
Buddha
Gautam Buddha was regarded as one of the world’s greatest religious teachers. Reality, tolerance, humanity, and equality were his messages. His teachings and sayings became the foundation of Buddhism, one of the world’s most common religions, which is practiced in countries such as Japan, China, and Burma.
He is thought to have been born in the sixth century B.C. in the Lumbini forests of Nepalese Terai. Siddharth was his name until he became the Buddha (the Enlightened). Suddhodana, the ruler of Kapilvastu, was his father’s name. Maya Devi was Siddharth’s mother, and she died not long after he was born.
Siddharth was a quiet boy who liked to think about things. He was drawn to meditation and spiritual pursuits, somewhat against his father’s wishes. Siddharth’s father was afraid that he would leave home, so he tried to shield him from the harsh realities of the outside world by holding him inside the palace at all times.
He also married a beautiful princess named Yashodhara when he was 18 years old. Rahul was their son’s name. But none of this could persuade young Siddharth to change his mind.
According to Buddhist tradition, Siddharth understood how fleeting earthly passions and pleasures are when he met an old man, a sick person, and a dead body. Soon after, he abandoned his family and kingdom to seek peace and truth in the forest. He went from place to place in search of information. He encountered a number of scholars and saints, but he remained unsatisfied. At the age of thirty-five, Siddharth was turned into Buddha, or the enlightened one. Bodhi Vriksha is the name given to the pipal tree where he attained enlightenment.
Buddha received what he desired. In Sarnath, near Varanasi, he preached his first sermon. He preached that the world is full of sorrows and that people suffer as a result of their desires. As a result, by following the Eightfold Path, impulses could be overcome. The first three of these eight paths will ensure physical power, the next two mental control, and the final two intellectual growth.
The Buddha taught that achieving ‘Nirvana’ is the ultimate aim of all Buddhists. Neither prayer nor sacrifice will bring one to nirvana. It is possible to do it by living and thinking in the right way. Buddha did not mention God, and his teachings are more akin to philosophy and ethical code than faith. Buddhism believes in the rule of Karma, which states that a person’s actions in this life decide his eternal incarnation status.
Buddhism is associated with nonviolence ideals. The Tripitika is a compilation of Buddha’s teachings, life, and philosophical discourses on the teachings, as well as commentaries on the teachings. In 483 B.C., Buddha attained Nirvana in Khushinagar (U.P.).
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