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The Gautama Buddha

Birth, Naming and Early Prophesies on the Buddha One of the greatest ancient Indian philosophers and religious teachers, Gautama Buddha, was born in 624 BC in Lumbini Park, Kapilavatthu, which is on the border of India and Nepal (Magre 1). He was born an aristocratic because he was the son of Suddhodana, a Sākya King, and Queen Mahā Māyā. It is argued that he was not raised by his biological mother, but his mother's sister, who was married by the King after his mother died one week after his birth. His birth attracted rejoicing from all over the land, and it prompted the visit of an ascetic, a highly spiritual man known as Kāladevala or Asita, who was also a tutor of the King (Mahāthera 2), when he held the child and turned and placed his legs on his locks, causing the ascetic to foresee the future greatness of the child in a supernormal vision.

He greeted him with clasped hands and was happy and sad with this revelation. The ascetic mentioned that he smiled because the child would grow to become a Buddha, which meant an 'Enlightened One' (Mahāthera 2). His sadness was caused by the fact that he would die because of experiencing the Buddha's great wisdom. A similar experience was also felt during the child's naming ceremony, where he was named Sidadhatta or 'wish fulfilled' in addition to the Gautama family name (Mahāthera 3). At the time Kondañña, a wise young man who stated that the Prince would become a Buddha upon growing up. Despite these striking events, the Prince was raised in an atmosphere of abundance as an aristocrat. For instance, it is proposed that he received some education as a child, notwithstanding that there is no evidence of that (Mahāthera 4). Further, he was given special training on warfare art as a warrior of his stature. Moreover, he finished his education when he was sixteen years old and married his age mate cousin Princess Yasodharā. The couple led a happy and fulfilled marriage for thirteen years, during which they bore Rahula (Magre 1). King Suddhodana also handed over the leadership to Prince Siddhartha during this time. He led a luxurious life and was unaware of the struggles because of his social class. It was only until the age of 29 during his renunciation of lay life that he understood these aspects of life (Mahāthera 5).

Renunciation

As time passed, he slowly discovered the truth about human life. He was naturally drawn to contemplation, and the intense passion influenced him to think about life outside the palace. Although he did not know personal grief himself, he was deeply moved by the suffering of humanity, which was universal (Mahāthera 6). However, he did not interact with the reality of life because it was hidden purposely from him in the palace until one day, when he discovered the truth. That day, he met a diseased person, decrepit man, a corpse, and a dignified hermit. The three sights provoked him to explore the inexorable characteristics of life while fourth symbolized a means to overcome struggles of life to achieve calm and peace. The symbols created a determination to renounce the world to pursue truth and everlasting peace. Because of this perspective, he viewed the birth of his son as an impediment and did not think the palace was conducive for his contemplation (Mahāthera 7). Although he loved his wife and son, his compassion for humanity was greater. Besides, his family was assured of happiness and protection in the palace. He, thus, left the palace in the dark of the night, alone and penniless to find truth and peace. In the end, he was able to establish deep truths about life after six years of meditation and search for knowledge.

Buddha’s Teachings on Metaphysics

Buddha, above all things, was determined to end human suffering. Like a doctor, he offered his teachings like a prescription to help liberate people from suffering. His first teaching was on Four Noble Truths. Firstly, he observed life as a Dukkha, which meant it was painful, filled with suffering, sorrowful, impermanent, and unsatisfying (Magre 4). He observed that suffering was caused by human cravings, attachments, and selfish pursuit of pleasure while avoiding pain. Thirdly, he believed people could escape from this suffering and be liberated. In the fourth truth, he explained the eight-stepped path about liberation.

Another teaching on metaphysics concerned the Three Marks of Existence. The first part is Anicca or impermanence, where he observed that nothing lasts because all things are transitory. Another mark of existence is Anatta or no-self, where he viewed that all people had no soul, which meant that they had no eternal aspect of life. The self, to him, was an illusion (Magre 4). The third mark was the Dukkha or suffering where he believed that all existence, including deepest states of meditation, was characterized by suffering and is inadequate and unsatisfactory. He offered his teachings as a form of self-development and self-discipline that emphasized the mind and heart equally. Buddhism was a process to develop oneself.

Teachings on The path to Liberation: The Buddhist Way of Life

Buddha aimed to have a practical philosophy that would bring happiness to all creatures. When teaching about metaphysics, Buddha did not expect people to accept these measures blindly; instead, he wanted them to evaluate the insights on their own (Magre 6). He emphasized personal understanding and viewing things from a clear perspective. However, for people to achieve this state, they had to be disciplined and be committed to liberation. As a result, Buddha outlined a clear path through which people can approach life wisely to liberate themselves. These teachings are found on the noble eightfold path that contains three crucial areas of Buddhist philosophies: mental discipline, ethical conduct, and wisdom. By cultivating the three goals, people will manage to attain enlightenment

According to Buddha, the path consists of eight steps that can be practiced at the same time. Having the correct understanding and the right thoughts are the first two steps that constitute wisdom (Magre 6). The former emphasizes the understanding of true reality, making it easier for human beings to work well with nature. The latter includes framing the mind in the right direction that is free of malice and selfishness. The other three steps of the path emphasize ethical conduct. Embracing the right speech requires someone to detach from foolish gossip, malicious language, and lies. It encourages people to speak the truth at all times. Taking the right actions are also part of the path that requires someone to abstain from violence, killing, and other bad behaviors such as stealing, sexual harassment, and binge drinking. Adopting the right livelihood, on the other hand, encourages people to live in a way that does not cause harm to others by avoiding activities such as selling illegal substances or other unethical behaviors. These last three steps indicate mental discipline and include the right mindfulness, right effort, and right actions (Magre 6).

Social, Political Teachings

Apart from being a social reformer, Buddha was also a political thinker. Through his teachings, he intended to humanize the monarchical state as well as the patriarchal family. Although there lacks evidence that Buddha was a philosopher, his teachings illustrate his profound teaching in the social and political field (Jayasuriya 50). To influence the politics of the time, he added the moral philosophy to his perspective on human liberation. In his teachings, he advocated for a society that is morally upright and one that is logically founded in the fundamental tenets of Buddhism. Further, Buddha provided a functional framework that served best to enhance social relationships. Likewise, the framework was tuned with the current state of the rising middle class at the time, which gave the right direction to the people. For instance, Buddha's teachings discouraged individualism by characterizing human existence in a more ethical way. Other teachings included being mindful of other people and accepting their differences (Jayasuriya 51). Other than the moral dimensions, there were rules that governed the monastic community. More so, people's relation with the monk was guided by their date of ordination rather than their social status. According to the code of conduct laid by the monastic system, a monk's life involved brotherhood. More specifically, it consists of a group of people seeking liberation from folly, hatred, ignorance, and delusion that clouds the human mind (Jayasuriya 52).

Works Cited

Jayasuriya, Dharmasoka. "Buddhism, Politics, and Statecraft." Research Gate, 2008 www.researchgate.net/publication/254644587_Buddhism_Politics_and_Statecraft

Magre, Sunita. "Buddha – The Enlightened One." Research Gate, 2017. www.researchgate.net/publication/321916239_Buddha_-_The_Enlightened_One

Mahāthera, Nārada. The Buddha and His Teachings. Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc, 1998. www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/buddha-teachingsurw6.pdf