The Awakened One: A Life of the BuddhaThe story of the founder of Buddhism is one of the world's great archetypal tales of spiritual awakening. He was born Siddhartha Gautama in the sixth century BCE, the son of a prince who ruled a small kingdom in what is now Nepal. Siddhartha led a sheltered existence until the age of twenty-nine, when he left his life of ease and set out to find a solution to the problem of suffering. For years he wandered as a homeless ascetic, practicing severe austerities that brought him to the brink of death but no nearer to his goal. He then abandoned asceticism for a "middle way." Sitting down under a tree, he vowed to remain there until he realized the truth. After a night of deep meditation, his Enlightenment came at dawn, and he was thereafter known as the Buddha, the "Awakened One." |
Contents
BIRTH YOUTH RENUNCIATION | 1 |
HOMELESSNESS TEACHERS | 17 |
ENLIGHTENMENT | 29 |
Copyright | |
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Ajatashatru alms round Ananda Anathapindada Angulimala Aniruddha Arada arhat arising is subject ascetics asked assembly attained enlightenment beautiful became began begging bhikshunis bhikshus Bimbisara birth Blessed One's bodhisattva bowl brahmin Buddha told Chandaka Chunda death Devadatta Dharma disciples doctrine elephant enter homelessness final nirvana followers gathered Gautama gave gone grove heard holy instructed Jetavana Kanthaka Kapilavastu Kashyapa King Shuddhodana level of meditation live lord Magadhan Mahaprajapati Mara Maudgalyayana mendicant merchant mind monks Mrigara Nalagiri night nirvana noble Nyanamoli palace parinirvana park path Prasenajit pratimoksha prince prostrated Rahula rainy season Rajagriha remained replied robe Sangha seat Shakyans Shariputra Shariputra and Maudgalyayana Shravasti Shrona Siddhartha side stages of realization staying subject to arising subject to cessation suffering sutra specialist take refuge Tathagata taught teacher teaching thought took tree truth Uruvilva Vaishali Venuvana vihara vinaya vinaya specialist Vishakha walking wandering words Yasha young