Who is Takata Buddha? His life, his history and his lessons

Some time ago, we offered you an article to help you Choose your Buddha for decoration or meditation. 

In Europe, few people really know Buddha. We generally buy a statue for the beauty of the object, without necessarily worrying about its history and its benefits. Let me tell you that this is a serious mistake!

Indeed, you don't choose your Buddha lightly. This is why I decided to present to you, within several articles, the Most popular Buddhas. 

This is how I'm starting today to tell you a little more about the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama (also called Shakyamuni). 

I will therefore present his story to you through his youth, his awakening, his personality and the teachings to be drawn from his life.

Fast presentation

Buddha, in other words here Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni would have lived in 566 BC in northern India.

He was born in a royal universe. Her father Suddhodana then ruled the Kingdom of the Sakya and her mother was Queen Maya.

Also called awakened, many Buddhists retrace his life through 4 specific stages:

• His birth;
• Its awakening;
• His first preaching;
• His complete disappearance (in other words, his death).

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Birth and life of Gautama

 

His birth

According to the stories, he was born in Limbinî, on the road to Kapilavatsu (small town close to the border between India and Nepal) in 566 BC. 

The story of His birth is quite special, she is presented as the continuation of a dream made by her mother.

Indeed, the stories say that the Queen Maya would have dreamed that she was penetrated by a white elephant with six defenses. The next day, she was pregnant.

He also said to herself that she would have given up standing, hanging on a tree branch. 

As soon as it is released, The child would have been put directly to immediately take possession of the universe.

A week after this event, the queen would be dead and the child would then be entrusted to her sister and co-wife Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī.

His life 

Siddhartha Gautama reached awakening only thanks to his own efforts, this is what makes him a be so incredible and exceptional. He everyone invited to follow his example step by step in order to achieve awakening through his teachings.

Several texts seem to argue that Buddha would have known her First meditation experience and reaches the 1st degree of Jhana (state of concentration) during a ceremony led by his father, when he was still a young child.

At 16, he married the princess Yaśodharā With whom he had a son named Rāhula.

During his first 29 years, Buddha spent his time training to handle the bow as a real kstriya (Caste of warriors). Future king, he had to stay away from the sight of others, suffering and death. This is how he spent his time in the enclosure of the family palace.

He took advantage of this luxurious life, but he was quickly faced with reality and at the suffering of humanity during 4 special meetings, that we will see a little further in the framework of its teachings.

His death

Instead of talking about death, we are talking more about complete or permanent disappearance. The dates are quite approximate, but has priori he would have died in Northern India when he was 80 years old.

The story tells that he gave his last breath, lying on the right side, meditating and smiling.

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Buddha's main teachings

Shakyamuni Buddha statue in copper

Buddha has continued to advocate that awakening was accessible to everyone and that each had to test, try to follow their example.

This is why it is so important to Understand and know the steps which lead to this awakening. 

So Buddha taught for almost 45 years To men and women, whatever their social class, Buddhist religion.

 

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama was a great dissatisfied with life.

He felt what is called the 4 visions, 4 meetings that changed his life forever.

They are the ones represent The fundamental lessons of Buddhism:

Old age

Having previously always lived in his palace, he only met an old man until a tank walk. He then asked his driver: "What is that?" He replied: "He's an old man"

After asking why he was so frail and if he too would one day be like that, he said to himself "what good is youth and vitality, if everything ends like this!"

Via the meeting with This old man, He then became aware of the passing time and the suffering of the aging body.

The disease

Gautama realized that all human beings are brought to face the disease and that he too could be touched at any time.

This patient was the very example of the suffering body, regardless of time.

Death

As he saw a corpse that was transported to his place of cremation he wondered what it was and if it could happen to him. Obviously, we replied that it will also happen to him one day.

This corpse which was led at the stake showed him death and his sordid character.

Sadhu

In India, Sadhu is a holy man. Buddha had this vision and said that it was perhaps this way that he would have an answer to his problems.

This hermit then made him discover wisdom.

It was thus thanks to this 4th vision that he made the decision to leave his wife, his son and his kingdom to Join the quest for truth and become an ascetic in search of solutions.

For 6 years, Gautama wandered in the Ganges valley where he met famous religious with whom he studied their methods by submitting to rigorous ascetic practices.

Then he noted that despite his intense practices, he did not understand the world, he then decided to go on another path: Meditation. 

Wandering alone he then settled near a river and became the promise of Do not get up before being "awake". He spent all his days and all his nights to focus and at Control your mind.

Then, one morning, the enlightenment arrived, the complete awakening had finally arrived!

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Buddha's awakening

Siddharta Gautama Buddha statuette

The awakening corresponds to the fullness of wisdom and compassion. It is through this state that Siddhartha Gautama becomes Buddha.

It is therefore the accomplishment and the end of a long quest which then allow it to become "The one who knew". He then really wanted to Share this feeling With others by making the world discover what he had just experienced.

Buddha known this awakening at 35, he then wanted to share his teaching until his death, for almost 45 years.

According to him, this experience must remain above all human and accessible to all, all the time.

This Indian prince who became Buddha, then became the founding father of a spiritual tradition well known as the Buddhism.

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His personality and his physical aspect

Personality and character

Through different stories, several common features stand out:

• An effective and ideal teacher, Always finding the perfect message to convey to your audience;
• A courageous person whatever the circumstances;
• A competent man And many areas mastered to perfection.

Physical characteristics

Gautama Buddha is always represented under a Robust appearance.

His skin is golden, his eyes are blue and her ears have an abnormally elongated shape.

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This is how we finish our first presentation of Buddha. I hope you liked this article. Do not hesitate to leave me your comments to give me your opinion, provide information or ask me a question about it. I will be happy to answer you!

I will meet you here next Tuesday to discover a new article.