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About Buddha - the founder of Buddhism |
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| Buddha
Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism in this world, was born
as a prince in 624 BC in a place called Lumbini, which was originally
in northern India but is now part of Nepal. 'Shakya' is the name of the royal family into which he was born, and 'Muni' means 'Able One'. His parents gave him the name Siddhartha and there were many auspicious predictions about his future. In his early years he lived as a prince in the royal palace but when he was 29 years old he retired to the forest where he followed a life of meditation. After six years he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, India. |
 Buddha, the founder of Buddhism |
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| He was subsequently requested to teach others the path to enlightenment. As Geshe Kelsang says in Introduction to Buddhism: "As a result of this request, Buddha rose from meditation and taught the first Wheel of Dharma. These teachings which include the Sutra of the Four Noble Truths and other discourses, are the principal source of the Hinayana, or Lesser Vehicle, of Buddhism.In all, Buddha Shakyamuni gave eighty-four thousand teachings. revealing many profound methods of spiritual training, all of which are practical ways to purify and control our mind. If we put these methods into practice we shall definitely gain a special experience of mental peace. By continuing to improve this experience, deluded states of mind will gradually diminish and our inner peace will grow. Eventually, by abandoning delusions altogether we shall attain the permanent inner peace of nirvana, just like Buddha himself. Having overcome our own delusions, such as anger, attachment, and ignorance, and developed profound spiritual realizations of universal love, compassion, concentration, and wisdom, our ability to help others will be far greater. In this way we can help others solve their problems not just for a few days or a few years, but forever. We can help them find an inner peace and joy that nothing, not even death, can destroy. This unchanging inner peace is the final goal of the Buddhist path. Further information about Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, see Geshe Kelsang's books, Introduction to Buddhism and (from tharpa.co.uk) Joyful Path of Good Fortune. If you would like to attend meditation classes near you and learn about Buddhism, visit the main website for Kadampa Buddhism which has details of Buddhist Centres around the world. |
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