Station A. Siddhartha Gautama
Siddhartha Gautama was born more than 2,500 years ago. His father was a king named
Suddhodana and his mother was a queen named Maha Maya. One night his mother dreamt of
four devas. They carried her to a lake, to rest on a soft bed. A white elephant carrying a lotus
flower went round her three times and disappeared into her. Wise men explained that the Queen
was going to give birth to a prince.
When the time came for the baby to be born, Queen Maha Maya left the palace with the
attendants to go back to her parent’s home to give birth to the baby/ On the way, they passed by
a beautiful park called Lumbini Garden. Queen Maha Maya took a rest in the garden. While
there, she gave birth to the baby.
The birth took place on the fifth month of Vesakha, on a full moon day in 623 BC. We
call it Vesak or Buddha Day. Queen Maha Maya then returned to the palace with her baby
prince. King Suddhodana was very happy and celebrated the birth of the baby with his people all
over the country.
Five days after the birth of the prince, many wise men were invited to the palace for the
Naming Ceremony. They looked at the marks on the child’s body. Seven wise men raised two
fingers and said that the prince would either become a Great King or a Buddha. The youngest,
Kondanna, raised only one finger and said that the prince would become a Buddha. The prince
was then given the name Siddhartha by the wise men, which meant wish fulfilled.
Seven days after the birth of her child, Queen Maha Maya passed away. Pajapati
Gotami, her younger sister, brought up the prince as her own child.
The prince grew up to be kind and generous. He was liked by all. When still in his early
years, Prince Siddhartha witnessed a bird carrying a worm that had been turned up by the
farmer’s plough. This sight caused him to think about the unhappy situation of creatures which
were killed by other creatures for food.
Seated under a rose-apple tree the young prince experienced the joy of meditation. At
another time, the compassionate prince saved the life of a swan which had been wounded by
Devadatta’s arrow.
As a prince, young Siddhartha received an education in the arts and sciences and
mastered the art of war and the royal sports of his time.
At the age of twenty, Prince Siddhartha married a beautiful young princess called
Yasodhara. She loved and cared for him, and together they lived a life of royal luxury for nearly
ten years.
Siddhartha was protected from all the problems of life outside the palace gates. He had all
the comforts that a prince of his day could desire. He lived in a world where there was nothing
but happiness and laughter. One day, however, he wished to discover the world outside his
palace. When the king heard about this, he gave an order to the people of the city to clean their
homes and the streets. He also ordered all the beggars, the old, and the sick to stay indoors.
The prince, however, left the palace four times. He learned about old age on his first trip.
He learned about sickness on his second trip. He learned about death on his third trip. He learned
about peace on his fourth trip. As a result, Siddhartha began to ask questions about the meaning
of human life.
At the age of 30, he left his home and family to look for answers. His journey took him to
many regions in India. Wherever he traveled, he had had discussions with priests and people
known for their wisdom. Yet no one could give convincing answers to Siddhartha’s questions.
Station B: The Birth of Buddhism
At the age of 30 Prince Siddhartha Gautama began to wander in search of answers on the
idea of suffering. He left his comfortable palace, his wife and his newborn son to do this. He
wanted to understand old age, sickness, and death.
On the first night, he removed his jewelry and princely clothes to be returned to the
palace. He cut his long hair, put on monks robes, and took a begging bowl.
According to legend, Siddhartha spent six years wandering throughout India. At first, he
was in search of spiritual teachers who could guide him. Uddaka Ramaputta and Alara Kalama
tried to help him, but he soon realized he had to find the truth on his own.
He then traveled with five of his friends to Uruvela. Several holy men were living in and
tormenting themselves with extreme poverty there. They believed that if they put their bodies
through terrible physical hardship, they would understand the truth.
Siddhartha found a quiet spot on the banks of a nearby river. There, he slept on a bed of
thorns and ate only one grain of wheat and one sesame seed a day. When he still did not find the
answers, he gave up self-torture and set out for Bodh Gaya.
Siddhartha sat under the shade of a tree and meditated. To meditate is to concentrate so
deeply that the mind becomes clear and calm.
After seven weeks of deep meditation, he suddenly had the answers that he had been
looking for. He realized that human suffering comes from three things:
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Wanting what we like but do not have (greed)
Wanting to keep what we like and already have (selfishness), and
Not wanting what we dislike but have.(ungratefulness)
Siddhartha spent seven more weeks meditating under the tree, which his followers later
named the Tree of Wisdom. He then described his new ideas to five of his former companions.
His followers later called this talk the First Sermon.
Siddhartha Gautama was about 35 years old when he found enlightenment under the tree.
From that point on he would be called the Buddha, or the Enlightened One. The Buddha spent
the rest of his life traveling across northern India and teaching people his ideas.
As he traveled, the Buddha gained many followers, especially among India’s merchants
and artisans. He even taught his views to a few kings. These followers were the first believers in
Buddhism, a religion based on the teachings of the Buddha.
The Buddha died around 483 BC. After his death, his followers continued to spread his
teachings.
Station C. The Teachings of Buddhism
Buddhism is based on the teachings of the Buddha. The Buddha was raised Hindu and
many of his teachings reflected Hindu ideas. Like Hindus, he believed that people should act
morally and treat others well.
At the heart of Buddha’s teachings were four guiding principles. These became known as
the Four Noble Truths:
1. Suffering and unhappiness are a part of human life. No one can escape sorrow.
2. Suffering comes from our desires for pleasure and material goods. People cause
their own misery because they want things they cannot have.
3. People can overcome desire and ignorance and reach nirvana, a state of perfect
peace.
4. People can overcome ignorance and desire by following an eightfold path that
leads to wisdom, enlightenment and salvation.
The Eightfold Path is a guide to a good life. Those who follow the path are freed from
suffering and find happiness. The Buddha believed that this was a middle way between human
desired and denying oneself any pleasure. These are the steps on the Eightfold Path:
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Right understanding- Be sure to understand the Buddha’s teachings.
Right thought- Think pure thoughts
Right speech- Speak the truth. Do not say bad things about other people
Right action- Do not steal. Be careful not to hurt any living thing. Treat others
well, even you enemies.
Right work- Earn a living in a way that does not harm others.
Right effort- Make an effort to become a better person. Work hard to end bad
thoughts and actions.
Right mindfulness- Be mindful of, or think about how you live each day. Notice
what is happening around you. Do not go through life half asleep.
Right meditation- Spend time meditating each day. Clear your mind and feelings
and desires. Only then will you see the truth and find peace.
Like the Hindus, the Buddha believed that people are reborn again and again. In each life,
people suffer because of their desires.
The Buddha taught that those who follow the Eightfold Path can end the cycle, or circle
of rebirth and suffering. They can reach nirvana (see the Third Noble Truth). Those who reach
nirvana are not born again. For them, all suffering is ended.
Unlike Hinduism, the Buddha did not believe that Hindu priests or their rituals were
necessary for enlightenment. Instead he taught that it was the responsibility of each individual to
work for his or her own salvation.
The Buddha was also opposed to the caste system. He didn’t think that people should be
confined to a particular place in society. Everyone who followed the Eightfold Path properly, he
said, would achieve nirvana. It didn’t matter what varna or caste they had belonged to in life as
long as they lived the way they should.
The Buddha’s opposition to the caste system won him support from the masses. Many of
India’s herdsmen, farmers, artisans, and untouchables liked hearing that their low social rank
would not be a barrier to enlightenment. The Buddha also gained followers among the higher
classes. Many rich and powerful Indians welcomed his ideas about avoiding extreme behavior
while seeking salvation.
Station D. The Spread of Buddhism
The founder of Buddhism, the Buddha, lived a long life, spreading his teachings
throughout northern India. Some of his followers became monks. A monk is a man who devotes
his life to practicing and teaching religious beliefs.
According to Buddhist tradition, 500 of the Buddha’s followers gathered together shortly
after he died. They wanted to make sure that the Buddha’s teachings were remembered correctly.
In the years after this council, the Buddha’s followers spread his teachings throughout
India. The ideas spread very quickly because Buddhist teachings were popular and easy to
understand. Within 200 years of the Buddha’s death, his teachings had spread through most of
India.
Buddhism monks closely follow the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the
Middle Way. They also mediate for many hours every day. The Buddha’s wandering monks kept
his teachings alive after he died. Later, they built monasteries, settled down, and taught
Buddhism to others.
For a long time, the Buddha’s message was passed down only through the spoken word.
The first written versions of the Buddha’s teachings began to appear between 200 BC and 100
BC. It was not until about 200 years later that the poet Ashvaghosa wrote the Buddha Caharita or
Life of the Buddha.
The spread of Buddhism increased after one of the most powerful kings in India, Asoka,
became Buddhist in the 200s BC. Once he converted, he built Buddhist temples and schools
throughout India. Most importantly though, he worked to spread Buddhism into areas outside of
India.
Asoka sent Buddhist missionaries, or people who work to spread their religious beliefs, to
other kingdoms in Asia. One group of these missionaries sailed to the island of Sri Lanka around
251 BC. Others followed trade routes east to what is now Myanmar and to other parts of
Southeast Asia. Missionaries also went north to areas near the Himalayas.
Missionaries also introduced Buddhism to lands west of India. They founded Buddhist
communities in Central Asia and Persia. They even taught about Buddhism as far away as Syria
and Egypt. Buddhism continued to grow over the centuries. Eventually it spread via the Silk
Road into China, then Korea and Japan. Through their work, missionaries taught Buddhism to
millions of people.
Over time, Buddhism split into several groups, or schools, each with its own view of the
Buddha’s teachings. Of the schools of Buddhism that exist today, the Theravada school is most
like early Buddhism. There are also the Pure Land, the Zen, and the Tantra schools of Buddhism
that emerged in the first century AD. These three schools make up what is called Mahayana
Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism teaches social concern and compassion for others.
For a time, Buddhism was popular among the people of India. However, as time passed,
Hinduism regained popularity by emphasizing local gods. By about 1200 AD, a Muslim empire
ruled over India, and Buddhism was in decline there. Outside India, Buddhism has remained
popular.