The Buddha: An introduction

Buddhism: Introduction

World Faith

Recently added to the site

Information: This article sets out the key aspects of the life and teaching of the Buddha. It also sets out some of the key differences between the main Buddhist schools. A version of this article was originally published on the website www.faithnet.org.uk.

It is wrong to say that Buddhists are worshippers of Buddha. Instead, Buddhists look back to the early days of their faith to a young man called Siddhartha Gautama, who found enlightenment (an true understanding of the nature of reality), and taught people to way to find this for themselves.

Siddhartha was born a Prince in about 563 BCE, in north-east India. At the time of his conception, Siddhartha's mother dreamt of a white elephant , which was a symbol of greatness. Many wise teachers said he would be either an emperor, or a great religious teacher. However, as religious teachers at that time often chose lives of hardship and lived alone, Siddhartha's father did everything he could to make sure his son saw nothing which would disturb his happiness, and cause him to question the meaning of life and pursue this path.

Something to think about: How many founders of the major world religions lived somewhat ordinary lives until they were about thirty, and then began to feel that they were called to fulfil some higher spirtual purpose?

Siddhartha grew up in a palace free from the knowledge of suffering and death; surrounded by pleasures and riches. However, despite this life of luxury, Siddhartha grew restless and wanted to explore the world outside the palace. This he was allowed to do, but whilst there he saw things he had never seen before. In particular, he had four experiences (called the four signs) which changed the course of his whole life. The first three of these were of an old man, a sick man and a corpse. The fourth was seeing a wandering ascetic, whom his charioteer explained was trying to understand the impermanence and suffering of life. Siddhartha decided he wanted happiness and wisdom beyond youth and wealth, so he left his princely life, a wife and child to seek it. This is known by Buddhists as The Great Renunciation.

After leaving home, Gautama (as he is frequently called) came under the instruction of two meditation teachers. He also met five other ascetics, who undertook strict and severe fasts. Despite nearly starving himself to the point of death, neither of these ways helped him find the peace he desired. So he continued his travels until he arrived at Bodh Gaya, where he sat down under a fig tree and decided to meditate until he had found enlightenment. Despite temptations to give up this quest, he found enlightenment. He realised the wisdom he had been looking elsewhere, he had actually found inside his own mind once he had achieved a state of clarity in his thoughts. One of the main things he learnt on the way to achieving this, was that he had to let go of the idea of a permanent self or soul (anatta), and other people around him as separate entities. Because of this, he experienced a freedom from anxiety caused by self-centredness ('Since there was no longer a sense of self, there was also no fear for the self and no fear of dying'). It was also at this point that Gautama became known as the Buddha (of Enlightened One).

Being compassionate for all living beings, the Buddha decided to teach others what he had come to know. This is called the dharma. He began with the five ascetics he already knew. His first sermon to them was in a deer park at Benares, and included The Four Noble Truths and The Noble Eightfold Path.

The Buddha was thirty five years old when he found Enlightenment. Until he died in about 483BCE, he travelled north-east India teaching the Dharma, and helping anybody he could. His death came whilst resting between two tress; recovering from food poisoning. He was cremated, and his remains divided and buried in mounds.

Some people say that Siddhartha was always a Hindu, and that Buddhism is nothing more than a branch of Hinduism (just as some might say that Christianity is a Jewish sect). Others say that Buddhism is an entirely different faith to Hinduism, and as such the Buddha cannot be said to have remained a Hindu.

The Buddha emphasised practice rather than theory (orthopraxis, not orthodoxy). He believed that people can only help others once they have understood their own true spiritual nature. He taught a middle way between the extremes of self-indulgence and self-denial, and drew attention to the dissatisfaction (dukkha) that most people feel about life, and its causes. He emphasised the ways of morality, meditation and wisdom, and always reminded his followers that he was nothing more than their teacher, and that they should pass on the Dharma.

After his death, the teaching of the Buddha was passed on by the community of followers he left behind. This consisted of both ordinary (lay) people (householders), and monks and nuns. Together they became known as the Sangha). Each served the other. Monks and nuns taught lay members the Dharma, whilst they offered monks and nuns food, clothing and somewhere to live (a practise still done today).

People declare themselves members of the Sangha by repeating three times:

'I take my refuge in the Buddha. I take my refuge in the Dharma. I take my refuge in the Sangha', and promising to keep certain moral precepts. Because these are treasured above all else they are also called The Three Jewels. Householders and monks also promise to keep the Moral Precepts of Buddhism.

Buddhists have developed many different ways of explaining the Buddha's message. The most traditional form, Theravada Buddhism ("Doctrine of the elders"), tries to stay close to the original teaching of the Buddha, whilst Mahayana Buddhism ("Great Vehicle") has a greater variety of paths (including the popular Zen and Pure Land Buddhist schools). These latter 'paths' have been developed to take more people to enlightenment quicker.

In terms of how they relate to the historical Buddha, Theravada Buddhists believe he was just a man who became enlightened, taught the dharma and then died. He is not unique, and others have and will follow the same path as him (although none will be a great as the Buddha himself). Mahayana Buddhists on the other hand believe in Cosmic Buddhas, as well as historical ones. These Buddhas all have their own realms (or pure lands/paradise), which they help people to reach. The most famous of these is Amitabha (Chinese) or Amida (Japanese) Buddha. Those who call on his name will be reborn in his Happy, or Pure Land.

Unlike Theravadans, Mahayana Buddhists acknowledge the presence of Bodhisattvas in the world. These are people who postpone reaching nirvana, in order to teach more people the Dharma. Mahayana Buddhists also believe that the Buddha-nature (seed of enlightenment) is within all people, waiting to be realised. In Buddhas and Bodhisattvas this enlightenment shines for all to see, whilst in others it is still covered by ignorance and darkness.

Index of Buddhist Terms

Ascetic - A person who practices severe self-discipline, and abstains from all forms of pleasure especially for religious or spiritual reasons.
Dharma - (lit. Truth) A word used for the Buddha's teaching. In Buddhism this can be translated as truth, law or teaching.
Nirvana - (lit. Blowing out) Used to describe the blowing out (or snuffing out) of attidues such as greed, hatred and delusion, which keep people self-centred, and on the wheel of rebirth (samsara). It describes the state of peace, joy and true realisation of the nature of the world for Buddhists. It is not to do with the idea that once a Buddhist achieves Enlightenment, that they should disappear. This is a misunderstanding (and misue) of the term, and should be avoided.