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| Buddhist Concepts |
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| The Life of Shakyamuni |
Buddhism arose from the teachings
of the historical Buddha, or "Enlightened One," most
commonly known by the name Shakyamuni. Over the centuries,
numerous accounts of his life have been handed down among
the different schools of Buddhism that arose after his
death. It can be hard to disentangle from the varied
accounts a complete or historically verifiable account, but
there is much that both modern research and the ancient
teachings share in common, enough to establish a picture of
the life of the founder of the Buddhist tradition.
It is clear that Shakyamuni was the son of the king of a
minor Indian kingdom in what is now Nepal. Modern
researchers date his life to either about 560-480 BCE or
about 460-380 BCE. His father was king of the Shakya tribe,
and Shakyamuni means "sage of the Shakyas." Other names by
which he is commonly known are Gautama and Siddhartha.
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[Photographer: Aleksander Bochenek/
Agency: Dreamtime.com] |
As a young man, Shakyamuni lived a life of luxury, but he
became keenly aware of the sufferings inherent in the lives
of all people. The traditional accounts describe a series of
journeys beyond the palace walls where he encountered the
human experience of aging, sickness and death. These
encounters had a profound impact on the sensitive young
prince. Eventually he renounced his royal status and sought
the means to transcend these sufferings, initially through
ascetic practices.
Regardless of whether one accepts the traditional stories or
turns to modern research, it is clear that the founder of
Buddhism was an idealistic young man, albeit of high social
standing, who felt compelled to seek a way to alleviate the
sufferings that all people face in their lives as human
beings.
After several years following ascetic disciplines under
revered teachers of yogic meditation, Shakyamuni concluded
that this form of self-denial and mortification would not
reveal the solution to his quest. Abandoning these
practices, he sat in meditation under a pipal tree. He
eventually attained a state of awakening in which he became
enlightened to the true nature of life itself. He was able
to grasp the eternally enduring aspect of our existence
within a cosmic network of interdependent phenomena. He also
perceived an underlying law or dharma that guides the
process of ceaseless change that is life. Ultimately, it was
to this law, existing equally within himself, within all
people and in the universal, that he was awakened.
Shakyamuni devoted the remainder of his long life to seeking
to share with others the liberation he had discovered. A
Buddhist Order was formed, and eventually Shakyamuni and his
disciples traveled widely throughout India, propagating his
teachings.
Consistent with his belief in human potential, he preached
to people of all walks of life and social standing, to women
as well as to men. From its very inception Buddhism was a
universal teaching to which all people were equally
welcomed. Shakyamuni shaped his teachings to make his
message accessible to his audience; the sutras, or records
of his teachings, make extensive use of parables and are
frequently recorded in question-and-answer form. As SGI
President Daisaku Ikeda has noted, "His life was completely
untrammeled by dogma, and his interactions with his fellows
stressed the importance of dialogue."
Above all, all accounts record Shakyamuni as a profoundly
compassionate human being, someone who lived out and
embodied his ideals. In the words of Nichiren, "The purpose
of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the
lord of teachings, lies in his behavior as a human being."
His core purpose was to enable people to draw on their inner
resources of wisdom, courage and compassion in meeting the
inevitable challenges of life. Religion for Shakyamuni was a
practical way of living, engaged with the struggle to
transform the sufferings of individuals and societies, to
enable all people to enjoy a life of limitless freedom and
indestructible happiness.
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| [Courtesy July 2007 SGI Quarterly] |
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