Gautama Buddha
A statue of the Buddha from Sarnath, 4th century CE Born c. 563 BCE [1]
Lumbini (present-day in Nepal) Died c. 483 BCE (aged 80) or 411 and 400 BCE
Kushinagar (present-day in Uttar Pradesh, India) Known for Founder of Buddhism Predecessor Kassapa Buddha Successor Maitreya Buddha Part of
Gautama Buddha or Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम बुद्ध; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama; Sinhala: ගෞතම බුදුරජාණන් වහන්සේ), also called Sakyamuni,[2][note 1] was a sage[2] from the ancient Shakya republic,[3][note 2] on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.[10] He is also referred to as "the Buddha" or simply as "Buddha."
Buddha means "awakened one" or "the enlightened one." "Buddha" is also used as a title for the first awakened being in an era. In most Buddhist traditions, Siddhartha Gautama is regarded as the Supreme Buddha (P. sammāsambuddha, S. samyaksaṃbuddha) of our age, [note 3] Gautama Buddha may also be referred to as Shakyamuni Buddha, Śākyamuni (Sanskrit: शाक्यमुनि "Sage of the Śākyas") or "The Awakened One of the Shakya Clan."
Gautama taught a Middle Way compared to the severe asceticism found in the Sramana (renunciation) movement [11] common in his region. He later taught throughout regions of eastern India such as Magadha and Kośala.[12][13]
The time of Gautama's birth and death is uncertain: most historians in the early 20th century dated his lifetime as circa 563 BCE to 483 BCE,[14] but more recent opinion dates his death to between 486 and 483 BCE or, according to some, between 411 and 400 BCE.[15] [note 4] However, at a specialist symposium on this question held in 1988 in Göttingen,[14] the majority of those scholars who presented definite opinions gave dates within 20 years either side of 400 BCE for the Buddha's death, with others supporting earlier or later dates. These alternative chronologies, however, have not yet been accepted by all other historians.[16][17]
Gautama is the primary figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition, and first committed to writing about 400 years later.
Contents
Buddha by Otgonbayar Ershuu
Primary biographical sources
The primary sources for the life of Siddhārtha Gautama are a variety of different, and sometimes conflicting, traditional biographies. These include the Buddhacarita, Lalitavistara Sūtra, Mahāvastu, and the Nidānakathā.[18] Of these, the Buddhacarita is the earliest full biography, an epic poem written by the poet Aśvaghoṣa, and dating around the beginning of the 2nd century CE.[18] The Lalitavistara Sūtra is the next oldest biography, a Mahāyāna/Sarvāstivāda biography dating to the 3rd century CE.[19] The Mahāvastu from the Mahāsāṃghika Lokottaravāda tradition is another major biography, composed incrementally until perhaps the 4th century CE.[19] The Dharmaguptaka biography of the Buddha is the most exhaustive, and is entitled the Abhiniṣkramaṇa Sūtra, and various Chinese translations of this date between the 3rd and 6th century CE. Lastly, the Nidānakathā is from the Theravāda tradition in Sri Lanka, composed in the 5th century CE by Buddhaghoṣa.[20]
From canonical sources, the Jātaka tales, Mahapadana Sutta (DN 14), and the Achariyabhuta Sutta (MN 123) include selective accounts that may be older, but are not full biographies. The Jātaka tales retell previous lives of Gautama as a bodhisattva, and the first collection of these can be dated among the earliest Buddhist texts.[21] The Mahāpadāna Sutta and Acchariyaabbhuta Sutta both recount miraculous events surrounding Gautama's birth, such as the bodhisattva's descent from Tuṣita Heaven into his mother's womb.
Nature of traditional depictions
Queen Māyā miraculously giving birth to Prince Siddhārtha; Sanskrit manuscript; Nālandā; Bihar, India; Pāla period
මේක මගේ පෞද්ගලික වුවමනාවකට දැම්මේ. කවුරුවත් දඟලන්න එපා මෙතන
A statue of the Buddha from Sarnath, 4th century CE Born c. 563 BCE [1]
Lumbini (present-day in Nepal) Died c. 483 BCE (aged 80) or 411 and 400 BCE
Kushinagar (present-day in Uttar Pradesh, India) Known for Founder of Buddhism Predecessor Kassapa Buddha Successor Maitreya Buddha Part of
Gautama Buddha or Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम बुद्ध; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama; Sinhala: ගෞතම බුදුරජාණන් වහන්සේ), also called Sakyamuni,[2][note 1] was a sage[2] from the ancient Shakya republic,[3][note 2] on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.[10] He is also referred to as "the Buddha" or simply as "Buddha."
Buddha means "awakened one" or "the enlightened one." "Buddha" is also used as a title for the first awakened being in an era. In most Buddhist traditions, Siddhartha Gautama is regarded as the Supreme Buddha (P. sammāsambuddha, S. samyaksaṃbuddha) of our age, [note 3] Gautama Buddha may also be referred to as Shakyamuni Buddha, Śākyamuni (Sanskrit: शाक्यमुनि "Sage of the Śākyas") or "The Awakened One of the Shakya Clan."
Gautama taught a Middle Way compared to the severe asceticism found in the Sramana (renunciation) movement [11] common in his region. He later taught throughout regions of eastern India such as Magadha and Kośala.[12][13]
The time of Gautama's birth and death is uncertain: most historians in the early 20th century dated his lifetime as circa 563 BCE to 483 BCE,[14] but more recent opinion dates his death to between 486 and 483 BCE or, according to some, between 411 and 400 BCE.[15] [note 4] However, at a specialist symposium on this question held in 1988 in Göttingen,[14] the majority of those scholars who presented definite opinions gave dates within 20 years either side of 400 BCE for the Buddha's death, with others supporting earlier or later dates. These alternative chronologies, however, have not yet been accepted by all other historians.[16][17]
Gautama is the primary figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition, and first committed to writing about 400 years later.
Contents
- 1 Traditional biographies
- 2 Biography
- 3 Physical characteristics
- 4 Teachings
- 5 Other religions
- 6 Depiction in arts and media
- 7 See also
- 8 Notes
- 9 References
- 10 Sources
- 11 Further reading
- 12 External links
Buddha by Otgonbayar Ershuu
Primary biographical sources
The primary sources for the life of Siddhārtha Gautama are a variety of different, and sometimes conflicting, traditional biographies. These include the Buddhacarita, Lalitavistara Sūtra, Mahāvastu, and the Nidānakathā.[18] Of these, the Buddhacarita is the earliest full biography, an epic poem written by the poet Aśvaghoṣa, and dating around the beginning of the 2nd century CE.[18] The Lalitavistara Sūtra is the next oldest biography, a Mahāyāna/Sarvāstivāda biography dating to the 3rd century CE.[19] The Mahāvastu from the Mahāsāṃghika Lokottaravāda tradition is another major biography, composed incrementally until perhaps the 4th century CE.[19] The Dharmaguptaka biography of the Buddha is the most exhaustive, and is entitled the Abhiniṣkramaṇa Sūtra, and various Chinese translations of this date between the 3rd and 6th century CE. Lastly, the Nidānakathā is from the Theravāda tradition in Sri Lanka, composed in the 5th century CE by Buddhaghoṣa.[20]
From canonical sources, the Jātaka tales, Mahapadana Sutta (DN 14), and the Achariyabhuta Sutta (MN 123) include selective accounts that may be older, but are not full biographies. The Jātaka tales retell previous lives of Gautama as a bodhisattva, and the first collection of these can be dated among the earliest Buddhist texts.[21] The Mahāpadāna Sutta and Acchariyaabbhuta Sutta both recount miraculous events surrounding Gautama's birth, such as the bodhisattva's descent from Tuṣita Heaven into his mother's womb.
Nature of traditional depictions
Queen Māyā miraculously giving birth to Prince Siddhārtha; Sanskrit manuscript; Nālandā; Bihar, India; Pāla period
මේක මගේ පෞද්ගලික වුවමනාවකට දැම්මේ. කවුරුවත් දඟලන්න එපා මෙතන
