As per Hinduism, Gautama Buddha is the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, but most Buddhists do not think so. They believe that it was an attempt to diminish the importance of Buddhism. Whoever may be correct, Lord Buddha was one of the most incredible human beings who have ever walked upon this Earth. Millions of people around the world worship and venerate him. His doctrine of Buddhism is still helping humans to maintain peace on Earth. The word Buddha means “the enlightened one.”
Life of Gautama Buddha:
Birth of Lord Buddha:
Gautama Buddha was born as a prince to King Shuddodhana and Queen Maya in Lumbini, Nepal, in 563 BC. According to some scholars, Lord Buddha was not a prince but a son of an aristocrat. The common thing in both theories is that he was from the warrior community and was from a wealthy family. The original name of Buddha was Siddhartha Gautama.
According to a legend, on the day of conceiving, the mother of Siddhartha Gautama had a dream in which she saw a white elephant with six tusks entering her right side. Either at this time or after his birth, an astrologer, Kaladevala or Sage Asita, told his parents that he would be either a Samrat (the king of kings) or a great ascetic. As Shuddhodhana was from the warrior clan, it was obvious that he wanted his son to be a great king.
Childhood of Lord Buddha:
Therefore, to prevent him from being an ascetic, he consulted the wise people from his court and carefully devised a plan. He ensured he knew of no sorrow until he became a king. All the comforts in the world surrounded him. There were always young and beautiful women and men around him. He did not know death, diseases, old age, or any sorrow.
Married Life of Lord Buddha:
When Siddhartha turned 16, his parents got him married to Yashodhara, who was the daughter of King Suppabuddha and Queen Amita (As Yashodhara was from a royal dynasty, it is evident that Buddha must have been a prince because it was an arranged marriage and it is hard to believe that a king would marry his daughter anyone lesser than a prince).
The couple had a cute son named Rahula.
Four Sights:
It is unclear how, but one day, Siddhartha Gautama ventured out with his charioteer, Channa, into the city (Some stories mention that he did not leave the palace until he was 29 years old, but it does not sound logical. Some stories claim he sometimes left his palace, but the king controlled the whole scenario. He made sure he did not see any sorrow anywhere. This sounds correct because it is impossible for a free person not to leave his palace for 29 years.
On his way, he saw an old man. It was the first time he had seen someone so aged. When he asked Channa about this, he replied that aging is natural to all human beings.
The second sight was of a person in pain, suffering from a disease. Channa explained to him that all beings are vulnerable to diseases and pain.
The third sight was of a corpse. Again, Channa told him that death is inevitable.
The fourth sight was of an ascetic meditating under a tree with closed eyes. He learned that he was trying to find the cause of human suffering.
Renunciation:
The Four Sights stirred Gautama from inside. He understood the fallacy of life and decided to find a permanent solution to the misery of life.
(As he had spent all his life in luxury, he must have fallen in love with his body. The Four Sights must have shocked him, and he might have thought that he would also die like that one day. As he was not used to all those things, he either must have feared such a terrible ending or felt compassion for others.)
In the middle of the night, he left his palace on his horse, Kanthaka, along with Channa. He did not even say goodbye to his wife and son, as he might have thought they would not allow him to do so. He gave Channa his belongings and told him to return to the palace.
Then he traveled to the river Anomiya and cut off his hair. He entered a forest and wore clothes that monks used to wear (According to another version, he received the clothes from a divine being).
When he went the first time to Rajgir to beg for alms, King Bimbisara offered him a share of his kingdom, but he rejected it. He wandered from place to place in search of the right path to end the sufferings of mankind.
(It is unclear what his family’s reaction was after they learned about his renunciation. They might have searched for him and tried to bring him back.)
Ascetic Life:
On his journey to enlightenment, he practiced yogic meditation under two teachers: Alara Kalama and Udraka Ramaputra.
Alara Kalama taught him a meditation technique named the “sphere of nothingness.” He offered to become a spiritual leader, but Siddhartha was not satisfied with the practice as it was not a permanent solution to the suffering. Therefore, he left him and became the disciple of Udraka.
He taught him another meditation technique called “The Sphere of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception” and was again asked to join his teacher. But he left him also for the same reason he left Alara.
It is believed that after leaving his teachers, he joined a group of monks along with whom he practiced many ascetic techniques, one of which included minimal food intake. This technique made him so thin that his bones became visible through his skin. Soon he understood that that was not the right path.
Therefore, he invented the Middle Way – a path of moderation called the Noble Eightfold Path. One day, he ate the rice pudding offered by a girl named Sujata. His five companions thought he was straying from the path of asceticism and abandoned him.
Enlightenment of Buddha:
Then he sat under a peepal tree (sacred fig) in Bodh Gaya, determined not to get up until full awakening had been reached.
According to some legends, Mara, a demonic celestial king, sent his daughters to seduce Buddha and to prevent his salvation (This concept is similar to Indra sending Apsaras to break the penance of sages and Asuras). He also assaulted him with his demon army, but could not harm him.
Thus, Buddha attained enlightenment. He was 35 years old at that time.
Preaching:
After attaining enlightenment, he was confused about whether to impart this knowledge to ordinary people, as it was difficult to follow his path. He spent about 49 days in meditation to make a decision. According to some stories, Brahma Sahampati convinced him to do so.
He decided to give knowledge first to his former five companions who had left him, but he met a wanderer named Ajivika Upaka on the way. He did not believe Buddha had achieved full awakening and took a different path.
Then, he met his former colleagues in Sarnath near Varanasi and convinced them about his enlightenment. He taught them the Eightfold Path. His first sermon is called the Benares Sermon. After the first sermon, Kaundinya became the first liberated being and the first Buddhist monk. Buddha continued to teach the ascetics, and they formed the first sangha (Buddhist community).
After his second sermon, the remaining four ascetics also became liberated beings. After this, many people converted to Buddhism.
Buddha and his Sangha continued to travel from one place to another, and many people joined them. It included many ascetics, kings, ordinary people, etc. When Buddha returned to his old home, his son, Rahul, also became a monk.
He also accepted female monks (Bhikkhuni) in the sangha, which was uncommon then.
An Encounter with Angulimala:
Once, when Gautama Buddha was traveling through a forest, he came across a fierce and cruel brigand, Angulimala (finger garland). He used to loot and kill the travelers and wear their fingers around his neck in a garland. He had killed 999 people and was looking for his 1000th prey.
When he saw Gautama Buddha, he ran to kill him. Buddha was not scared and kept walking at a normal pace, but still, Angulimala could not catch up with him even though he was running as fast as he could. He understood the greatness of Buddha and converted to Buddhism.
The Split within the Sangha:
Gautama Buddha spent most of his later years in Kosala. The king of Magadha, Ajatashatru, overthrew the king of Kosala and became the new king. He continued to support Buddha and his sangha like the previous king.
As Gautama Buddha grew older, he became less active. His cousin Devadatta attempted to take over the order and left the sangha with several Buddhist monks. Ajatashatru supported his sect also. Some historians believe that Devadatta also tried to kill Buddha but was unsuccessful. Gautama Buddha sent his two chief disciples to convince the monks who left with Devadatta.
Amrapali and Lord Buddha:
Amrapali was a royal courtesan of Vaishali. She was one of the most beautiful women in Indian history. She was incredibly impressed when she attended one of Lord Buddha’s sermons. She invited him for a meal at her quarters. He agreed to do so.
While returning home, her chariot collided with some princely nobles of Vaishali who were going to invite Buddha for a dinner. They called her a prostitute and ordered her to move out of their path.
Then she told them that Gautama Buddha would have a meal at her home. The nobles offered her gold in return for the privilege of hosting the Buddha, but she denied it. Lord Buddha also turned down their offer.
She gave Buddha and his disciples a grand welcome. After the meal, she offered him her entire property. Then, she renounced her position as a courtesan and became a monk.
The Death of Buddha:
There are different versions of the story about the death of Gautam Buddha, but the most widely accepted theory is that he died of food poisoning.
Chunda, a blacksmith, offered him the last meal that he had. It was some kind of pork (or mushroom) that was tainted. He fell violently ill after this. According to the NCBI website, he contracted the pig-bel disease (necrotizing enteritis) caused by the toxins of Clostridium perfringens infection. Some people believe he was deliberately poisoned. Some scholars believe he died of old age and not of food poisoning.
His last words were, “All formations decay. Strive for the goal with diligence.” He then entered his final meditation and died.
His body was cremated, and the remains were kept as relics. They were distributed among various kingdoms. These relics were placed in different stupas.
Gautama Buddha in Other Religions:
1. In Hinduism, he is believed to be the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who came to Earth to preach the importance of peace.
2. Some Sikhs believe he was the 23rd incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
3. In Islam, the followers of the Ahmadiyya sect believe he was a prophet.
4. In Manichaeism, he is a prophet who preached the word of God before Mani.
5. In Bahaism also, he is regarded as a prophet.
Gautama Buddha in the Puranas:
Garuda Purana , Brahma Moksha Kanda:
तत: कलौ संप्रवृत्ते हार्रिस्तु |
संमोहनार्थं चासुरणां खगेन्द्र ||
नाम्ना बुद्धो कीकटेषु प्रजातो |
वेदप्रमाणम निराकर्तुमेव ||२६|| (Garuda Purana 3.15.26)
Then, the Lord will be born in Kikatas as Buddha in the Kali age. He will delude the Asuras and flout the Vedas.
Garuda Purana , Preta Kanda:
मत्स्यं कर्म्मं च वाराहं नारसिंहस्च्र वामनं |
रामं रामं च कृष्णं च बुद्धं चैव सकल्किनं |
एतानि दशे नामानि स्मर्त्यव्यानि सदा बुधै ||३७|| (Garuda Purana 2.30.37)
The names of ten incarnations of the lord, viz. Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Sri Rama, Parashurama, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki shall be remembered always.
Harivamsha Purana 1.41.164:
कल्किर्विष्णुयशा नाम् शम्भले ग्रामके दविज: |
सर्वलोकहितार्थाय भुयच्श्रयोत्पत्स्यते प्रभु || 164||
In the future avatars, Buddha will appear first. Then, there will be a famous avatar called “Kalki,” also known as “VishnuShaya.” Lord Vishnu will appear as Brahmana in “Shammal” village for the welfare of this universe.
Shreemad Bhagavata Purana 1.3.24:
तत: कलौ संप्रवृत्ते सम्मोहाय सुरद्विषाम् |
बुद्धो नाम्नाजनसुत: कीकटेषु भविष्यति ||
tataḥ kalau sampravṛtte sammohāya sura-dviṣām
Budho nāmnāñjana-sutaḥ kīkaṭeṣu bhaviṣyati
Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Añjanā, in the province of Gayā, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful theist.
देवद्विषाम निगमवर्त्मनि निष्ठितानां |
पूर्भिर्मयेन विहिताभिरदृश्यतुर्भि:|
लोकान घ्रतां मतिविमोहमतिप्रलोभं ||
वेषं विधाय बहु भाष्यत औपधर्म्यम् ||३७||
lokān ghnatāṁ mati-vimoham atipralobhaṁ veṣaṁ vidhāya bahu bhāṣyata aupadharmyam deva-dviṣāṁ nigama-vartmani niṣṭhitānāṁ pūrbhir mayena vihitābhir adṛśya-tūrbhiḥ
When the atheists, after being well versed in the Vedic scientific knowledge, annihilate inhabitants of different planets, flying unseen in the sky on well-built rockets prepared by the great scientist Maya, the Lord will bewilder their minds by dressing Himself attractively as Buddha and will preach on sub-religious principles (SB 2.7.37).
भूमेर्भरावतरणाय यदुष्वजन्मा |
जात: करिष्यति सुरैरपि दुष्कराणि||
वादैर्विमोहयति यज्ञकृतोsतदर्हान् |
शूद्रान् कलौ क्षितिभुजो न्यहनिष्यदन्ते ||
bhūmer bharāvataraṇāya yaduṣv ajanmā
vādair vimohayati yajña-kṛto ’tad-arhān jātaḥ kariṣyati surair api duṣkarāṇi
śūdrān kalau kṣiti-bhujo nyahaniṣyad ante
To diminish the burden of the earth, the unborn Lord will take birth in the Yadu dynasty and perform feats impossible even for the demigods. Propounding speculative philosophy, the Lord, as Buddha, will bewilder the unworthy performers of Vedic sacrifices. And as Kalki, the Lord, will kill all the low-class men posing as rulers at the end of the Age of Kali (SB 11.4.22).
Vishnu Purana – Book 3 – Chapter 18 verse 18,19,20
एवं बुध्यत बुध्यत्वं बुध्यतैवमितिरयन |
मायामोह: स दैतेयान् धर्ममत्याजयन्निजम् || १८ ||
नानाप्रकारवचनं स तेषां युक्तियोजितम् |
तथा तथा च तध्दर्मं तत्यजुस्ते यथा यथा || १९||
तेsप्यन्येषान तथैवोचुन्यैरन्ये तथोदिता: |
मैत्रैय! तत्यजुर्धर्मं वेद स्मृत्युदितं परम् ||२०||
Parasara said – In this manner, exclaiming to them, “Know” (Budhyadvam) and they replying “It is known”( Budhyati), these Daityas were induced by the arch deceiver to deviate from their religious deities (and become Buddhas) by his repeated arguments and variously urged persuasions. When they abandoned their faith, they persuaded others to do the same, and the heresy spread, and any deserted the practices enjoined by the Vedas and the Laws.
Was Gautama Buddha a Vegetarian?
No, he used to eat non-vegetarian food, but he was against killing any animal. It means he was okay with eating an animal that died naturally.
What did Gautama Buddha say about God?
(From The Majjhima Nikāya 100, translated by Bhikkhus Bodhi and Nanamoli):
When this was said, the brahmin student Sangārava said to the Blessed One: “Master Gotama’s striving was unfaltering, Master Gotama’s striving was that of a true man, as it should be for an Accomplished One, a Fully Enlightened One. But how is it, Master Gotama, are there gods?”
“It is known to me to be the case, Bhāradvāja, that there are gods.”
“But how is this, Master Gotama, that when you are asked, ‘Are there gods?’ you say: ‘It is known to me to be the case, Bhāradvāja, that there are gods’? If that is so, isn’t what you say empty and false?”
“Bhāradvāja, when one is asked, ‘Are there gods?’ whether one answers, ‘There are gods,’ or ‘It is known to me to be the case [that there are gods],’ a wise man can draw the definite conclusion that there are gods.”
“But why didn’t Master Gotama answer me in a first way?”
“It is widely accepted in the world, Bhāradvāja, that there are gods.”
It seems he did not say anything about God, but he believed there were gods (divine beings).
The Noble Eight-fold Path:
The Four Noble Truths
The truth of suffering (Dukkha).
The truth of the origin of suffering (Samudāya).
The truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha).
The truth of the path to the cessation of suffering (Magga).
THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH
Right understanding (Samma ditthi)
Right thought (Samma sankappa)
Right speech (Samma vaca)
Right action (Samma kammanta)
Right livelihood (Samma ajiva)
Right effort (Samma vayama)
Right mindfulness (Samma Sati)
Right concentration (Samma samadhi)
Was Gautama Buddha an Incarnation of Lord Vishnu?
Although some Hindu texts proclaim him as the ninth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, many things contradict this.
1. Buddha rejected the authority of the Vedas. An incarnation of Lord Vishnu would never do that.
2. He died of food poisoning/old age. The incarnations of Lord Vishnu do not die of food poisoning. They are almost immortals.
3. He was okay to eat animals that died naturally. Eating a dead animal could be harmful because you do not know how it died. If Buddha were a god, how did he not know this?
4. He became old. An incarnation of Lord Vishnu does not age.
5. The worship of Lord Buddha is not as common as that of other gods in Hinduism.
Buddha Iconography:
Lord Buddha is depicted in a meditative pose in most images. He does not have a beard or a mustache. He has a third eye between his eyebrows in some images and sculptures. He wears a single piece of cloth, mostly yellow or saffron. His hair is curly. Sometimes, a halo is behind his head.
Nobody knows how Gautama Buddha looked. The statues and images we see today were made by artists who followed the Gandhara art style. Gandhara art was primarily influenced by Greek art and Hellenistic sculpture. This could be the reason for the depiction of Buddha having curly hair.
References:
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amrapalihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amrapali