Buddhism: At a glance

Yesterday I was talking to one of my friends and suddenly we came to talk about Buddha, and as soon as the conversation started, I did not want to stop telling all about the Buddhism to my friend, but it was not possible to throw all the things I know about Buddhism at once, so I thought of writing about it, and put down the things I know on writing, So here are some of the things I have read, heard and learned about Buddhism. It is just like a glance into the Buddhism, If you find anything incorrect or think this was not how it goes please do let me know.

Let's start at the beginning. There was a King in Kapilvastu (present day Nepal) named Suddhodhana. His wife was Mahamaya princess of kollia republic. They had a son named Siddhartha. He was born in 563 BC. Mahamaya the mother of prince died within seven days of the birth of the prince. A hermit named Asita who lived in the mountains came down to palace and made a prophecy " This Prince if he remains in the palace after his youth he will become a great king, But if forsakes the worldly life he will become the Savior of the world." There are many stories about the childhood of Buddha but one is very famous and  I am going to share with you that story.

Siddhartha and his cousin Devdutta were playing in the garden. Devdutta was trying to shoot birds with his Bow and Arrow. Then he shot down a White Swan to the ground seeing that Siddhartha ran towards tha Swan and he lifted it and removed the arrow from his wings and stopped his bleeding. Then Devdutta reach there and asked Siddhartha to give his swan to him to which Siddhartha said it was his swan. they both started to argue. so they went to the king and asked to resolve the argument. The king told both of them to tell their side of the arguments. Devdutta said as he has shot down the swan it belongs to him, Siddhartha responded with that because he had saved the swan form dying that's why it belongs to him.They both argued before the king and then Siddhartha said the swan should be given to him because "The who who saves is always bigger than the one who kills" then the king decided that the swan belongs to Siddhartha.

One day when the King was sleeping he saw a weird dream. He saw seven signs in the dream and he wanted to know the meaning of these signs so he asked all his wise men but no one was able to tell. Then one sage came to the palace and told what the seven signs meant.

The first thing the king saw in his dream was a Broad, glorious, Flag on which Indra's Badge was cast. The old hermit said it signified the end of old faiths and beginning of new ones.

The second thing the king saw was ten elephants that shook the earth they signified the ten great gifts of wisdom.

Third thing king saw was a chariot which had four horses who were breathing fire, they meant four virtues that will bring budhha out from gloom.

Fourth the king saw a golden wheel which was moving in circles hermit said it signified the wheel of law.

Fifth king saw the prince was beating a drum it meant the teachings of prince will fill the world with the sound of his teaching that will shook the earth.

Sixth the king saw Buddha was scattering jewels the hermit said the jewels were treasure of the world.

The seventh vision king saw was six men who will teach the teachings of Buddha.

Hermit said the vision will be true in seven days. Story after that everyone knows. The prince demanded to see the city the king arranged a visit for the prince where all the sad, sick, died people were removed from the city and city was decorated, all the people were happy but prince was not satisfied. 

So Prince asked his charioteer Chhanna to take him to city the next day without telling amyone. When he visited the city he was shocked to see the truth. He saw four scenes which changed his heart.

When he was visiting the city First he saw a old man and asked Chhanna why the man was so weak and looking different than him. Chhanna said to Prince that he was an old man. Prince asked is everyone gets old Chhanna replied yes everyone gets old then second he saw a sick man and asked Chhanna why he was looking so sick Chhanna told him that he was sick and everyone gets sick. Third he saw a dead man whom people were carrying on their shoulders he asked why all the man were carrying him and why he was all unconscious. Chhanna told the prince that the man is dead and they carrying him for his cremation. The prince asked if everyone dies and chhanna said yes this shocked the prince to the core.He couldn't believe that how different reality was. After going for some more distance he saw a person who was sitting under a tree, he was very calm, he looked happy, he was healthy, Prince asked who the man was, Chhanna said he  is a hermit. Prince asked what is a hermit, Chhanna explained to him one who has attained Moksh( enlightenment), one who is free from all chains of humanity is a hermit. The prince then came back to his Palace.

In the palace Prince couldn't enjoy all    those things he enjoyed earlier. He lost all interest in pleasure, his wife Yashodhara and his son Rahul. He couldn't live in that palace any more.So one night he silently left the palace as he left his wife and son Rahul he said his name is Rahul it meant a chain which is trying to keep him chained.

Then he  asked Chhanna to take him somewhere outside the city in his chariot. The name of the horse of the Chariot was Kanthak. Channa took him outside the city where he gave all his jewels clothes to Channa and dressed himself in clothes of a hermit and said Channa to return to the palace. At the age of 29 Siddhartha left the Palace this is known as "Mahabhinisidhkarmana"( Great going forth).

Then he wandered for a long time his first teacher was Alara Kalama from him he learnt meditation. 

As he was trying to find the answers to the question of suffering he tried to meditate without food. He meditated for some time but he couldn't able to get any answers. Because of the hunger he fell sick and was trying to stasify his hunger by drinking water from the river near him.

A daughter of a farmer named Sujata came to him and offered him milk and rice( Kheer) as he ate the Kheer. He was recharged with some kind of energy and he again sat on the shade of the tree and started meditating. 

This time at the age of 35 , under a Peepal tree at Bodh gaya on the bank of river Niranjana he attained Nirvana( Enlightenment) after 49 days of continuous meditation. Now he was fully enlightened known as Buddha. 

Buddha delivered his first speech at Sarnath Deer park to his six disciples this is known as Dharmachakra Parivartana ( turning of the wheel of Dharma).

He died at the age of 80 in 483 BC at Kushinagar . This is known as Mahaparinirvana.

Philosophy of Buddha

let's talk about the philosophy of Buddhism. Buddha says there are  four noble truths. The Truths are as follows.

Chatwari Arya Satya( Four Noble Truths)

1. Life is full of Sorrows.( Dukha)

2. There are causes of Sorrow.

3. This sorrow can be stopped.( Dukh Nirodh- Nirvana)

4. There is a path leading to the cessation of sorrow.( Astangik marg-Eight fold way)

There will always be sorrow but one can end this using the Eight fold path known as Ashtangik Marg. These are  the actions one should take in order to end the griefs.

Ashtangik Marg( Eight fold Path)

1.Right observation

2.Right determination

3.Right speech

4. Right action

5.Right livelihood

6. Right exercise

7. Right memory

8. Right meditation.

Three jewels of Buddhism ( Triratna)

Theare are three jewels of Buddhism. You have to follow these three jewels in order to live a balanced life.

1.Buddha(the enlightened)

2. Dharma( Doctrine)

3. Sangha( community).

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Buddhism is interesting to me because it emphasizes on the balance. How starving does not give you knowledge. You have to maintain a balance between everything.

I can write more about Buddhism about its sects, how it spread to the different parts of the world, or stories about the previous lives of Buddha but that's a story for another day.