Gautama himself did not believe that what he had achieved was unique. It could be achieved by any man or woman if they were willing to apply themselves with diligence. Through hard practice and experiment, he had found the Eightfold Path which had led him to Enlightenment and would lead him to ultimate Nirvana. This path, taught Gautama, could be followed by anyone, and would definitely lead to Nirvana. But he did not want his teachings to be taken on blind faith. He encouraged his followers to action, to find out by doing what worked best for them. Gautama’s own life was an example of constant doing. For him, the way to Nirvana was a process, a journey, during which the traveller took on responsibility for his own life. Nirvana was not be had through blind worship of a god or gods, but had to be worked for on a daily basis, while living in this world.
The Buddha’s teachings are rooted in reality. He does not deny the existence of suffering, or sorrow or grief or pain. Instead, the first step to spiritual growth is the acceptance of suffering, and to understand how it fills us and all beings. Only then can we transcend it, by conquering selfishness and desire. Shedding ego makes it possible to live in peace with pain. Detachment, said Gautama, makes us see the world clearly and embrace it with true compassion; when the mind becomes free it is also at its clearest. He did not ask his followers to leave the world; rather he asked them to engage with it more fully. Nor did Gautama believe in the harsh asceticism of traditional religion—the way to Nirvana was not through self torture. Gautama’s teachings are all embracing. They demand commitment and discipline, but do so with grace and compassion. Anyone can follow the Eightfold Path in the degree that they wish to—as monks, nuns, or as ordinary lay householders. And in this idea—that salvation can be found by everyone, in this world—lies Gautama’s greatest appeal.
Trivia Treasury
Turn the pages to discover more fascinating facts and tantalizing tidbits of history about this legendary life and his world.
WHAT HAPPENED AND WHEN
BCE
563: the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, the future Buddha
542: Bimbisara ascends the throne of Magadha
539: Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon
538: Pasenadi becomes king of Kosala
534: the renunciation of worldly life by Siddhartha Gautama;
Gotama’s son, Rahula, is born
528: Enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama; from now on he is a Buddha
The Buddha preaches his first sermon at Isipatana (Sarnath)
527: death of Mahavira
491: death of Bimbisara; Ajatashatru becomes king of Magadha
484: death of Pasenadi; Vidudabha becomes king of Kosala and begins his campaign to slaughter and eventually annihilate the Sakyans
483: Nirvana, the death of the Buddha at Kusinagara
The First Buddhist Council is called at Rajagriha, and the Pali Canon is composed
482: death of Vidudabha; soon after, Kosala annexed by Magadha
461: death of Ajatashatru
IMPORTANT PLACES AND PEOPLE IN THE BUDDHA’S LIFE
The list below gives Pali names and terms as they appear in the book as well as their Sanskrit spellings.
Ajatasattu [Ajatashatru]
He was the son of Bimbisara, and the king of Magadha from 491 to 461 BCE. His mother was Kosaladevi, the daughter of Mahakosala and sister of Pasenadi, king of Kosala. He married Vajira, Pasenadi’s daughter.
He succeeded Bimbisara, whom he had imprisoned, tortured and killed. During his reign Magadha became the largest and most powerful of the kingdoms of northern India. He was a devoted follower of the Buddha.
Ambapali [Amrapali]
A courtesan of Vesali, she was found as a baby by the king’s gardener, abandoned under a mango tree in the king’s gardens. The gardener named her Ambapali (from ‘amba’ which means mango, and ‘pallawa’ which means ‘new leaves’). He took her to the city and brought her up. She grew into such a beautiful young woman that many young noblemen wanted to marry her. Finally, so that the young men would not fight over her, she was appointed courtesan. She had a son, Vimala-Kondanna, by Bimbisara, king of Magadha. Her son was a disciple of the Buddha. Hearing her son preach one day, she renounced the world and became a nun.
The Hindi writer, Acharya Chatursen, has based his novel Vaishali ki Nagar Vadhu on her life. The 1966 Hindi film, Amrapali, is also based, though very loosely, on her story; the actress Vyjanthimala plays Ambapali in the film.
Ashoka
The son of Bindusara, emperor of Magadha from 269–232 BCE. He became a convert to the teachings of the Buddha after his bloody conquest of the kingdom of Kalinga. He raised Buddhism to the level of a state religion and spread the Buddha’s teachings across the length and breadth of his vast empire which consisted of almost the entire Indian subcontinent. He also sent missionaries to several countries to spread the Buddha’s word.
Avanti
One of the four powerful kingdoms in northern India during the Buddha’s time, with its capital at Ujjeni.
Ayojjha [Ayodhya]
An important city in the kingdom of Kosala
Baranasi
The capital of Kasi, the modern city of Varanasi
bhikku [bhikshu]
Literally ‘one who begs’, this is the term used for a fully ordained Buddhist monk
bhikkuni [bhikshuni]
A fully ordained Buddhist nun
Buddha
A title, not a proper name, given to one who has attained enlightenment. We use the term ‘the Buddha’ to refer to the historical Siddhartha Gautama only, but such was not the case in his times.
Champa
A city on the river of the same name. It was the capital of Anga and was known for its beautiful lake along which grew champaka trees (champaka trees are found all over India; they bear large white fragrant flowers in the summer). The Buddha stayed here many times.
Devadaha
The capital city of the Koliya tribe and the birthplace of Maha Maya and Pajapati. The Buddha stayed and preached there many times.
dhamma [dharma]
The Pali term used for the teachings of the Buddha
dibbachakkhu [divyachakshu]
The ‘divine eye’ which enables one to see the visible as well as the invisible
Gandhara
A kingdom in the north-west, in what is now Pakistan. Its capital was the city of Takkasila, the site of the famous university.
During the Buddha’s time, Gandhara was part of the great Persian Empire. Its king maintained friendly relations with King Bimbisara of Magadha, and trade and travel between the two kingdoms was free and frequent. The king of Gandhara, Pukkusati became a follower of the Buddha, though the Buddha’s teachings did not take root in Gandhara till after his death.
Gotama [Gautama]
The clan name of the Buddha, and the name by which he is referred to in the Pali texts
gotta [gotra]
The Pali term for ‘clan name’. The gotta was used much as a surname is used today. The Buddha belonged to the Gotamagotta, i.e. to the Gotama clan.
Isipatana
Modern Sarnath, close to the city of Varanasi, the site of the famous Deer Park where the Buddha preached his first sermon to the Panchavaggiya monks. Isipatana is the name used in the Pali texts. It means the place where holy men (Pali: isi, Sanskrit: rishi) fell to earth.
Kapilavatthu [Kapilavastu]
A city in the foothills of the Himalayas, the capital of the Sakya tribe and the home of Siddhartha Gautama. It has been identified as the modern village of Piprahwa in northern India, close to the border of Nepal.
Kasi
A kingdom on the banks of the Ganga, with its capital at Baranasi. During the Buddha’s time it had become a part of the kingdom of Kosala.
Kosambi
The capital city of the kingdom of Vatsa, it was an important halt for trade and traffic to Kosala and Magadha from the south and the west. Ananda suggested it as one of the cities that the Buddha cou
ld choose for his Nirvana.
Koti, Kotigama
A village near Vesali. The Buddha stopped here during his last journey; the courtesan Ambapali and several Licchavi noblemen came here from Vesali to pay him honour.
Kusinara
Modern Kushinagar, it was the capital of the Malla tribe, and the place of the Buddha’s death.
Lalitavistara Sutra
A Sanskrit text composed perhaps in the third century CE. It describes the childhood and youth of Siddhartha Gautama. Amongst other incidents from the prince’s life, the Lalitavistara Sutra also relates the story of Siddhartha’s wedding to Gopa, the talented and accomplished daughter of another Sakya, Dandapani.
Licchavi
The most powerful of the republican tribes during the Buddha’s time. Their capital city was Vesali, and they were one of the tribes that made up the confederacy of Vajji. They are often referred to as the Vajjians. They were a proud and prosperous people, fond of bright colours and ornaments.
Lumbini
A garden that lay between Kapilavatthu and Devadaha; the site of the Buddha’s birth. The park lies in what is now Nepal, just across the border from India. It is now known as Rummindei. A pillar stands at the site of the garden, commemorating the visit of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka to Lumbini.
Magadhi
The language spoken by the people of Magadha, and probably the language spoken by the Buddha.
Mahakassapa [Mahakashyapa]
One of the most important of the Buddha’s disciples, he was called Pippali, and was the son of a Brahmin, from a village in Magadha.
Pippali was immensely wealthy, but one day gave up all his possessions and renounced the world together with his wife. When he saw the Buddha, he prostrated himself before him and became his follower. He was called Mahakassapa from then on (there are no reasons given for the change of name). He could not be present at the Buddha’s death in Kushinagara, but the Buddha’s funeral pyre refused to catch fire till Mahakassapa arrived. After the Buddha’s death, he called the First Buddhist Council at Rajagriha to preserve the Buddha’s teachings and pass them on to future generations.
Mahinda [Mahendra]
The son of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, and the brother of Sanghamitta. He became a Buddhist monk at the age of twenty, and travelled as a missionary to Sri Lanka, where he carried the word of the Buddha.
Malla
One of the important republican tribes, and their country.
During the Buddha’s time, Malla was divided into two parts; one had its capital at Pava, the other at Kushinagara.
Moriya [Maurya]
A warrior clan, one amongst those claiming the relics of the Buddha. They arrived too late, and had to be satisfied with the ashes. Emperor Ashoka was of the Moriyan clan.
Nalanda
A town near Rajagriha in Magadha. The Buddha stayed and preached there several times. During the Buddha’s time, Nalanda was a busy and prosperous town; however, it was not till later that it became a centre of learning and the site of the famous university.
Neranjara [Nilanjana]
A river along the banks of which lay the town of Uruvela. It was along the banks of this river that the Buddha spent the night of his Enlightenment. The Neranjara is identified with the river Nilanjana.
Nibbana [Nirvana]
The Pali term for the ultimate freedom from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth; it is the highest goal for all Buddhists.
Pajapati [Prajapati]
The daughter of Suppabuddha, and the sister of Maha Maya, also married to Suddhodana. After Maha Maya’s death she brought up the baby Siddhartha Gautama. Her own son was called Nanda. After Suddhodana’s death, she joined the Buddha and became a nun.
Pasenadi [Prasenajit]
The son of Mahakosala and the temperamental king of Kosala. His sister Kosaladevi was married to Bimbisara the king of Magadha. He was the Buddha’s friend and benefactor. He was overthrown at the age of eighty by his son Vidudabha, and died a lonely death at the gates of Rajagriha.
Patali, Pataligama, Pataliputta [Pataliputra]
Modern Patna; during the Buddha’s time, it was a village near Rajagriha, at the confluence of the rivers Gandak, Ganga and Son. It was fortified by Ajatashatru as defence against the Vajjians. Later, the capital of Magadha moved from Rajagriha to Patali. It became famous as Pataliputta , the capital of the Emperor Ashoka.
Rajagaha [Rajagriha]
Modern Rajgir. During the Buddha’s time, it was the magnificent capital of the kingdom of Magadha.
Saketa
One of the cities of Kosala, and one of the six most important cities during the Buddha’s time. It is believed to have been founded by Dhananjaya, who went from Rajagriha to Kosala.
Sakya
The tribe to which the Buddha belonged. Their country, also called Sakya, was a republic, and lay at the foothills of the Himalayas. During the Buddha’s time, the Sakyans paid tribute to the king of Kosala.
Sakyamuni
The ‘sage of the Sakyans’, one of the titles given to Siddhartha Gautama as the Buddha, since he belonged to the Sakya tribe.
Sanghamitta [Sanghamitra]
The daughter of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, and the sister of Mahinda. She became a Buddhist nun when she was eighteen, and later went to Sri Lanka as a missionary, carrying a branch of the original Bodhi tree with her to Anuradhapura.
Sariputta [Sariputra]
The chief disciple of the Buddha. He is also called Upatissa, which was probably his personal name. He was born on the same day as Moggallana in a village near Rajagriha. His father was Vanganta and his mother, Rupasari. It was because of his mother’s name that he came to be called Sariputta (‘son of Sari’). In Sanskrit texts he is called Sariputra, Saliputra, Sarisuta, or Saradvatiputra. He was converted to the Buddha’s teachings by Assaji.
Savatthi [Sravasti]
The capital of Kosala, and one of the great cities of northern India during the Buddha’s times. It was also the location of Jetavana, the Buddha’s chief monastery.
Siddhattha [Siddhartha]
The name given to the Buddha at his birth
Tipitaka [Tripitaka]
Literally, ‘three’ (Pali ti, Sanskit tri), baskets (Pitaka). The Pali Canon, so called because when it was written down it was divided into three sections.
Uruvela
Modern Bodh Gaya. In the Buddha’s time a small town on the banks of the Neranjara river, where for six years Siddhartha Gautama lived with the Panchavaggiya monks, practising the severest austerities in an attempt to seek enlightenment.
Vatsa
One of the important kingdoms of northern India. It lay south of Kosala. Its capital was the city of Kosambi.
Vidudabha [Virudhaka]
The son of Pasenadi by Vasabha. In revenge for the deception practised upon his father by the Sakyans who had given Pasenadi a slave woman as his bride, Vidudabha vowed to massacre the Sakyans upon his accession to the throne of Magadha. He overthrew his father, probably in the year 482 BCE, and launched a campaign against the Sakyans which virtually annihilated the tribe. He died soon after.
THE AGE OF THE BUDDHA
The sixth century BCE is a watershed period in Indian history: this is when, for the first time, we have definite evidence of historical events and personalities. Instead of having to rely on doubtful legends and even more dubious myths to reconstruct the past, we now have authentic records on which to base our understanding of history. Our main sources for this period are the Buddhist and Jain scriptures, which though not perfect as historical documents, still contain valuable references to the economic, social and political conditions of the time. These scriptures, composed independently of each other, often mention the same people, places and events, and thus confirm each other.
From Village to City
Techniques for the smelting of iron and the production of steel had been discovered. This led to the manufacture of improved, sturdier, sharper tools and farming imp
lements, which helped farmers to cut down and clear the dense forests of the Gangetic valley and farm the fertile land thus opened up. More and more people moved to the Gangetic plain, and the area became densely populated. Since the land was highly fertile, farmers began growing more than they could consume—fruit, rice, wheat, millet, sesame—and to trade the extra they had for other goods. As trade increased, so did wealth, and the scattered farming villages of the earlier age gave way to busy towns and bustling cities. The most important of these new towns and cities were Savatthi, Saketa, Kosambi, Kasi, Rajagaha and Champa.
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