Enlightenment Illuminates the Path: The Everlasting Serenity of Buddhism
Indian civil service class notes about buddism
�The sixth century B.C. is considered a wonderful century in history. Great
thinkers like Buddha, Mahavira, Heraclitus, Zoroaster, Confucius and Lao Tse
lived and preached their ideas in this century. Among them the most successful
were Jainism and Buddhism whose impact on the Indian society was remarkable.
Life of Buddha
�Buddha is also called as Sakyamuni or Thathagata. He is considered as the
founder of Buddhism. He was born as Siddhartha to Suddhodhana, the ruler
of Sakyan republic, and his wife Maya, on Vaisaka Purnima in the Lumbini gar-
dens near Kapilvastu in the 6th century BC
�Siddhartha married Yashodhara and had a son Rahula. His luxury life left him
dissatisfied and he was troubled by the signs of sickness, old age and death that
he observed in the worldly life.
�At the age of 29, he decided to leave the palace in search of peace and under-
standing of the world’s ills.
�At the age of 35, again on Vaisaka Purnima, he attained enlightenment at what
is now famously known as Bodh Gaya. He gave his first sermon in a deer park
at Sarnath before his first disciples
�Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana at Kusinara
Teachings associated with Buddhism
�To avoid extremes of life, whether it is addiction to worldly pleasures or a life
of painful asceticism and self-mortification.
�Buddhism does not concern itself with metaphysical controversies
�Buddha emphasized on moral progress which was independent of any creator
of the universe
�The essence of Buddhism lies in the realization that life is transient
�Buddha seems to have accepted the idea of transmigration
�Four noble truths of Buddhism are: They are the truth of suffering, the truth of
the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path
that leads to the end of suffering.
�The path to nirvana or cessation of suffering is 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) and Right
concentration (Samma samadhi)
Schools of Buddhism:
1
Indian civil service class notes about buddism
�The sixth century B.C. is considered a wonderful century in history. Great
thinkers like Buddha, Mahavira, Heraclitus, Zoroaster, Confucius and Lao Tse
lived and preached their ideas in this century. Among them the most successful
were Jainism and Buddhism whose impact on the Indian society was remarkable.
Life of Buddha
�Buddha is also called as Sakyamuni or Thathagata. He is considered as the
founder of Buddhism. He was born as Siddhartha to Suddhodhana, the ruler
of Sakyan republic, and his wife Maya, on Vaisaka Purnima in the Lumbini gar-
dens near Kapilvastu in the 6th century BC
�Siddhartha married Yashodhara and had a son Rahula. His luxury life left him
dissatisfied and he was troubled by the signs of sickness, old age and death that
he observed in the worldly life.
�At the age of 29, he decided to leave the palace in search of peace and under-
standing of the world’s ills.
�At the age of 35, again on Vaisaka Purnima, he attained enlightenment at what
is now famously known as Bodh Gaya. He gave his first sermon in a deer park
at Sarnath before his first disciples
�Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana at Kusinara
Teachings associated with Buddhism
�To avoid extremes of life, whether it is addiction to worldly pleasures or a life
of painful asceticism and self-mortification.
�Buddhism does not concern itself with metaphysical controversies
�Buddha emphasized on moral progress which was independent of any creator
of the universe
�The essence of Buddhism lies in the realization that life is transient
�Buddha seems to have accepted the idea of transmigration
�Four noble truths of Buddhism are: They are the truth of suffering, the truth of
the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path
that leads to the end of suffering.
�The path to nirvana or cessation of suffering is 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) and Right
concentration (Samma samadhi)
Schools of Buddhism:
1
