SUTTANTA INTRODUCTION - 03

SUTTANTA: INTRODUCTION -03

The Buddha (His Life in brief)

            Our Gotama Buddha, in order to achieve his Buddhahood, had to accomplish the following with ardent resolution for a period of four aeons and one lakh world-cycles wherein 28 Buddhas appeared:-           

(a) Ten kinds of Perfections (Pāramī)

(b) Three Noble Practices (Cariya) and            

(c) Five kinds of Sacrifices (Mahāpariccāga)

            Having accomplished all these, before his last existence, he was reborn in the Tusitā divine world as a Deva/deity by the name of Setaketu. At the request of Devas and Brahmas from ten thousand universes who approached him, Setaketu the aspirant (Bodhisatta=the Buddha to be) examined the five great Observations for his last rebirth in the human world in order to liberate all beings from the whorlpool of Suffering, that is Saṃsāra as an Enlightened One.

-He was duly conceived in the womb of Mahamaya-Devi, the chief queen of king Suddhodana who ruled over the Sakyans,on Thursday, the full moon day of Waso (about July) in the year 67 MahāEra (624BC)

-The Bodhisattawas born on Friday, the fullmoon day of Kason (about May) in the year 68ME (623BC) at the LumbiniGrove between Kapilavatthu and Devadaha. On the seventh day after his birth, the mother queen passed away and was reborn as a male deity named Santusita in the Tusitā realm. His child name was Siddhattha.

-Prince Siddhatthawas brought up in the midst of great luxury and provided with three elegant mansions fit/suited for three seasons. Later he was married to a cousin princess named Yasodara. Having seen the four great Omens, that is, an old man, a sick man, a dead man and a recluse whom he had never seen, he felt disgusted with the household life and chose to go forth from it into homelessness by leaving the Palace on horseback on Monday, the fullmoon day of Waso, 97ME (594BC) the day on which his son Rahula was born.

-He practiced austerities under the guidance of the two hermits, Ālāra and Udaka for some time and attained Arūpa Jhanas at most. As he was not satisfied with these he proceeded to the Uruvela grove and practiced strenuous austerity for six years until his body shrank/reduced almost to a skeleton, and was nearing death.

-Later he realized the uselessness of these self-mortification practices and tried to regain his lost health and strength, and followed the Middle Path (Majjhima-paṭipadā) by contemplating on mindfulness of breathing-out and breathing-in. His Middle Path conse­quently led him to the attainment of

            1. Pubbe-nivāsanussati-ñāṇa     =Knowledge of the past existences,

          2. Dibba-cakkhu-ñāṇa         =Knowledge of the divine eye and

          3. Āsavakkhaya-ñāṇa           =Knowledge of the extinction of cankers in the three watches of the night respectively, Thus he attained his long-desired Buddhahoodon Wednesday, the full moon day of Kason, in the year l03ME(589BC). As he was fully enlightened, he knew everything in the world without exception, and could teach beings in accordance with their tendencies that led them realize the Dhamma which leads to the liberation from all Sufferings.

Thus he taught the human beings, devas and brahmas for the whole 45 years and passed away at Kusināra at the age of 80, on Tuesday, the full moon day of Kason, in the year 148ME (543BC)

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Ref: The teaching of the Buddha (Basic level)

Uttamapurisa Dīpanī by Ledi Sayadaw, translated by U Tin Oo - Manual of the Greatest Manhood, collected by Ven. Kosalla, Dean of the Faculty of Pariyatti (I.T.B.M.U)