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Life of the Buddha

The evidence of the early texts suggests that the Buddha was born in a community that was on the periphery,
both geographically and culturally, of the northeastern Indian subcontinent in the 5th century BCE. It was either
a small republic, in which case his father was an elected chieftain, or an oligarchy, in which case his father was
an oligarch.
This community was not yet liely to have been absorbed into Brahmanical culture !the tradition that would
evolve into "induism#,
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and it is even possible that the Buddha(s mother tongue was not Indo)*ryan.
+ollowing the Buddha(s death, Buddhist tradition built up an alternative biography and mythologi,ed some
aspects of his early life.
*ccording to the Theravada Tipitaa scriptures !from -ali, meaning .three basets.#, the Buddha was born in
/umbini, around the year 501 BCE, and raised in 2apilavastu, both in modern)day 3epal.
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*ccording to this narrative, shortly after the birth of young prince 5iddhartha 6autama, an astrologer visited the
young prince(s father72ing 8uddhodana7and prophesied that 5iddhartha would either become a great ing or
renounce the material world to become a holy man, depending on whether he saw what life was lie outside the
palace walls.
8uddhodana was determined to see his son become a ing so he prevented him from leaving the palace grounds.
But at age 49, despite his father(s efforts, 5iddhartha ventured beyond the palace several times. In a series of
encounters7nown in Buddhist literature as the four sights he learned of the suffering of ordinary people,
encountering an old man, a sic man, a corpse and, finally, an ascetic holy man, apparently content and at peace
with the world. These experiences prompted 6autama to abandon royal life and tae up a spiritual :uest.
6autama first went to study with famous religious teachers of the day, and mastered the meditative attainments
they taught. But he found that they did not provide a permanent end to suffering, so he continued his :uest. "e
next attempted an extreme asceticism, which was a religious pursuit common among the 5hramanas, a religious
culture distinct from the ;edic one. 6autama underwent prolonged fasting, breath)holding, and exposure to
pain. "e almost starved himself to death in the process. "e reali,ed that he had taen this ind of practice to its
limit, and had not put an end to suffering. 5o in a pivotal moment he accepted mil and rice from a village girl
and changed his approach. "e devoted himself to anapanasati meditation, through which he discovered what
Buddhists call the <iddle =ay !.madhyam path.#> a path of moderation between the extremes of self)
indulgence and self)mortification.
6autama was now determined to complete his spiritual :uest. *t the age of 15, he famously sat in meditation
under a sacred fig tree 7 nown as the Bodhi tree 7 in the town of Bodh 6aya, India, and vowed not to rise
before achieving enlightenment. *fter many days, he finally destroyed the fetters of his mind, thereby liberating
himself from the cycle of suffering and rebirth, and arose as a fully enlightened being. 5oon thereafter, he
attracted a band of followers and instituted a monastic order. 3ow, as the Buddha, he spent the rest of his life
teaching the path of awaening he discovered, traveling throughout the northeastern part of the Indian
subcontinent,
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and died at the age of @& !?@1 BCE# in 2ushinagar, India.
The above narrative draws on the early scriptures. "owever, later texts, such as the <ahayana Lalitavistara
Sutra, give different accounts.
5cholars are hesitant to mae un:ualified claims about the historical facts of the Buddha(s life. <ost accept that
he lived, taught and founded a monastic order but do not consistently accept all of the details contained in his
biographies.
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*ccording to author <ichael Carrithers, while there are good reasons to doubt the traditional
account, .the outline of the life must be true> birth, maturity, renunciation, search, awaening and liberation,
teaching, death..
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In writing her biography of Buddha, 2aren *rmstrong noted, .It is obviously difficult, therefore, to write a
biography of the Buddha that will meet modern criteria, because we have very little information that can be
considered historically sound... $but' we can be reasonably confident 5iddhatta 6otama did indeed exist and that
his disciples preserved the memory of his life and teachings as well as they could.
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Buddhist concepts
Life and the world
Karma as the law of cause and effect
2arma !from 5ansrit> .action, wor.# in Buddhism is the force that drives sa sBra7the cycle of suffering and
rebirth for each being. 6ood, sillful deeds !-Bli> .usala.# and bad, unsillful !-Bli> .ausala.# actions produce
.seeds. in the mind which come to fruition either in this life or in a subse:uent rebirth.
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The avoidance of
unwholesome actions and the cultivation of positive actions is called CDla !from 5ansrit> .ethical conduct.#.
In Buddhism, arma specifically refers to those actions !of body, speech, and mind# that spring from mental
intent !.cetana.#,
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and which bring about a conse:uence !or fruit, .phala.# or result !.vipBa.#. Every time a
person acts there is some :uality of intention at the base of the mind and it is that :uality rather than the outward
appearance of the action that determines its effect
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In Theravada Buddhism there can be no divine salvation or forgiveness for one(s arma, since it is a purely
impersonal process that is a part of the maeup of the universe. 5ome <ahayana traditions hold different views.
+or example, the texts of certain <ahayana sutras !such as the Lotus Sutra, the Angulimaliya Sutra and the
Nirvana Sutra# claim that reciting or merely hearing their texts can expunge great swathes of negative arma.
5ome forms of Buddhism !for example, ;aErayana# regard the recitation of mantras as a means for cutting off
previous negative arma.
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The Fapanese -ure /and teacher 6enshin taught that *mida Buddha has the power
to destroy the arma that would otherwise bind one in sasBra.
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Buddhist ethics
la !5ansrit# or sla !-Bli# is usually translated into English as .virtuous behavior., .morality., .ethics. or
.precept.. It is an action committed through the body, speech, or mind, and involves an intentional effort. It is
one of the three practices !sila, samadhi, and panya# and the second pramit. It refers to moral purity of
thought, word, and deed. The four conditions of la are chastity, calmness, :uiet, and extinguishment.
la is the foundation of Samadhi/Bhvana !<editative cultivation# or mind cultivation. 2eeping the precepts
promotes not only the peace of mind of the cultivator, which is internal, but also peace in the community, which
is external. *ccording to the /aw of 2arma, eeping the precepts are meritorious and it acts as causes which
would bring about peaceful and happy effects. 2eeping these precepts eeps the cultivator from rebirth in the
four woeful realms of existence.
la refers to overall principles of ethical behavior. There are several levels of sila, which correspond to .basic
morality. !five precepts#, .basic morality with asceticism. !eight precepts#, .novice monhood. !ten precepts#
and .monhood. !Vinaya or Patimoha#. /ay people generally undertae to live by the five precepts, which
are common to all Buddhist schools. If they wish, they can choose to undertae the eight precepts, which add
basic asceticism.
Indian Buddhism
The history of Indian Buddhism may be divided into five periods>
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Early Buddhism !occasionally called -re)
sectarian Buddhism#, 3iaya Buddhism or 5ectarian Buddhism> The period of the Early Buddhist schools,
Early <ahayana Buddhism, /ater <ahayana Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism !also called ;aErayana
Buddhism#.
Principles and other beliefs
Fainism encourages spiritual development through cultivation of one(s own personal wisdom and reliance on
self)control !by means of , vrataG vow#.
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Hight perception, Hight nowledge and Hight conduct ! triple
gems of Fainism# provide the path for attaining liberation !mosha# from the cycles of birth and death !samsara#.
=hen the soul sheds its armic bonds completely, it attains divine consciousness. The goal of Fainism is to
reali,e this soul(s true nature. Fainism prescribes a path of non)violence to progress the soul to this ultimate goal.
Those who have attained mosha are called siddha !liberated souls#, and those who are attached to the world
through their arma are called samsarin !mundane souls#. Every soul has to follow the path, as explained by the
Finas and revived by Tirthanaras, to attain the complete liberation.
Fains believe that to attain enlightenment and ultimately liberation, one must practice the following ethical
principles !maEor vows# in thought, speech and action. The degree to which these principles are practiced is
different for householders and mons. They are>
Non-violence !*himsa# I to cause no harm to living beings. This is the fundamental vow from which all
other vows stem. It involves minimi,ing intentional and unintentional harm to any other living creature.
.3on)violence., is sometimes interpreted as not illing, but the concept goes far beyond that. It includes
not harming or insulting other living beings, either directly, or indirectly through others. There can be
even no room for thought to inEure others, and no speech that influences others to inflict harm.
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It also
includes respecting the views of others !non)absolutism and acceptance of multiple views#.
Truthfulness !5atya# I to always spea the truth in a harmless manner. * person who speas the truth
becomes trustworthy lie a mother, venerable lie a preceptor and dear to everyone lie a insman.
6iven that non)violence has priority, all other principles yield to it, whenever there is a conflict. +or
example, if speaing truth will lead to violence, it is perfectly ethical to be silent.
Non-stealing !*steya# I to not tae anything that is not willingly given. *steya, .non)stealing., is the
strict adherence to one(s own possessions, without desire to tae another(s. Jne should remain satisfied
by whatever is earned through honest labour. *ny attempt to s:uee,e material wealth from others andKor
exploit the wea is considered theft. 5ome of the guidelines for this principle are>
!%# *lways give people fair value for labor or product.
!4# 3ever tae things which are not offered.
!1# 3ever tae things that are placed, dropped or forgotten by others
!?# 3ever purchase cheaper things if the price is the result of improper method !e.g. pyramid scheme, illegal
business, stolen goods, etc.#
Celibacy !Brahmacharya# I to control the senses including mind from indulgence. The basic intent of
this vow is to con:uer passion and to prevent the waste of energy. In this vow, the house holder must not
have a sensual relationship with anybody other than one(s own spouse. Fain mons and nuns should
practice complete abstinence from sex.
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Non-possession or Non-materialism !*parigraha# I to detach from people, places, and material things.
Jwnership of an obEect itself is not possessivenessL however attachment to an obEect is possessiveness.
+or householders, non)possession is owning without attachment, because the notion of possession is
illusory. The reality of life is that change is constantL thus, obEects owned by someone today will be
property of someone else in future. The householder is encouraged to discharge his or her duties to
related people and obEects as a trustee, without excessive attachment or aversion. +or mons and nuns,
non)possession is complete renunciation of property and relations including home and family.
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Fains hold that our universe and its laws of nature are eternal, without beginning or end. "owever, it constantly
undergoes cyclical changes. Jur universe is occupied by both living beings !.FDva.# and non)living obEects
!.*EDva.#. The samsarin !worldly or mundane# soul incarnates in various life forms during its Eourney over time.
"uman, sub)human !animal, insect, plant, etc.#, super)human !heavenly being#, and hell)being are the four
macro forms of the samsari souls. * living being(s thoughts, expressions and actions executed with intents of
attachments and aversions, give rise to accumulation of arma. *nd these influx of arma in turn contribute to
determine our future circumstances that are both rewarding and punishing. Fain scholars have explained in depth
on methods and techni:ues that will clear the past armas accumulated as well as stopping the flow of fresh
armas.
* maEor characteristic of Fain belief is the emphasis on the conse:uences of not only physical but also mental
behaviours.
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Jne(s uncon:uered mind with anger, pride !ego#, deceit, greed and uncontrolled sense organs are
the powerful enemies of humans. *nger spoils good relations, pride destroys humility, deceit destroys peace and
greed destroys everything. Fainism recommends con:uering anger by forgiveness, pride !ego# by humility,
deceit by straight)forwardness and greed by contentment.
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The principle of non)violence sees to minimi,e armas which limit the capabilities of the soul. Fainism views
every soul as worthy of respect because it has the potential to become 5iddha !-aram)atma I .highest soul.#.
Because all living beings possess a soul, great care and awareness is essential in one(s actions. Fainism
emphasi,es the e:uality of all life, advocating harmlessness towards all, whether the creatures are great or
small. This policy extends even to microscopic organisms. Fainism acnowledges that every person has different
capabilities and capacities to practice and therefore accepts different levels of compliance for ascetics and
householders. The .great vows. !mahavrata# are prescribed for mons and .limited vows. !anuvrata# are
prescribed for householders. In other words, the house)holders are encouraged to practice the five cardinal
principles of non)violence, truthfulness, non)stealing, celebacy and non)possessiveness with their current
practical limitations while the mons have to observe them very strictly. =ith consistent practice, it will be
possible to overcome the limitations gradually, accelerating the spiritual progress.
mphasis on non-violence in thought and practice
Fains hold the above five maEor vows at the center of their lives. These vows cannot be fully implemented
without the acceptance of a philosophy of non)absolutism. *neantavada !multiple points of view#, is a
foundation of Fain philosophy. This philosophy allows the Fains to accept the truth in other philosophies from
their perspective and thus inculcating a tolerance for other viewpoints. Fain scholars have devised methods to
view both physical obEects and abstract ideas from different perspectives systematically. This is the application
of non)violence in the sphere of thought. It is a Eain philosophical standpoint Eust as there is the *dvaitic
standpoint of 5anara and the standpoint of the <iddle -ath of the Buddhists.
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This search to view things from
different angles, leads to understanding and toleration of different and even conflicting views. =hen this
happens preEuidices subside and tendency to accommodate increases. The theory of *neanta is therefore a
uni:ue experiment of non)violence at the root.
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* derivation of this principle is the doctrine of 5yadvada that highlights every model relative to its view point. It
is a matter of our daily experience that the same obEect which gives pleasure to us under certain circumstances
becomes boring under different situations. 3onetheless relative truth is undoubtedly useful as it is a stepping
stone to the ultimate reali,ation and understaning of reality. The theory of 5yadvada is based on the premise that
every proposition is only relatively true. It all depends on the particular aspect from which we approach that
proposition. Fains therefore developed logic that encompasses sevenfold predication so as to assist in the
construction of proper Eudgment about any proposition.
5yadvada provides Fains with a systematic methodology to explore the real nature of reality and consider the
problem in a non)violent way from different perspectives. This process ensures that each statement is expressed
from seven different conditional and relative viewpoints or propositions, and thus it is nown as theory of
conditioned predication. These seven propositions are described as follows>
%.5yBd)asti 7 .in some ways it is.
4.5yBd)nBsti 7 .in some ways it is not.
1.5yBd)asti)nBsti 7 .in some ways it is and it is not.
?.5yBd)asti)avatavya 7 .in some ways it is and it is indescribable.
5.5yBd)nBsti)avatavya 7 .in some ways it is not and it is indescribable.
0.5yBd)asti)nBsti)avatavya 7 .in some ways it is, it is not and it is indescribable.
A.5yBd)avatavya 7 .in some ways it is indescribable.
+or example, a tree could be stationary with respect to an observer on earthL however it will be viewed as
moving along with planet Earth for an observer in space.
Fains are usually very welcoming and friendly toward other faiths and often help with interfaith functions.
5everal non)Fain temples in India are administered by Fains. * palpable presence in Indian culture, Fains have
contributed to Indian philosophy, art, architecture, science, and to <ohandas 6andhi(s politics, which led to the
mainly non)violent movement for Indian independence.
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. Though <ohandas 6andhi stated clearly in his
*utobiography that his mother was a ;aishnava, Fain mons visited his home regularly. "e spent considerable
time under the tutelage of Fain mons, learning the philosophies of non)violence and doing good always.
Karma theory
2arma in Fainism conveys a totally different meaning than commonly understood in the "indu philosophy and
western civili,ation.
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It is not the so called inaccessible force that controls the fate of living beings in
inexplicable ways. It does not simply mean .deed., .wor., nor mystical force !adrsta#, but a complex of very
fine matter, imperceptible to the senses, which interacts with the soul in intensity and :uantity proportional to
the thoughts, speech and physical actions carried out with attachments and aversions, causing further bondages.
2arma in Fainism is something material !armapaudgalam#, which produces certain conditions, lie a medical
pill has many effects.
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The effects of arma in Fainism is therefore a system of natural laws rather than moral
laws. =hen one holds an apple in one(s hand and then let go of the apple, the apple will fall due to gravitational
force. In this example, there is no moral Eudgment involved, since this is a mechanical conse:uence of a
physical action.
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The concept of 2arma in Fainism is basically a reaction due to the attachment or aversion
with which an activity !both positive and negative# is executed in thought, verbal and physical sense. Extending
on the example outlined, the same apple dropped within a ,ero gravity environment such as a spacecraft circling
around earth, will float in its place. 5imilarly, when one act without attachment and aversion there will be no
further armic bonding to the soul.
2armas are grouped as !estructive "armas, that obstruct the true nature of the soul and Non#!estructive
"armas that only affect the body in which the soul resides. *s long as there are Mestructive 2armas, the soul is
caged in some body and will have to experience pain and suffering in many different forms. Fainism has
extensive sub)classification and detailed explanation of each of these maEor categories and explain ways to stop
the influx as well as get rid of the accumulated armas.
Languages used in !ain literature
Fains literature exists mainly in -rarit, 5ansrit, Tamil, HaEasthani, "indi, 6uEarati, 2annada, <alayalam,
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Tulu, Mhundhari !Jld <arwari#, and more recently in English.
Constitutional status of !ainism in India
In 4&&5 the 5upreme Court of India declined to issue a writ of <andamus towards granting Fains the status of a
religious minority throughout India. The Court noted that Fains have been declared a minority in five states
already, and left it to the rest of the 5tates to decide on the minority status of Fain religion.
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In 4&&0 the 5upreme Court in a Eudgment pertaining to a state, opined that .Fain Heligion is indisputably not a
part of the "indu Heligion.. !para 45, Committee of <anagement 2anya Funior "igh 5chool Bal ;idya <andir,
Etah, Nttar -radesh v. 5achiv, N.-. Basic 5hisha -arishad, *llahabad, N.-. and Jrs., -er Malveer Bhandari F.,
Civil *ppeal 3o. 9595 of 4&&1, decided Jn> 4%.&@.4&&0, 5upreme Court of India#

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