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Unlock This CourseThe word Buddha means "the awakened one". You already know that Buddhists follow the Buddha's path. This lesson tells his story. Buddhists teach that the Buddha was a human being, not a god. He found the way out of suffering (dukkha) by his own effort, and then taught it to others.
Buddhists do not all see him in exactly the same way.
Theravada is the main form of Buddhism in countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar. It stresses the Buddha as the historical teacher who lived and taught in northern India. He is the great example to follow, not someone to pray to for favours.
Mahayana is the main form in countries such as China, Japan and Tibet. It teaches that there are many Buddhas, and that a Buddha-nature (the ability to become enlightened) is in every being.
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Buddhist tradition says Siddhartha was born in Lumbini (in present-day Nepal) to Queen Maya. His father was a king of the Sakya people, who ruled from the city of Kapilavastu. A holy man is said to have prophesied that the boy would become either a great king or a great spiritual teacher.
His father wanted a king, so he kept Siddhartha inside the palace, surrounded by comfort, and tried to hide anything unpleasant. Siddhartha married and had a son, Rahula. He had everything he could want, yet he had never seen real suffering.
Buddhist tradition says that Siddhartha went outside the palace and saw four things that changed his life. Together they are called the four sights.
Siddhartha saw that ageing comes to everyone.
He saw that illness can strike anyone.
He saw that death comes to all, and that he was no exception.
He saw someone who was calm and had given up possessions to look for an answer. This gave Siddhartha hope that there was a way beyond suffering.
Shocked, he decided to leave. Tradition says he was about 29 years old. He left the palace at night, cut off his hair and gave away his fine clothes.
An ascetic is a person who lives with very little, and often punishes the body, in order to find spiritual truth. Siddhartha spent about six years as an ascetic. He studied with teachers and ate almost nothing until he was extremely thin and weak.
But hardship did not bring him the answer. He realised that a weak body cannot support a clear mind. Tradition says he accepted food and began to eat again. A life of luxury had not helped him, and a life of extreme hardship had not helped either. He chose the Middle Way (met in Why People Follow the Buddha's Path, or Do Not): a path between self-indulgence and self-denial.
Siddhartha then sat to meditate under a tree at Bodh Gaya in India. This became known as the bodhi tree ("tree of awakening"). He vowed not to rise until he understood the truth.
The tradition says that Mara, a figure who stands for temptation and fear, tried to stop him. Mara sent fearful visions and tempting distractions, but Siddhartha stayed calm and unmoved. Many Buddhists read the story as a picture of the struggle with the mind's own fears and desires (the three poisons, from The Three Poisons: Greed, Hatred and Ignorance in Buddhism).
Through the night he gained enlightenment: full understanding of the truth about suffering and how to end it, which Buddhists teach as the Four Noble Truths (see The Four Noble Truths: Dukkha and Tanha). He was now the Buddha, aged about 35.
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Paper 2 (a) [AO1] Outline two events in the life of Siddhartha Gautama before he became the Buddha. [4 marks]
Paper 2 (b) [AO1, AO2] Explain why the enlightenment of the Buddha is important for Buddhists. [6 marks]
Paper 2 (c) [AO1, AO2] "The four sights are the most important event in the Buddha's life."
Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include reference to teachings, other (divergent) points of view, and your own opinion using reasoned arguments. [10 marks]
(a) Siddhartha saw the four sights, including an old man, a sick man and a dead man (1), which showed him that everyone suffers (1). He left the palace and lived as an ascetic for about six years (1), looking for the truth by denying his body (1).
(b) Buddhists say the enlightenment is the turning point of the Buddha's life, when he understood the truth about suffering (1). It shows that a human being can end suffering by effort, so Buddhists have a goal to aim for (1). It led to the Buddha's teaching, because he then taught the Four Noble Truths and the path to the end of suffering (1). It shows Buddhists the Middle Way as the right way to live, after the failure of extreme hardship (1). Theravada Buddhists see it as the example of a teacher who found the way (1), and Mahayana Buddhists say that everyone has Buddha-nature, so enlightenment is possible for all (1).
(c) Plan. For: the four sights made Siddhartha leave the palace, so without them there would be no search; they show the reality of dukkha, which is the starting point for the Four Noble Truths; they remind Buddhists today to face ageing, illness and death. Against: the enlightenment is when he found the answer, and the Middle Way shaped his teaching, so Buddhists could say these matter more; the sights alone changed nothing until he acted; Buddhists differ on what to stress, for example Theravada Buddhists on the historical teacher and Mahayana Buddhists on awakening for all. Possible conclusion: the four sights were the beginning, but the enlightenment is more important, since it is where suffering was understood and the path to ending it was found.
In a 6-mark "Explain why ... is important" question, do not just tell the story. Give three or four reasons, each starting "this is important because...", and say what it means for Buddhists today.