A Brife Life History of Gotama, the Buddha

Before, we start to learn about the Buddhism, I would like to introduce the Buddha, who is very unique, noble, and holy. This is a brief biography of Gotama the Buddha.

The future Buddha, know as Bodhisatta in Pali, lived in the remote past and was reborn as Sumedha the Hermit, four Asankhyeyyas and one hundred thousand world-cycles (Kappa) ago.

At the time Dipankara the Buddha, the Omniscient One, existed and if the Bodhisatta decided to win Complete Freedom and Purity, he could win it under the feet of the Buddha Dipankara. Considering that he should teach the Four Noble Truths to the ignorant world, and having universal compassion (Maha Karuna), he renounced the chance of winning Nibbanic peace for the sake of the welfare and liberation of all living beings. Indeed, he decided to make all sentient beings free from the sufferings in the circles of births and deaths known as Samsara. He wanted to save all persons not only for himself alone in crossing over the ocean of Samsara.

So, the Budhisatta had to wander through countless lives, four Asankhyeyyas and hundred thousand world-cycles (Kappa) with the noble, determined performances of the Budhisatta virtues to win full Enlightenment of Sammasambuddha Nana (Supreme Enlightenment). Naturally all true Bodhisattas have to observe Tem Parami-Perfections to become Buddhas by their own efforts. The Tem Parami-Perfections or Great Liberating Virtues are;

1. Generosity/ Alms-giving/ Charity
2. Morality
3. Renunciation
4. Wisdom
5. Energy/ Effort
6. Patience/ Forbearance
7. Truthfulness
8. Determination/ Resolve
9. Loving-kindness and
10. Equanimity

Each Parami must be performed at three levels: Regarding generosity, these are;

1. Ordinary Level – giving away outward things such as gold, silver, horses, elephants, etc.
2. Secondary Level – giving away inner things such as eyes, ears, noses, hands, etc.
3. The Highest Level – giving away one’s own life, for the welfare of others.

As each Parami contains three levels of supreme performance, there are Thirty Paramis in the world of Bodhisattas.

And, most remarkably, all true Bodhisattas must renounce completely the following possessions or ownerships. In this way they become worthy of respect and ready to become the full Buddha.

1. Renunciation of high status and positions, such as kingship, universal rulership, wealth, power so that they are collectively known as “Dana Pariccaga”.
2. Renunciation/ offering of sons and daughters for other’s sake, persons who ask for them.
3. Renunciation/ offering of one’s own wife when someone makes a demand for her.
4. Renunciation of one’s own limbs such as hands, legs, ears, nose when someone asks for them.
5. Renunciation/ sacrifice of one’s own life (Jivita Pariccaga).

These unique self-sacrifices or rare virtues are collectively termed “Five Great Renunciations”, because only uniquely rare and noble persons, after receiving solemn prophecy from the mouth of the Buddha, can perform them with complete freedom and high aim.

As such the Bodhisatta, in countless lives, had to make supreme sacrifices for the sake of Supreme Enlightenment (Bodhi), and finally he was reborn in Turita Deva (Celestial) realm, as Setaketu Deva. While living as a deity in Tusita Adobe, all gods and brahmas living within a sphere of ten thousand Cakkavala worlds came near to him and made a solemn request, asking him to be reborn as a human being in the human world as the time for Buddha-hood was ripe at that moment.

In accordance with the solemn request of devas and brahmas of ten thousand Worlds, Bodhisatta Setaketu, having made his sacred decision, deeply considered the following points of great importance:

1. Kala – A correct time for attainment of Supreme Bodhi – Buddha-hood
2. Dipa – A suitable Island Continent for the Buddha
3. Desa – A suitable region for Buddha
4. Kula – A suitable race
5. Matuayupariccheda – Life-span and age of the Bidhisatta’s Holy Mother

After knowing these five factor requirements he passed from Devaloka to be conceived in Maya Devi’s womb, the chief queen of King Suddhodana of Kapilavatthu. This Scared Conception in Mother’s womb took place on the full-moon of Waso, 67 Maha Era (560 BCE), Thursday.

Then the Bodhisatta was born in 68 Maha Era (about 560 BCE) on Kason (equivalent to May) full-moon, Friday, at the Lumbini forest, between Devadaha Country and Kapilavatthu Country.

At the age of sixteen he was married to Princess Yasodhara, enjoying royal pleasures with great happiness.

But, at 29, when he saw the Four Fearful Holy Sights, or the Four Great Signs, namely, an old man, a sick man, a dead man (a corpse), and a mendicant, Bhikkhu, he at once renounced the world to practice and attain the Highest Truth of Life.

At a lonely forest, as a wanderer in search of supreme peace and greatest happiness, he preformed severest austerities know to mankind. He followed the path of self-torture, as it was the popular course at that time among holy men, to win enlightenment and liberation. Thus for six continuous years he tried self-mortification, all forms of austerities. These practices are called “Dukkaracariya”, Great Hard Practices.

After having tried the way of self-mortification, he went and sat under the Ajapala banyan tree. These, Sujata, a daughter of a millionaire, came and offered a very righ rice-gruel food (milk-food). He accepted and partook of the most special food to recover his health and strength, and then he left for the place where the Maha Bodhi Tree stood.

While at that sacred place a grass-cutter, Suddhiya, came and offered eight bundles of grass which he scattered them near the Sacred Bodhi Tree.

Wonderfully, due to the power of his countless Parami-Perfections, these bundles of grass turned into the “Seat of the Unconquerable”, or the “Throne of Supreme Victory”. The nature and shape of the grass had been transformed into “Aparajita Pallinka”, seat for the Bodhisatta.

Sitting on this Seat of Victory, the Bodhisatta won over Devaputta Mara, the Evil One at the beginning of the setting sun. At the first watch of the night he attained Pubbenivasa Nana Insight, which means Insight of recollection of past lives or the reminiscence of past births. At midnight he attained Dibbacakkhu Nana (the Divine Eye) by which he could see clearly the disappearing and reappearing of beings. With supernormal insight he saw the deaths of beings and where they were reborn at the same instant.

At dawn he won the Supreme Supramundane Insight (Lokuttara consciousness of arahattamagga citta), know as “Asavakkhaya Nana”, the noble insight that completely eradicated all ten defilements (kikesa=impurities, taints, passions) root and branch. The Bodhisatta became the Supreme Buddha, the Exalted One, at the age of thirty-five in 103 Maha Era, on full moon day of Kason (equivalent to May).

With the attainment of Supreme Insight, for forty-five years he preached the Noble Dhamma (The Enlightenment Philosophy) in many places to various types of people without discrimination. Thus he served the cause of welfare, peace and happiness of all sentient beings with greatest effort and noblest aim. Even deities, brahmas, animals got many benefits from hearing his Dhamma, putting them on the Right Path.

After teaching the Dhamma for forty-five years in many countries to various peoples, starting with the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, the essence of Buddha’s Teaching, the main Dhamma. Having performed his duties and responsibilities as the Buddha, he realized the complete cessation of all Khandha-Dukkhas, at Kusinara, in the forest of Malla Kings, on full moon of Kason (equilavent to May) in 148 Maha Era (about 485 BCE), Tuesday.


Source: How to live as a Good Buddhist Volume 1, by Dept for the Promotion and Propagation of the Sasana, Union of Myanmar
N.B: The article above has been edited and modified.