How Gautam Buddha became Enlightened?

Gautam Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, is a pivotal person and a legend in global history and religion. Born in ancient Nepal, he is the founder of the Buddhist religion and is revered by millions of people worldwide. The life and teachings of Buddha have had a significant influence on the globe, motivating countless people to seek inner peace and enlightenment.

Who is Gautam Buddha?

Gautam Buddha, born Siddhartha Gautama, was a spiritual leader who lived in ancient India more than two millennia ago. He is widely regarded as the founder of Buddhism, a religion and philosophy that emphasizes the attainment of enlightenment through meditation and ethical living. Buddha’s teachings have had a profound influence on the development of Eastern spirituality and philosophy, and his legacy continues to inspire millions of people around the world today.

Buddha’s Birth and Early Life

Gautam Buddha was born into a noble family in Lumbini, a small town in present-day Nepal, in the sixth century BCE. He was born to a king named Suddhodana and Queen Maya. as per ancient legend, Maya his mother had a conception dream of a white six-tusked elephant

According to legend, Maya had a dream in which a white six-tusked elephant got into her womb. Seers interpreted the dream as an indication that she would give birth to a child who would grow up to become an extraordinary spiritual leader. The child was named Siddhartha, which means “he who has attained his goal.”

It is believed that a seer predicted that he would either become a great king or a great spiritual leader. His father, hoping to prevent his son from choosing the spiritual path, shielded him from the outside world and surrounded him with luxury and comfort. The King desired his only son to become an exceptional king and shielded him from the pain and suffering of the world outside.

As he grew up, despite his privileged upbringing, Siddhartha’s curiosity about the world outside of his palace boundaries only grew. On a series of trips outside the palace, for the first time in his life, the prince saw sickness, old age, and death, which took a huge toll on him. He started to question the significance of life and the nature of suffering. He was deeply troubled by the fact that human life was filled with pain, sickness, and death, and he longed to find a way to end this suffering.

Leaving Home

At the age of 29, Siddhartha made the decision to leave his home and explore the world outside to hunt for answers. He renounced his luxurious life and became a wandering ascetic, living on alms and practicing severe self-mortification in the hopes of attaining spiritual enlightenment. He spent several years this way, traveling across the Indian subcontinent and studying with various teachers and holy men.

However, Siddhartha soon realized that the path of self-mortification was not leading him to the enlightenment he sought. He had become weak and sickly, and still, he had found no clue to his questions and understanding of the nature of hardship. And after six years of seeking, Siddhartha decided to abandon asceticism and instead practice a path of moderation and balance. He sat under a Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, and meditated for several days until he was enlightened. Then he became the Buddha or “the awakened one.”

Buddha’s Enlightenment

The story of Buddha’s enlightenment is one of the most important events in the Buddhist tradition. It marks the moment when Siddhartha Gautama, after years of seeking, finally attained enlightenment and became the Buddha or “the awakened one”.

According to legend, Siddhartha meditated for several days and nights, finally achieving enlightenment on the seventh day. During the course of his meditation, he experienced a series of profound realizations that would change the course of his life and the world. He became aware of the root causes of suffering, which he identified as attachment, desire, and ignorance.

The first realization was that all beings are subject to suffering. He saw the extent of human suffering in the world and realized that it was caused by attachment and craving for things that were impermanent and ultimately unsatisfying. The second realization was that there was a way out of suffering. He saw that there was a path to liberation, which would free beings from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, and ultimately lead to Nirvana or the state of perfect enlightenment. The third realization was that he himself had discovered the way out of suffering. He had become the Buddha or the “awakened one”, and had achieved perfect enlightenment.

He realized that the key to ending suffering was to cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path, which included the right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. He spent the rest of his life teaching these principles to others, spreading his message of peace, love, and compassion across India and beyond.

His Death

The death of Buddha, also known as his “final passing away” or “Parinirvana“, is a significant event in the Buddhist tradition. According to Buddhist legend, Buddha took his last breath when he was 80 in Kushinagar, India, where he had traveled to spread his teachings.

According to Buddhist scriptures, Buddha knew that his death was near and had prepared himself for it. He instructed his disciples to continue to follow the Dharma or the Buddhist teachings after his passing and to strive for their own enlightenment. On the day of his death, Buddha requested that his disciples gather around him. He gave a final discourse, reminding them of the importance of mindfulness and compassion in their practice. He then entered a deep meditative state, known as the Jhana, and passed away peacefully.

Buddha’s death was a moment of great sadness for his followers, but it was also seen as a moment of celebration. His passing into Nirvana was seen as the ultimate realization of the teachings he had shared with the world, and a demonstration of the possibility of transcending the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

Gautam Buddha Legacy

Gautam Buddha’s legacy has had a profound impact on the world. His teachings have inspired millions of people to seek inner peace and enlightenment, and his message of love, compassion, and non-violence continues to resonate across the world today. Buddhism has spread far beyond its original homeland in India and is now practiced by over 500 million people worldwide, making it one of the world’s largest religions. Gautam Buddha’s story has been told and retold in countless books, films, and works of art, making him one of the most influential figures in human history. Also, Buddha is regarded as more than just a spiritual leader and is considered and worshiped as God in many parts of the world like Nepal and China.