Siddhartha Gautama Biography

Siddhartha Gautama Biography Siddhartha Gautama, Gautama Buddha, Shakyamuni or formally known as Buddha is a famous for his teachings of Buddhism from 563- 483 BCE. It is believed that Buddha was born in present day Nepal. He was born into a royal family, his father being Suddhodana, an elected chief of the shakya clan, and his mother being Queen Maha Maya, and, was a Koliyan princess. There is a rumor that goes along with Siddhartha’s conceiving. On the said night his mother dreamt that a white elephant with six white tusks entered on her right side, then ten months later Siddhartha was born. When Queen Maha Maya found out about her pregnancy, she traveled to her father’s kingdom, however it is said that Buddha was born on the way under a sal tree. Siddhartha’s mother died any time from his birth, to a week afterwards. Buddha was then brought up by his mother's younger sister, Maha Pajapati. By tradition, he is said to have been destined by birth to the life of a prince, and had three palaces built for him. His father though, wishing for his son to be a great king, is said to have shielded him from religious teachings and knowledge of human suffering. At the age of 29, Siddhartha left his palace to meet his subjects, despite his father's detests. That was when Siddhartha was said to have seen an old man. When his charioteer Channa explained to him that all people grew old, he went on further trips beyond the palace. On these he encountered a diseased man, a decaying corpse, and an ascetic. Afterwards he strove to overcome ageing, sickness, and death by living the life of an ascetic.
Buddha left Rajagaha and practiced under two hermit teachers of yogic meditation, afterwards he moved on to become a student of yoga with Udaka Ramaputta. With him he achieved high levels of meditative consciousness, and was asked to succeed his teacher, but was not satisfied, and again moved on. After realizing that meditative jhana was the right path to awakening, but extreme asceticism didn't work, Gautama discovered Middle Way. Middle way is a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. After an incident with a generous little girl, Buddha sat underneath a Bodhi tree, where he vowed to not move until he had found the truth. Then After a reputed 49 days of meditation, at the age of 35, he is said to have achieved enlightenment. At the time of awakening he realized complete understanding into the cause of suffering, and how to eliminate all from your life. These discoveries Buddha came to are the four noble truths. Only after mastering these will you have achieved nirvana or enlightenment. For the remaining 45 years of his life, the Buddha is said to have traveled in what is now Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and southern Nepal, spreading his teachings to a diverse range of people. He taught nobles, outcaste, street sweepers, murderers, and cannibals. Buddhism was equally open to all races and classes, and had no caste structure, unlike Hinduism as many people practiced.
At the age of 80, Buddha announced that he would soon reach Parinirvana, the final deathless state, and abandon his earthly body. After this, Buddha ate his last meal, which was offered to him from a blacksmith. Falling dangerously ill, Buddha instructed his attendant Ānanda to tell the blacksmith that the meal had nothing to do with his passing. Now Dr. Mettanando and Von Hinüber argue that Buddha died of mesenteric infarction, a symptom of old age, and not food poisoning. Siddhartha Gautama is most definitely, one of times most important religious figures, and made cultures the way they are today. Without Siddhartha’s age of enlightenment the western world would be completely different.