(I know I am a bit late 😳 in creating this thread, but I guess it is never late to discuss about Spirituality 😊, so here is a thread dedicated to Gautama Buddha)
Budhham Sharanam Gachchhaami
Dharmam Sharanam Gachchhaami
Sangham Sharanam Gachchhaami.
It is said that one of the greatest spiritual
teachers of mankind the world has ever seen is Gautam Buddha. Buddha was
born around 543 BC as Siddhartha, the only son of Shuddhodana, the King
of Kapilavastu. He is believed to have lived a very sheltered and protected
life till the age of 29. He was completely ignorant of what miseries and
sorrows were all about. He did not know the tragedies of everyday life. One day
the prince desired to see the city. The King ordered that the city should be
all gay and grand, so that everywhere his son would meet with only pleasing
sights. In spite of the preparation, Siddhaartha witnessed some startling
glimpses of life- he was shocked to see the harsh realities of
life when he viewed an old man, a sick and disabled person and
a dead body for the first time in his life. The fourth vision was
of an ascetic who looked at peace with himself, which led
Siddharth to search for the true meaning of life, renounce the luxury
and worldly pleasures and look for enlightenment. He wandered to many
places and ultimately attained enlightenment in Bodhgaya under a 'pipal' tree.
Since then he was known as Gautam Buddha or the 'Enlightened
One', who is completely free from all faults and mental obstructions. Lord
Buddha is considered the ninth avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu ('Preserver' in the Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer).
Buddha Jayanti (also known as Buddha
Purnima ) is the most sacred festivals of Buddhists,which is celebrated in
remembrance Lord Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. This day is the birth
anniversary of Lord Buddha. It falls on the full moon of the fourth lunar month
(month of Vaisakh) i.e. April or May. This day commemorates three important
events of Buddha's life
- His birth in 623 BC.
- His enlightment i.e. attainment of supreme wisdom, in 588
BC.
- His attainment of Nirvana, i.e. the complete extinction
of his self at the age of 80.
Thus, it is a thrice blessed day. On this day, Buddhists all over
the world commemorate these three great events. They reaffirm their faith in
the Buddha Dharma, to lead a noble religious life. It is a day for meditation
and for radiating Loving-Kindness.
The teachings of the Buddha are solely to
liberate human beings from the misery and sufferings of life. According to
the Buddhism, sorrow and desire are the main cause of all the
evil and suffering of this world. Lord Buddha advocated the Eightfold
Path consisting of precepts like right conduct, right motive,
right speech, right effort, right resolve, right livelihood, right attention
and right meditation to gain mastery over suffering. It is only after
following this path one can reach the ultimate aim of 'Nirvana', which
is the 'transcendental state of complete liberation'.
Buddha travelled many places teaching hundreds of followers. Even
after death his disciples continued to spread his teachings. Rich and
poor alike were attracted by the simplicity of Buddha's teaching and his
emphasis on complete equality of all, a notion antithetical to the
'existing' Hindu caste system. The Mauryan Emperor Ashoka supported the
Buddhist religion in the 3rd century B.C. and helped in spreading it far and
wide. Sarnath and Bodhgaya are two of the most important
pilgrimage centres for the Buddhists. Buddhism originated in India and later, it has gained tremendous
popularity throughout the Far East in Asia.
(Source:-
http://festivals.igiftstoindia.com/buddha-jayanti/index.html,
http://festivals.iloveindia.com/buddha-purnima/index.html,
http://www.buddhaofcompassion.org/buddha_purnima.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha )
I have always Loved the philosophies of Gautama Buddha, from the
time I read about them in History books during my school days. Somehow, all
these Four 'Aarya Satyas' (Four Noble Truths:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths)
and the 'Ashangika Maarg' (Noble Eightfold Path :-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_Eightfold_Path ) always attracted me. I used
to get surprised to think about Siddhartha, who, in spite of being a Prince, felt
disgusted with the riches of a royal life, went for the search of
Truth, his determined attempts of finding the Truth, the
Enlightnment, the Lessons, the Peace, Calmness in his
face, the 'Pragyna' in him- all these have attracted me
towards Gautama Buddha from the childhood. Great are his teachings, make us
feel so elevated and fills us with Peace when we try to follow them in our daily life!
Lots and Lots of Best Wishes to all of you on this Pious
Occasion! 🤗 🤗 🤗