Handout #1 The Birth of Buddha

Birth of the prince India, before the time of the Buddha, was divided into many kingdoms. One of the many small kingdoms was Sakya kingdom with the capital at Kapilavastu (迦毘羅國). The ruler of this kingdom was King Suddhodana (淨飯王). His family name was Gautama (喬達摩) and his queen was called Maya (摩耶夫人). When the queen became pregnant, she asked to return to her home city of Devadaha (天臂城) to give birth to their child. At the junction of Kapilavastu and the city of Devadaha was a place called Lumbini Park (藍毘尼公園). Under the shade of the sala trees, the queen gave birth to a prince amidst the songs of birds and humming bees. According to legend, an ascetic named Asita (阿私陀), who commanded great respect from the people and king, rushed to the palace to read the physiognomy of the prince. Asita at first smiled and then was sad. Questioned as to his mixed feelings, he replied that he smiled because the prince would eventually become a Buddha; he was sad because he was too old to benefit by the superior wisdom of the enlightened one.The naming ceremony On the fifth day after the prince’s birth, he was named Siddhartha (悉達多), which means “realization of all aims”. Many scholars were invited for the ceremony. Among them were eight distinguished men. After examining the characteristics of the prince, seven of them raised two fingers and gave a double interpretation, saying that he would either become a universal monarch or a Buddha. But the youngest, Kaundinya (憍陳如), raised only one finger and firmly declared that the prince would definitely retire from the world and become a Buddha. Queen Maya died of illness two days after the prince was named. Maha Prajapati (摩訶波闍波提夫人), her younger sister, who was also married to King Suddhodana, became his foster-mother. She took care of the prince and brought him up with as much devotions as she would have shown to her own son. Under the careful eye of his aunt, Maha Prajapati, the prince gradually grew up. He was very handsome and healthy, a perfect darling to everyone. When the prince was seven years old, the king began to invite all kinds of masters to the palace to educate him in the skills of reading, composition, mathematics, archery and other arts1. Since every one of his teachers was an expert in his field, Prince Siddhartha completed all his studies with ease and thoroughness. People were really surprised to see that Prince Siddhartha really had no difficulty at all in learning anything. Even though Prince Siddhartha was such a clever pupil, and at the same time, he never neglected to treat his teachers with manners and all due respect. For the prince

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believed that only through the instruction from teachers could men acquire knowledge of every great value. The nature of the prince was such that he treated everyone with equal geniality and politeness. Besides being genial and polite, the prince was also very courageous. He never feared or hesitated when competing with other boys in various skills. The prince had been trained to be a kind and brave knight, and he was also able to drive a chariot very skillfully. The prince was gentle, not only to his own horse, but he was kind also to all other animals. Being a crown prince, he had never encountered suffering and misery in his life. But his sympathetic nature made him aware that all creatures, whether people or animals, equally desire happiness and detest suffering and pain. The most striking example of this was the episode of the wounded swan. When he and his cousin Devadatta were roaming in the park surrounding the palace when Devadatta shot down a swan with his bow and arrow. Both boys ran towards the spot where the swan had fallen, Siddhartha being the fastest runner came to the place where the wounded bird lay. Gathering the bird in his arms, he nursed the bird and this brought about a reaction from Devadatta who insisted that the bird ought to be his since he was the one who shot it down. The boys brought this dispute to the wise man of the court who decided that life belonged rightly to the one who preserved it, not to one who destroyed it. The plowing festival As an encouragement to agriculture the king arranged for a plowing festival. At the age of seven the prince saw the king, the officials, and the farmers happily feasting, but the oxen did not seem to be happy at all. They had to exert a force greater then their physical strength to pull the plows and occasionally got harsh and merciless whips. The prince noticed a worm that has been unearthed by the plow devoured by a bird. He also noticed the activities of various other creatures around him. He saw a lizard catching and eating working ants. Shortly after, a snake approached, killed the lizard and swallowed it. Then a hawk suddenly descended from the sky and seized the snake. Under the shade of a Jambu tree, the prince sat cross-legged, went into deep thought, and began to question himself thus: ”If things are like that, then is it not the case that, that which is said to be beautiful in life will also certainly hide ugliness behind its back? (如果一切事情都像這樣，是不是所謂生命是美麗的，在背後也一定隱藏著醜陋的一面)” At last the prince came to realize that although he was very happy now, there was, however, a kind of most great suffering that was always covering mankind and all beings (有一種最大的痛苦，永遠罩著人類和一切眾生). He was filled with compassion for all creatures (對一切眾生的憐憫), because every single creature in the course of keeping itself alive, has to struggle constantly against

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pain and suffering. He was able to have profound thoughts and to attain the state of non-differentiation regarding all things (深深的沈思，達到對每一樣事情都不起分別) and enter into the first Dhyana (進入初禪的境界). Prince’s youth Knowing that the prince had thoughts of seeking ultimate truth troubled the king. He feared that, if such thoughts were not eliminated, the prince probably would soon leave him and abandon the country. He felt that the only way to change the prince’s mind was to double the joy and pleasure available to him. The king built three splendid new palaces for him. All the material pleasures the king had bestowed on him turned out to be valueless to the contemplative prince. The king summoned his ministers to find out other means to prevent the prince from abandoning his position, as potential leader of the country, to become a religious teacher as the old Asita had predicted. The officials suggested to seek out the most beautiful girl and have the prince get married to her. Once the prince had experienced the sweetness of married life, he would choose nothing else. At the early age of sixteen, he married the girl named Yasodhara (耶輸陀羅), the daughter of King Suppabuddha (善覺王).Renunciation The wedding of Princess Yasodhada to Prince Siddhartha was an event in which the whole country rejoiced. The king began to feel relaxed, feeling that the prince would no longer think of leaving home. The king ordered that no one should ever mention in front of the prince anything having to do with misery or unhappiness, such as old age, sickness, and death. The attendants of the prince were ordered to constantly provide dances, songs, and music, and never to appear tired before him. However, the prince was not as happy as his father had hoped. The prince eagerly desired to see other things of the world and wanted to know about the life of the people. Unable to refuse the persistent demand of the prince to travel outside the palace, the king finally consented. As the prince went out of the palace to see the world outside, he came into direct contact with the realities of life. His eyes met the strange sight of a decrepit old man, a diseased person, a corpse, and a dignified hermit. The first three sights convinced him of the inexorable nature of life and the universal sickness of humanity. The fourth signified the means to overcome the ills of life and attain calm and peace. This famous episode of the four sights which lead the prince to develop a sense of detachment from pleasure, and to seek the truth by way of renunciation. Realizing the worthlessness of sensual pleasures highly prized by ordinary men and the value of renunciation in which the wise seek delight, he decided to leave home in search of truth and peace. When this final decision was made, after much

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deliberation, the seemingly happy news of the birth of a son was conveyed to him. Contrary to expectation, he was not overjoyed, but regarded the first and only offspring as an impediment. As he exclaimed, “An impediment - rahu, has been born; a fetter has arisen”. The infant son was accordingly named Rahula (羅睺羅) by his grandfather. Since the day of Rahula’s birth, the prince had changed entirely. He was more solemn and contemplative. In the silence of the night, Prince Siddhartha ordered his favorite charioteer, Chandaka (闡陀), to saddle his horse, Kanthaka, and left the palace without awaking anyone. He arrived at the banks of the Anoma River by dawn. Here he shaved his head and handed over his garments and ornaments to Chandaka with instructions to return to the palace. Prince Siddhartha had left his country and family to become Sramana2 , in order to conquer all the pain and suffering of mankind. Siddhartha journeyed southward and came to Rajagraha (王舍城) , the capital of the country of Magadha (摩竭陀國). The king was named Bimbisara (頻婆娑羅). Bimbisara invited Siddhartha to stay in his capital, but Siddhartha graciously declined the invitation saying, “I cannot remain in one place before realizing my goal.” So King Bimbisara made an agreement with Siddhartha that, when his aspiration of perfect enlightenment was realized, he would come first to the city of Rajagraha to instruct and enlighten the king and his people. The search Leaving Rajagraha, Siddhartha journeyed to the place where Alara Kalama (阿羅藍) lived. Alara Kalama taught Siddhartha the knowledge of mediation, the way to make the mind very tranquil in order to eliminate all consciousness about existence in any realm, and then how to remain in the joy of samadhi3. This kind of knowledge did not provide an answer to the problem of life and death, old age and sickness that had constantly occupied his mind. Later, Siddhartha approached Udraka Ramaputta (鬱陀羅迦). Practicing with Ramaputta enabled him to attained the final stage of mental concentration; the realm of neither perception nor non-perception (非想非非想處定). Still Siddhartha felt that his quest of life was not achieved. He was seeking Nirvana. He decided to search for the ultimate truth by means of his own wisdom and effort instead.His struggle for enlightenment Siddhartha thought that, if he increased his hardship to a certain degree, he would most certainly become enlightened. So, when he came to Uruvilva (優樓頻螺) on his way to Magadha, he found a nice quite place to practice asceticism. Hearing of his renunciation, Kaundinya, the one who predicted his future, and four sons of the other sages ; Bhadrik (跋提), Dasabala-kasyapa (十力迦葉), Mahanama-kulika (摩訶男)

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and Asvajit (阿說示), also renounced the world and joined his company. Accordingly, for six long years he made a superhuman struggle practicing all forms of severe austerity. As a result, his delicate body was reduced almost to a skeleton. One day, while he was mediating alone, he fainted because of exhaustion. A shepherd girl helped to recover him by offering him goat’s milk. Finally, he concluded that without the goat’s milk he would have died before ever attaining enlightenment. At dusk, he heard a group of girls singing on their way to the city: “With the string too loose, the lute does not sound. Tightening the strings too much, they will break apart. Not too loose, not too tight, the lute sounds so nice.” Siddhartha was so moved by the girls’ song. He had tightened his string of life too much. Thus, he decided to stop practicing asceticism and only to continue his mental diligence in his search for ultimate enlightenment. The five ascetics, who attended him, were disappointed at this change of method. They deserted him and went to Mrgadava (鹿野苑) Siddhartha accepted a delicious rice porridge milk offered by Sujata (蘇闍女). That same day, he went for a bath in the Nairanjana River,and crossed the river and came to Uruvila, and sat down under a sala tree, and concentrated himself in mediation. At dusk, he left the sala tree and walked to a large Pippala tree. Since the Buddha attained Enlightenment under the shade of this tree, it was named the Bodhi-tree. He made a seat facing eastward with the straw offered by Sottiya (蘇諦耶). He made a firm resolve not to rise from his seat until he attained Buddhahood.

From that time on, Siddhartha concentrated his will and aroused his mind to ward off the disturbances coming from nature (提高信念，抵抗自然界的一切困擾) and to cast away the memory of the illusory joys of the past (拋棄了過去那些虛假不實的快樂的回想). He completely detached himself from all worldly thoughts (完全掙脫了世界上的一切妄念) and devoted his whole mind to search for the ultimate truth (專心一意的尋找真理). In his searching and reflection, he asked: “How does all suffering arise? How can one detach himself from suffering?” The phantoms distracted Siddhartha’s mind, enticing him to linger on the pleasure of the past and even arousing his desire to return to the royal palace and to enjoy the sensual life of former days. But, because of his resolute vow, Siddhartha resisted these temptations with forceful mental effort. Finally, he succeeded in completely dispersing all the illusory thoughts that were disturbing him. His mind became calm and tranquil like pond water on a breezeless day. He was in deep samadhi.

In the tranquillity of samadhi, Siddhartha searched and observed mentally trying to find the source of his own life. Thus, he acquired the power of being aware of all his previous lives (宿命智的神通 Purvenivasanusmrti). Through further insight, he also acquired the divine vision (天眼智Divyacaksus), the power of

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unlimited vision and to know the destiny of all beings in the future rebirths. He thus came to realize that the unceasing cycle of death and rebirth of all beings is solely a manifestation of one’s karma ; that is one’s thoughts and deeds. Some people could be born to a better life than they presently enjoyed, encountering all sorts of happiness, because they had done good deeds. Some, on the other hand, could be born to a condition worse than their present ones and suffer very much, because they had done bad deeds.

Finally, he observed that the ultimate cause of the turning round of birth and death in the vast sea of worldly suffering that mankind and all other sentient beings are involved in, is ignorance (Avijja) and the attachment to transient and illusory pleasures (執著虛幻無常的快樂). And for those who are unwilling to remain in the cycle of death and rebirth, there is only one way to escape ; that is by the complete destruction or elimination of all lustful desires (完全破壞或消滅一切貪的慾望). Siddhartha thus acquired Asravaksaya, the extinction of outflows (漏盡智), the supernatural insight into the ending of the stream of transmigration. He knew that he had delivered himself from all passions and delusions (解脫一切煩惱), and that he had discovered for himself the cause of and the method of elimination of all suffering (一切痛苦是怎樣生起和怎樣解脫). He had attained enlightenment (證得正覺).

Having attained supreme enlightenment and freed himself from all worldly suffering, the Buddha remained contented in the happiness of nirvana. The Buddha spent seven more weeks in meditation in seven different places around the Maha Bodhi Tree. The Vajrasana or the Diamond Throne (金剛座) is the seat of Enlightenment which was made in the 3rd century B.C. by King Ashoka the Great (阿育王), it lies between the Mahabodhi Temple (大覺寺) in Buddhagaya and the Maha Bodhi Tree. This Seat is made of red sand stone that is 7 feet 6 inches long, 4 feet 10 inches broad and three feet of height where Prince Siddhartha sat to become the Buddha and which is the Holiest of Holy places to the Buddhist world. .

The Buddha spent second week in the standing posture gazing at the Maha Bodhi Tree with motionless eyes for whole week. There is one shrine, it is located north-eastern of the Mahabodhi Temple. The Buddha spent the third week here walking up and down in meditation. The Chankraman (佛陀經行處), it is located adjacent to the north of the Mahabodhi Stupa where a long platform has been constructed to commemorate the great event. The lotuses on the platform indicate the places the Buddha’s feet rested while walking.

There is a small roofless shrine measuring 14 feet that is situated in the North - West corner of the Mahabodhi Temple and is known as Ratanaghar. The Buddha spent the fourth week here in meditation reflecting on the Patthana or the Causal Law. While he sat here in deep contemplation the six rays of blue, yellow, red, white,

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orange and a combination of all these colors together emanated from his body. The Buddhist flag used in all Buddhist countries is designed with these colors.

The Buddha spent the fifth week in meditation under the Ajapala Nigrodha tree. The site is situated in front of the Mahabodhi Temple, just a little away from the last step of the eastern gate. Here the Buddha replied to a Brahamana that only by one's deeds one becomes a perfect Brahmana, and not by birth.

The Buddha spent the sixth week in meditation near the Muchalinda Pond. This place is situated to the South of the Mahabodhi Temple. While the Buddha was meditating near the lake, there broke out a severe thunderstorm. Seeing that the Lord was getting drenched the snake King of the lake called 'Muchalinda' came out of his abode and encircling the body of the Lord several times, held his hood over Him as a protection against the violent wind and rain. The Buddha began pondering what he should do for the future. At first he thought: “The dharma I have comprehended is difficult and profound, and it can hardly be accepted by most people whose desire-nature is very strong.” But with great compassion and unsurpassed wisdom, the Buddha then concluded: “Some people have little passion and few vexation. Such people may be able to accept this dharma much as the lotus extends its stalk from the bottom of the pond up into the air to receive sunshine. I, therefore, should not hold secret the radiant truth, but shall make it known everywhere so that all people can benefit from it equally.” Thus, he decided to propagate the dharma.

Under the Rajayatana tree the Buddha spent the seventh week. While the Buddha was resting, two merchants from Burma named Tapussa (多婆富沙) and Bhallika (婆利迦) passed by. They found the Buddha sitting extraordinarily calm and joyous. So, they reverently offered the Buddha the exquisite food they had brought with them and requested that the Buddha accepted them as disciples. Because both of them took refuge in the Buddha, they became the Buddha’s first two disciples. They took some hairs from the Buddha to be worship in their country. According to the Burmese tradition the hairs are preserved in the famous Shwedagon Pagoda (大金塔) of Burma and they worship that Pagoda with great devotion. Having in his 35th year attained Buddhahood, that supreme state of perfection, he devoted the remainder of that precious life to serve humanity both by example and precept dominated by no personal motive. The Buddha was a human being. As a man he was born, as a man he lived, and as a man his life came to an end. The Buddha laid stress on this fact and left no room for anyone to fall into the error of thinking that he was an immortal being. There is no deification in the case of the Buddha. Nor does the Buddha claim to be an incarnation of Vishnu4, nor does he call himself a “Savior” who freely saves others by his personal salvation. The Buddha

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exhorts his disciples to depend on themselves for their salvation, for both defilement and purity. “You, yourselves, should make the exertion. The Tathagatas5 are only teachers,” says the Buddha. The Buddha points out the path, and it is left for us to follow that path to save ourselves. “To depend on others for salvation is negative, but to depend on oneself is positive.” Dependence on others means a surrender of one’s effort. Furthermore, the Buddha does not claim a monopoly on Buddhahood, which as matter of fact, is not the prerogative of any specially graced chosen person6. He reached the highest possible state of perfection any person could aspire to without the closed fist of a teacher. He revealed the only straight path that leads thereto. According to the teachings of the Buddha, anybody may aspire to that supreme state of perfection, if he makes the necessary aspiring determination and necessary exertion. As a man he attained Buddhahood and proclaimed to the world the latent possibilities and the creative power of man. Instead of placing an unseen almighty God over man, and making man subservient to such a belief, he raised the worth of mankind. It was he who taught that man could obtain his deliverance from sorrow by his own exertion, without depending on a God and mediating priests, or on sacrifices and prayers. It was he who revolted against the degrading caste system and taught the equality of mankind. He declared that the gates of success and prosperity were open to all, in every condition of life, high and low, saint and sinner, who would care to turn over a new leaf and aspire to perfection. The time following Buddha Shakyamuni’s demise has been divided into three periods : 1) the Perfect Age of the Dharma (正法)(period strong in liberation 解脫堅固時期 and period strong in dhyana samadhi 禪定堅固時期), lasting 1000 years, when the Buddha’s teaching was correctly practiced and enlightenment often attained; 2) The Dharma Semblance Age (像法)(period strong in learning 多聞堅固時期 and period strong in stupas and temple 塔寺堅固時期), lasting about 1000 years, when a form of the teaching was practiced but enlightenment seldom attained; 3) The Dharma-Ending Age (末法) (period strong in fighting 鬥爭堅固時期), lasting some ten thousand years, when a diluted form of the teaching exists and enlightenment is rarely attained.

A quotation from Albert Einstein The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should transcend a personal god and avoid dogmas and theology. Covering both the natural and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description.

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In his autobiography, he remarked that he was not a religious man, but if he were one, he would be a Buddhist. He cited for the following three reasons.1. Buddhism is not culture-bound. It emphasize on internal practice rather than on

external practice; the way you develop your mind.2. The practicality of Buddhism; the Buddha deals with problems per se. It has a lot

to say about the question of priorities and problem solving.3. The importance of verification through experience; not to accept anything

because it happens to be written down; not to accept anything out of reverence for their teacher; or out of hearsay; or because it sounds reasonable, but to verify.

Dedication of MeritMay the merit and virtue accrued from this work adorn the Buddha’s Pure Land,repay the four great kindnesses above, and relieve the suffering of those on the three paths below.May those who see or hear of these efforts generate Bodhi-mind, spend their lives devoted to the Buddha Dharma, and finally be reborn together in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.願以此功德 莊嚴佛淨土 上報四重恩 下濟三途苦若有見聞者 悉發菩提心 盡此一報身 同生極樂國_____ 1 Pancavidya (五明), the five sciences or studies of India : 1) Sabdavidya (聲明), linguistics (grammar and composition), 2) Silpa (工巧明), the arts and mathematics, 3) Cikitsa (醫方明), medicine, 4) Hetu (因明), logic and epistemology, and 5) Adhyatuma (內明), philosophy, which is the knowledge of the supreme spirit, the basis of four Vedas.Four Vedas of Brahmins (四吠陀): 1) Rig Vedas (梨俱吠陀), Science of poetry (religious hymn 宗教的讚歌), 2) Sama Vedas (沙磨吠陀), Science of aphorisms (verse used in worship service or ritual 祭祀儀式的頌文), 3) Yajur (夜柔吠陀), Science of sacrifice (lyrics or words of a song祭祀儀式的歌詞), and 4) Atharva (阿闍婆吠陀), Science of administration (imprecations of exorcise passed down from generation to generation 世俗相傳的咒術).2 Sramana (沙門), is a Sankrit word which means “diligent and putting to rest (勤息).” That is, diligently cultivating precepts, samadhi, and wisdom, and putting greed, hatred, and stupidity to rest. The Buddha is also called a Sramana.3 Nine successive stage of samadhi (九次第定): 4 stages of dhyana (四禪定):

First dhyana: Joyous Ground of Separation from Production (離生喜樂地) At this state, one’s pulse stops.

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Second dhyana: Joyous Ground of Producing Samadhi (定生喜樂地) At this state, one’s breath stops (the outer breath ceases and an Inner breath comes to life)Third dhyana: Wonderful Blissful Ground of Separating from Joy (離喜妙樂

地). At this state, conscious thought ceases. Fourth dhyana: Pure Ground of Renouncing Thought (捨念清淨地) At this state, all thoughts are abandoned.

4 places of emptiness (四空處定)1) the place of the heaven of boundless emptiness (空無邊處): the mind

becomes void and vast like space (體驗空間之無限).2) the place of the heaven of boundless consciousness (識無邊處): the power

of perception and understanding are unlimited (體驗時間之無限).3) the place of the heaven of nothing whatsoever (無所有處): the

discriminative powers of mind are subdued (觀想法空無所有).4) the place of the heaven of neither perception nor no perception (非想非非想處定): the realm of consciousness (or knowledge) without thought is reached (念頭雖不動，感受依然存在).These four are considered both as states of dhyana, and as heavens into which one who practices these forms of dhyana may be born.

And the samadhi of the extinction of feeling and thought (滅受想定)4 Vishnu, The preserver god of the Hindu sacred triad.5 Tathagata, ‘One who has found the truth’, synonym for Buddha, a term generally used by the Buddha referring to himself or to other Buddhas. Tatha (truth) plus agata (come, arrived). There were ten names normally used to refer to Buddha: (1). Tathagata (如來), (2). Worthy of Offerings (應供), (3). One of Proper and Universal Knowledge (正徧知), (4). One whose understanding and practice are complete (名行足), (5). Well-gone Liberator of the World (善逝世間解), (6). Unsurpassed Lord (無上士), (7). Great Regulator (調御大夫), (8). Master of Gods and People (天人師), (9). Buddha (佛), and (10) World-honored One (世尊).6Caste system in India Brahmana (婆羅門): Brahmans (Priest class) which controlled society Ksatriya (剎帝利): Ruling class Vaisya (吠舍): Farmers, herders, merchants Sudra (首陀羅): Slaves class.

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