Buddha Purnima:
Buddha teaches the first Wheel of Dharma, which reveals how to achieve self-liberation from suffering. Let us learn more about Buddhism, including Buddha's teachings, how it spread, and its impact on Indian culture.
Buddha Purnima is one of the most important festivals in the Baisakh month, commemorating Siddhartha Gautama's birth. He was later referred to as Lord Buddha. It is thought that he reached enlightenment on this day. Buddha Purnima is celebrated on a full moon night in April or May. It falls on the 16th of May every year.
Buddhism was an atheistic religion with cosmic ups and downs. It never questioned God's existence, but it does believe in supernatural beings in various forms. Buddhists, on the other hand, do not believe in a personal god. They believe that nothing is stable or permanent and that anything can change at any time. Morality, meditation, and wisdom are all important aspects of the Enlightenment path.
Buddha Gautam
1. He was born in Lumbini, which is today in Nepal, near Kapilavastu.
2. He is a member of the Sakya clan. His father was Suddodhana, and his mother was Mayadevi.
3. His foster mother, Prajapati Gautami, raised him when his mother died.
4. At the age of 16, he married Yasodhara. His son was Rahul.
5. Three events prompted him to leave the planet. An Old Man, a Diseased Man, a Corpse, and an Ascetic, for example.
6. At the age of twenty-nine, he left home in search of 'Truth,' but his seven years of wandering had yielded no fruit.
7. After a period of hard penance known as 'Nirvana,' he attained enlightenment under a 'Bodhi Tree' at the age of 35.
8. At Sarnath, he preached his first sermon.
9. He was eighty years old when he died in Kushinagar.
10. Buddha's followers included Sariputta, Moggallanna, Ananda, Kassapa, and Upali.
Buddha's teachings
Buddhism was primarily a communal religion, with ignorance—a kind of cosmic ignorance that leads to the delusion of selfhood—as the source of human unhappiness.
1. Buddha's Four Noble Truths: The world is full of suffering; want generates suffering; removing desire will eliminate suffering; the Eightfold Path will assist in overcoming desire.
2. Eight times Right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration are all components of the path.
3. Humans' life circumstances are determined by their own actions. As a result, he believes in the law of Karma.
4. He emphasized the code of practical ethics as well as the principle of social equality.
Buddhism's spread
1. There were two categories of Buddha disciples: monks (Bhikshus) and lay devotees (Upasikas).
2. Buddhist monks Sariputta, Moggallana, and Ananda were influential.
3. Following Buddha's death, Mauryan Emperor Asoka converted to Buddhism.
Council of Buddhists
1. Moggaliputta Tissa presided over the Third Council, which was held at Patliputra under Asoka's patronage. In this council, Tripitaka's final version was completed.
2. Vaishali hosted the Second Buddhist Council.
3. Kanishka convened the Fourth Council in Kashmir, which was presided over by Vasumitra. In this council, Mahayana Buddhism was founded.
4. The First Buddhist Council was held at Rajgir shortly after Buddha's death, presided over by Mahakasapa, with the goal of maintaining the integrity of Buddha's teaching.
Other small Buddhist councils were convened after the Fourth Buddhist Council.
The reason for Buddhism's downfall
1. Monasteries were destroyed in large numbers during Hun (5th and 6th centuries) and Turkish (12th century) invasions.
2. The Mahayana era began with idol worship, which was not promoted by Buddha and lowered Buddhism's moral standards.
3. Popularity declined due to the rebirth of Brahmanism and the advent of Bhagavatam.
Buddhism's Importance in Indian Culture
1. The evolution of languages such as Pali and Prakrit
2. Stupas, monasteries, chaityas, and viharas were notable architectural concepts. Sanchi, Bharhut, and Gaya, for example, have stupas.
3. Ahimsa has become one of our country's most valued principles.
4. Education was promoted by residential universities such as Nalanda, Taxila, and Vikramshila.
