How the Buddha was Enlightened

Dhamma in English

How the Buddha Was Enlightened

Submited to

Phra Pandit Cittasamvaro

By

Ashin Visuddha

ID- 5201201088

International Bachelor of Arts Degree Programme

Faculty of Buddhism

Second Year

Mahachulalongornrajavidyalaya University, Wangnoi Ayutthaya,

Contents

Introduction	1
The Search	2
Sujata	3
Middle Way	4
Enlightenment	5
Conclusions	6
Bibliography	7

Introduction

There was not Buddhist in the sixth century before the Christian era, but there were so many other religions. There was Vedas which is famous religion at that time. The lofty teaching of the Vedas was thrown into the background. There was much priest craft everywhere. The insincere priests traded on religion. They duped the people in a variety of ways and amassed wealth for themselves. They were quite irreligious. In the religion, people followed in footsteps of the cruel priests and performed meaningless rituals. There was Siddhatha had seeking out renowned teachers, who taught him about the many religious philosophies of his day as well as how to meditate, but after he had learned all they had to teach, his doubts and questions remained. So he and his disciples left to find enlightenment by themselves. At least Siddhatha had found the right way and he had got enlightenment.

The Search

Siddhartha was learned how to take meditate the teachers who thought him about religious philosophies. He was not satisfied what they taught. So he left to find enlightenment with his five disciples. He was still unsatisfied even he tried to fine enlightenment by himself or themselves. At least he found the Middle Way to attend enlightenment.

Siddhartha began by seeking out renowned teachers, who taught him about the many religious philosophies of his day as well as how to meditate. But after he had learned all they had to teach, his doubts and questions remained. So he and five disciples left to find enlightenment by themselves. The six companions attempted to find release from suffering through physical discipline--enduring pain, holding their breath, fasting nearly to starvation. Yet Siddhartha was still unsatisfied. It occurred to him that in renouncing pleasure he had grasped pleasure's opposite--pain and self-mortification. Now Siddhartha considered Middle Way between those two extremes. He remembered an experience from his childhood, when his mind had settled into a state of deep peace. The path of liberation was through discipline of mind. He realized that instead of starvation, he needed nourishment to build up his strength for the effort. But when he accepted a bowl of rice milk from a young girl, his companions assumed he had given up the quest and abandoned him.1

O’Brien, Barbara,The Life of the Buddha, About.com Guide, 21, Aug, 2010, 1.http://buddhism.about.com/od/lifeofthebuddha/a/buddhalife.htm

Sujata

The Gautama was practiced meditation about six years in the forest. He ate the foods little by little day by day. Finally he took meditation without having anything from anywhere but he could not reach what he wanted or enlightenment. So he was so tired and he knew that is not right way to reach enlightenment or to be Buddha. The next day Sujata comes to Bodhi-tree to offer the foods to the God of Bodhi-tree. She saw the Gautama who seat in the Bodhi-tree but she thought it was God of the Bodi-tree. So Sujata offered to the Gautama happily her foods as she thinks who was God to get what she wish. The Gautama began to eat the food underneath shadow of a Bodi-tree.

“Once Buddha was in a dejected mood as he did not succeed in his Yogic practices. He knew not where to go and what to do. A village girl noticed his sorrowful face. She approached him and said to him in a polite manner: "Revered sir, may I bring some food for you? It seems you are very hungry". Gautama looked at her and said, "What is your name, my dear sister? The maiden answered, "Venerable sir, my name is Sujata". Gautama said, "Sujata, I am very hungry. Can you really appease my hunger?” The innocent Sujata did not understand Gautama. Gautama was hungry. He was thirsting to attain supreme peace and Self-realization. He wanted spiritual food. Sujata placed some food before Gautama and entreated him to take it. Gautama smiled and said, "Beloved Sujata, I am highly pleased with your kind and benevolent nature. Can this food appease my hunger? "Sujata replied, "Yes sir, it will appease your hunger. Kindly take it now". Gautama began to eat the food underneath the shadow of a large tree, thenceforth to be called as the great 'Bo-tree' or the tree of wisdom.[1]

Swananda, Sri Swami, Lord Buddha, The Divine Life Society 1.http://www.dlshq.org/saints/buddha.htm, 18, Aug, 2010,

Middle Way

The Gotama who was not noticed the Middle Way or the right way before at the age of 35, so he was practicing meditation about six years without attaining enlightenment. After asceticism and concentrating on meditation, Gotama had discovered what is the Middle Way to attend Enlightenment, So he was continued to take meditation with Middle Way. He attended enlightenment taking meditation after he knew the middle way.

An important guiding principle of Buddhist practice is the Middle Way (or Middle Path), which is said to have been discovered by Gautama Buddha prior to his enlightenment. The Middle Way has several definitions:

The practice of non-extremism: a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification

The middle ground between certain metaphysical views (for example, that things ultimately either do or do not exist)

An explanation of Nirvana (perfect enlightenment), a state wherein it becomes clear that all dualities apparent in the world are delusory (see Seongcheol)

Another term for emptiness, the ultimate nature of all phenomena (in the Mahayana branch), a lack of inherent existence, which avoids the extremes of permanence and nihilism or inherent existence and nothingness.1

Buddhism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism, 21, Aug, 2010,

Enlightenment

After the Gautama had taken practice meditation seriously he was noticed what he had practiced meditation seriously is not right way. He realized or discovered what is right way or Middle Way a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. The Gautama was sitting under Bodhi tree now known in Buddha Gaya, India, after he accept a little milk and rice pudding from the girl who was Sujata. He decided not to move anywhere until he had found the true or Enlightened. He attained Enlightened after 49 days meditating at the age of 35.

After asceticism and concentrating on meditation and Anapana-sati (awareness of breathing in and out), Siddhartha is said to have discovered what Buddhists call the Middle Way—a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification . He accepted a little milk and rice pudding from a village girl named Sujata, who wrongly believed him to be the spirit that had granted her a wish, such was his emaciated appearance. Then, sitting under a pipal tree, now known as the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, he vowed never to arise until he had found the Truth. Kaundinya and the other four companions, believing that he had abandoned his search and become undisciplined left. After 49 days meditating, at the age of 35, he attained Enlightenment; according to some traditions, this occurred approximately in the fifth lunar month, and according to others in the twelfth. Gautama, from then on, was known as the Buddha or "Awakened One." Buddha is also sometimes translated as "The Enlightened One." Often, he is referred to in Buddhism as Shakyamuni Buddha or "The Awakened One of the Shakya Clan. This was then categorized into 'Four Noble Truths'; the state of supreme liberation—possible for any being—was called Nirvana. He then came to possess the Ten Characteristics, which are said to belong to every Buddha.1

Jimmy Wales, Larry Sanger, Gautama Buddha, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha, 18, Aug, 2010

Conclusions

There was Gautama how was enlightened which I write about it. There was Siddhattha who is seeking out renowned teachers who taught him about the many religious and he was not satisfied even he learned about all and about Sujata who offered the food to the Gautama and how they talk about. There is important guiding principle of Buddhist practice is the Middle Way which is said to have been discovered by Gautama Buddha prior to his enlightenment. Another one is talk about enlightenment, Meddle Way a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. Gautama was sitting in the Bodhi tree in Bodha Gaya, he vowed never to arise until he had got enlightenment. At least he had reach enlightenment after 49 days meditating at the age of 35.

Bibliography

1.O’Brien, Barbara,The Life of the Buddha, About.com Guide, 21, Aug, 2010, http://buddhism.about.com/od/lifeofthebuddha/a/buddhalife.htm 2. Swananda, Sri Swami, Lord Buddha, The Divine Life Society http://www.dlshq.org/saints/buddha.htm, 18, Aug, 2010,

3. Buddhism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism, 21, Aug, 2010, 4. Jimmy Wales, Larry Sanger, Gautama Buddha, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha, 18, Aug, 2010

---