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Buddha - The Enlightened One
Although
Buddhism first entered China from India during the Later Han, in the time of
Han Ming Ti (AD 58-76), it did not become popular until the end of the 3rd
century. The prevailing disorders, aggravated by barbarian invasions and the
flight of northern Chinese to the south, heightened the attraction of Buddhism
with its promise of personal salvation, despite its lack of affinity with the
society-oriented thought of the Chinese. Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha
Gautama, the Buddha, a prince of the Sakya kingdom on the borders of what are
now India and Nepal and a contemporary of Confucius. Intent on finding relief
for human suffering, he received a moment of enlightenment while meditating
under a Bo tree. The Buddha taught that desires are the source of pain and
that by overcoming desires, pain can be eliminated. To this end, he advocated
meditation and pursuing the Eightfold Path, similar to the Ten Commandments of
Judaism and Christianity. The objective was to reach Nirvana, the condition of
serenity of spirit, where all cravings, strife and pain have been overcome,
giving way to a merging of the spirit with eternal harmony.
At an early stage of its development, Buddhism split into two major trends, Mahayana (Greater
Vehicle) and Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle). Hinayana remained closer to the
original Buddhism and is still the religion of Southeast Asian countries. The
Buddhism of China, Korea, Japan, Nepal, Tibet and Vietnam, however, stems
largely from Mahayana. Mahayana Buddhism contained more popular elements, such
as belief in repetitive prayers, heaven and deities--bodhisattvas--who would
help people gain salvation. It also readily adapted to the land and people it
converted. In China, it split into several schools, including Chan (Zen in
Japan), Tian-tai (Tendai in Japan), and Pure Land.
'Buddha' means 'Awakened One', someone who has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and sees things as they really are. A Buddha is a person who is completely free from all faults and mental obstructions. There are many people who have become Buddhas in the past, and many people will become Buddhas in the future….There is nothing that Buddha does not know. Because he has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and has removed all obstructions from his mind, he knows everything of the past, present, and future, directly and simultaneously. Moreover, Buddha has great compassion which is completely impartial, embracing all living beings without discrimination. He benefits all living beings without exception by emanating various forms throughout the universe, and by bestowing his blessings on their minds. Through receiving Buddha's blessings, all being, even the lowliest animals, sometimes develop peaceful and virtuous states of mind. Eventually, through meeting an emanation of Buddha in the form of a Spiritual Guide, everyone will have the opportunity to enter the path to liberation and enlightenment. As the great Indian Buddhist scholar Nagarjuna said, there is no one who has not received help from Buddha.
Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son named Rahula. After seeing a decrepid old man, an invalid, and an ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.
Buddha items
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