period, ca. 3rd century - http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/buda/ho_1980.527.4.htm

After spending nearly forty-five years spreading his teachings across India, the Buddha allegedly suffered food poisoning from tainted boar’s meat. He traveled on until he reached the town of Kushinagara. His followers, knowing that he was near death, urged him to appoint a successor. He refused, essentially telling his followers to 'be a light unto themselves'. The Buddha, knowing he had overcome the cycle of samsara and thus would not be reborn, prepared for his final nirvana, or parinirvana, by laying down between two shala trees. There, laying on his right side, he went into a deep meditative trance and then passed away. Afterward, he was cremated and his remains were divided into eight relics and enshrined in monuments called stupas.
 * Final Nirvana (Parinirvana), Cremation and distribution of the relics**

¹Some versions of the story claim that the four visions occurred on the same day, while others claim four separate occurrences (Trainor, 2001, pg. 28).

"Birth of the Buddha". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York. Retrieved Sept. 27, 2008 from the Metropolitan Museum of Art website. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/buda/ho_1987.417.1.htm
 * Image References:**

"Buddha's First Sermon at Sarnath" (ca. 3rd century). The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York. Retrieved Sept.28, 2008 from the Metropolitan Museum of Art website. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/buda/ho_1980.527.4.htm

"The Buddha Triumphing Over Mara" (ca. 900-1000). Asian Art Museum. San Fransisco. Retrieved September 28, 2008 from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco website. http://67.52.109.59/code/emuseum.asp?style=browse&currentrecord=1&page=search&profile=objects&searchdesc=B60s2&quicksearch=B60s2&newvalues=1&newstyle=single&newcurrentrecord=2

"Dream of Queen Maya". Retrieved September 27, 2008 from the California Polytechnic State University website. http://cla.calpoly.edu/~jwetzel/India/slides/DreamOfMaya.html

"Fasting Siddhartha". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York. Retrieved September 26, 2008 from the Metropolitan Museum of Art website. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/buda/ho_1987.218.5.htm

Kevin, T. (Ed.). (2001). //Buddhism: The Illustrated Guide//. London: Duncan Baird Publishers.
 * Text References:**