我们没有输！！！！

jackchan_b2b · 發表於 2008-5-31 21:13:40

For a long time, I never give up to believe that the protesting of Chinese China FengShui belong to China and not the Korea, even though along the way I did have the thinking that "Are we losing? What we have done all the time through the internet or from this web site is going to vain?" Today, I read the news from the internet paper, I know that the afford of ALL people who deｆｅｎｃｅ　ａｇａｉｎｓｔ the Korea act on grabbing or robbing the Chinese China inheritage is SUCCESS. From the news that reported about the Gautama Buddha is from Korea, I strongly sense that they are insane, to save time for those who need to find out the word from dictionary, it means CRAZY or MADNESS. KEEP　ＦＩＧＨＴＩＮＧ　ＦＯＲ WHAT WE　ＣＨＩＮＥＳＥ　ＨＡＶＥ　ＡＮＤ　ＢＥＬＩＥＶＥ，　ＳＴＡＮＤ UP ALL CHINESE!!!! AND ALL　ＴＨＡＩ　（Ｆｒｏｍ　ｍｙ　ｗｉｆｅ）！！！！ Extracted from Wikipedia Siddhārtha Gautama, in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanskrit" title="Sanskrit">Sanskrit</a>, or Siddhattha Gotama, in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali" title="Pali">Pali</a>, was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituality" title="Spirituality">spiritual</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teacher" title="Teacher">teacher</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_India" title="Ancient India">ancient India</a> and the founder of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism" title="Buddhism">Buddhism</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a> He is generally recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhahood" title="Buddhahood">Buddha</a> (Sammāsambuddha) of our age. The precise nature of such a supreme Buddha - whether "merely" <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human" title="Human">human</a> or a transcendental, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortal" title="Immortal">immortal</a>, god-transcending being - is differently construed in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theravada" title="Theravada">Theravada</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana" title="Mahayana">Mahayana</a> Buddhism.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a>] Theravada tends to view him as a super-human personage of supreme teaching skill and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom" title="Wisdom">wisdom</a> (uncontactable after his physical <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death" title="Death">death</a>), whereas Mahayana Buddhism goes further and tends to see him as a projection of an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternity" title="Eternity">eternal</a>, ultimate principle of Buddhahood (see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharmakaya" title="Dharmakaya">Dharmakaya</a>), present in all phenomena, immortal and transcendent.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a>] The time of his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childbirth" title="Childbirth">birth</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death" title="Death">death</a> are uncertain: most early <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th-century" class="mw-redirect" title="20th-century">20th-century</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historian" title="Historian">historians</a> date his lifetime from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circa" title="Circa">circa</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/560s_BC" title="560s BC">563 BCE</a> to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/483_BCE" class="mw-redirect" title="483 BCE">483 BCE</a>; more recently, however, at a specialist symposium on this question,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-1" title="">[2]</a> the majority of those scholars who presented definite opinions gave dates within 20 years either side of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/400_BCE" class="mw-redirect" title="400 BCE">400 BCE</a> for the Buddha's death, with others supporting earlier or later dates. 
Gautama, also known as Śākyamuni or Shakyamuni (Skt.; Pali: Sakyamuni; English: “sage of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakya" title="Shakya">Shakyas</a>”), is the key figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monasticism" title="Monasticism">monastic</a> rules were said to have been summarized after his death and memorized by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangha" title="Sangha">sangha</a>. Passed down by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_tradition" title="Oral tradition">oral tradition</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipitaka" class="mw-redirect" title="Tipitaka">Tipitaka</a>, the collection of teachings attributed to Gautama by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theravada" title="Theravada">Theravada</a>, was committed to writing some centuries later. Ｗｉｋｉｐｅｄｉａ <h2 style="color: Blue;">生平</h2> 
其生卒年代，<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%8C%97%E4%BC%A0%E4%BD%9B%E6%95%99&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="北传佛教">北传佛教</a>根据汉译《<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%96%84%E8%A7%81%E5%BE%8B%E6%AF%97%E5%A9%86%E5%A8%91&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="善见律毗婆娑 (尚未撰写)">善见律毗婆娑</a>》中“<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%87%BA%E5%BE%8B%E8%AE%B0&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="出律记 (尚未撰写)">出律记</a>”推断为公元前565-前486年，<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%8D%97%E4%BC%A0%E4%BD%9B%E6%95%99&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="南传佛教">南传佛教</a>则作公元前624-前544年或公元前623-前543年。有研究认为南传佛教的推断误算一周期60记年。 
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<h3 style="color: Blue;">[<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8A%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC&action=edit&section=3" title="编辑本节">编辑</a>] 觉悟前</h3> 
根据经典记载，释迦牟尼降生七日后，母亲过世，由姨母大爱道（Mahāprajāpati，音译为<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%91%A9%E8%A8%B6%E6%B3%A2%E9%97%8D%E6%B3%A2%E6%8F%90&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="摩訶波闍波提 (尚未撰写)">摩诃波阇波提</a>，又叫瞿昙弥 Gautamī）抚养成人。他从八岁开始，向毗奢婆蜜多罗学习文化，向羼提提婆学习<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%AD%A6%E8%97%9D&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="武藝">武艺</a>，从小在宫中过著舒适的生活。成年后，先后娶三个妃子为妻，并建三幢宫殿安置她们，第一宫纳善觉王之女<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E8%80%B6%E8%BE%93%E9%99%80%E7%BD%97&variant=zh-cn" title="耶输陀罗">耶输陀罗</a>妃，第二宫纳<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%91%A9%E5%A5%B4%E9%99%80%E7%BE%85&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="摩奴陀羅 (尚未撰写)">摩奴陀罗</a>妃，第三宫纳<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%9E%BF%E5%A4%9A%E5%BD%8C&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="瞿多彌 (尚未撰写)">瞿多弥</a>妃；以耶输陀罗为正妃，并与她生有一子<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%BD%97%E7%9D%BA%E7%BD%97&variant=zh-cn" title="罗睺罗">罗睺罗</a>。 
据说他深感人间生老病死的苦恼，虽穷究<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%A9%86%E7%BE%85%E9%96%80&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="婆羅門">婆罗门</a><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%A5%AD%E5%8F%B8&variant=zh-cn" title="祭司">祭司</a>及<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%A2%B5%E5%A4%A9&variant=zh-cn" title="梵天">梵天</a><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%89%B5%E4%B8%96&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="創世 (尚未撰写)">创世</a>等末法经教，但是不得离苦之道，于是在29岁时的某个月夜乘白马出家修道。开始遍访名师，后在<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E8%8B%A6%E8%A1%8C%E6%9E%97&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="苦行林 (尚未撰写)">苦行林</a>中苦修6年。35岁时，意识到苦行无法达到解脱，转而前往<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E8%8F%A9%E6%8F%90%E4%BC%BD%E8%80%B6&variant=zh-cn" title="菩提伽耶">菩提伽耶</a>，接受了牧羊女乳糜供养，后在<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E8%8F%A9%E6%8F%90%E6%A8%B9&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="菩提樹">菩提树</a>下<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%A6%AA%E5%AE%9A&variant=zh-cn" title="禪定">禅定</a>四十九日，战胜天魔的威胁、诱惑，夜睹明星“悟道”，证得揭示<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E8%AB%B8%E6%B3%95%E5%AF%A6%E7%9B%B8&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="諸法實相 (尚未撰写)">诸法实相</a>的无上正等正觉，而成为<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E4%BD%9B%E9%99%80&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="佛陀">佛陀</a>。 
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<h3 style="color: Blue;">[<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8A%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC&action=edit&section=4" title="编辑本节">编辑</a>] 觉悟后</h3> 
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Image:Parinibbana.jpg&variant=zh-cn" class="image" title="佛陀在婆罗双树間進入涅磐"><img alt="佛陀在婆罗双树間進入涅磐" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Parinibbana.jpg/180px-Parinibbana.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="177" width="180"></a> 
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<div class="magnify"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Image:Parinibbana.jpg&variant=zh-cn" class="internal" title="放大"><img src="http://zh.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15"></a></div> 
佛陀在婆罗双树间进入涅磐</div> 
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佛陀悟道之后，在<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%B9%BF%E9%87%8E%E8%8B%91&variant=zh-cn" title="鹿野苑">鹿野苑</a>开始传教，为<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%86%8D%E9%99%88%E5%A6%82&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="憍陈如">憍陈如</a>等五人宣说“<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%9B%9B%E5%9C%A3%E8%B0%9B&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="四圣谛">四圣谛</a>”、“<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%85%AB%E6%AD%A3%E9%81%93&variant=zh-cn" title="八正道">八正道</a>”、“<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E4%B8%89%E5%8D%81%E4%B8%83%E9%81%93%E5%93%81&variant=zh-cn" title="三十七道品">三十七道品</a>”等道理，称之为“<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%88%9D%E8%BD%AC%E6%B3%95%E8%BD%AE&variant=zh-cn" title="初转法轮">初转法轮</a>”。此后说法住世四十五年，度化了许多弟子，其中著名的有<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E8%88%8D%E5%88%A9%E5%BC%97&variant=zh-cn" title="舍利弗">舍利弗</a>、<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%9B%AE%E7%8A%8D%E9%80%A3&variant=zh-cn" title="目犍連">目犍连</a>、<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%A4%A7%E8%BF%A6%E8%91%89&variant=zh-cn" title="大迦葉">大迦叶</a>、阿难等。八十岁时，佛在<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%AF%97%E8%88%8D%E9%9B%A2%E5%9F%8E&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="毗舍離城">毗舍离城</a>，已患重病，雨季过后，偕弟子向西北行走，农历二月十五日因食物中毒，<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_note-5" title="">[6]</a>佛告知弟子们将入涅槃，弟子们都守候在身边，聆听佛陀的最后教诲。夜里须跋陀罗（Subhadda）去求佛开示，成为佛陀的最后弟子。佛在<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%8B%98%E5%B0%B8%E9%82%A3%E7%BE%85&variant=zh-cn" title="拘尸那羅">拘尸那罗</a>城附近的婆罗双树下入灭。火化后的舍利（人体火化后的遗留物）由摩竭陀国王阿阇世和释迦族等八王带回建塔（即舍利塔）供养。<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%A4%A7%E8%BF%A6%E8%91%89&variant=zh-cn" title="大迦葉">大迦叶</a>尊者继承佛祖衣钵，带领大众继续精进修行、弘扬佛法。 
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<h2 style="color: Blue;">[<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8A%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC&action=edit&section=5" title="编辑本节">编辑</a>] 文化、宗教</h2> 
在佛陀时代之前，雅利安人入侵印度，带来了他们的宗教，称为<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%A9%86%E7%BE%85%E9%96%80%E6%95%99&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="婆羅門教">婆罗门教</a>。雅利安人与印度当地的居民战斗，经常会呼唤神灵的协助。在战胜之后，则需要感谢神灵的帮助。他们并不怕死，认为光荣战死之后可以上升至天堂。因此，婆罗门教之中，充满了许多祭祀的仪式，以及诵赞神的赞美诗。这些仪式及赞美诗都收在《<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%90%A0%E9%99%80&variant=zh-cn" title="吠陀">吠陀</a>》经典之中，<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%A2%B5%E6%96%87&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="梵文">梵文</a>是在宗教仪式中使用的唯一正式语言。负责宗教仪式的人，称为<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%A9%86%E7%BE%85%E9%96%80&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="婆羅門">婆罗门</a>。负责战斗的武士贵族，则称为<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%88%B9%E5%B8%9D%E5%88%A9&variant=zh-cn" title="刹帝利">刹帝利</a>。 
但是印度当地居民信奉的土著宗教，他们的代表人物，则是<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%B2%99%E9%96%80&variant=zh-cn" title="沙門">沙门</a>。沙门崇尚<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%87%BA%E5%AE%B6&variant=zh-cn" title="出家">出家</a>苦行，在野地独居，不结婚也不生子，整日枯坐不动以求进入<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%A6%AA%E5%AE%9A&variant=zh-cn" title="禪定">禅定</a>。他们不相信<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%90%A0%E9%99%80&variant=zh-cn" title="吠陀">吠陀</a>中记载的大神以及升天，他们相信<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E8%BC%AA%E8%BF%B4&variant=zh-cn" title="輪迴">轮回</a>转世，认为今生所做所为〈称为<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%A5%AD&variant=zh-cn" title="業">业</a>〉，会影响到来世转生的好坏。要跳离轮回，唯一的方式就是通过苦行而得到解脱。《梨俱吠陀》中所说的“牟尼”，也是属于沙门中的一种。 
在公元前第七、八世纪，兴起了<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%A5%A5%E4%B9%89%E4%B9%A6&variant=zh-cn" title="奥义书">奥义书</a>信仰，与之前的婆罗门教信仰不同，受到沙门传统的影响，他们相信轮回业报，崇尚<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%A6%AA%E5%AE%9A&variant=zh-cn" title="禪定">禅定</a>苦行，但是他们也相信婆罗门经典，追求与梵我合一。奥义书信仰主要以秘密传授的方式，流传在<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%88%B9%E5%B8%9D%E5%88%A9&variant=zh-cn" title="刹帝利">刹帝利</a>阶级中，对婆罗门阶级不满，认为宗教特权不该由他们独占。在后世，逐渐形成了婆罗门六派信仰中的数论、瑜伽二派。 
到佛教兴起之前，印度当时充满了许多不同的宗教流派，但基本上的根源不出婆罗门、沙门这两支传统。佛陀本人曾经向阿蓝迦蓝学习不用处定，向郁头蓝弗学习非非想定，也曾加入苦行沙门，一天只食一颗麻麦。因此佛教兴起之初，也被认为是属于沙门团体中的分支之一。 
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<h2 style="color: Blue;">[<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8A%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC&action=edit&section=6" title="编辑本节">编辑</a>] 种族、国家、语言</h2> 
释迦族自称为印度甘蔗王（<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%B7%B4%E5%88%A9%E6%96%87&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="巴利文">巴利文</a> okkāka）<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_note-6" title="">[7]</a>族的后裔，与《<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%BD%97%E6%91%A9%E8%A1%8D%E9%82%A3&variant=zh-cn" title="罗摩衍那">罗摩衍那</a>》的主角罗摩同出一系，属<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%88%B9%E5%B8%9D%E5%88%A9&variant=zh-cn" title="刹帝利">刹帝利</a>种，为古代<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%8D%B0%E5%BA%A6&variant=zh-cn" title="印度">印度</a>的<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%9B%85%E5%88%A9%E5%AE%89%E4%BA%BA&variant=zh-cn" title="雅利安人">雅利安人</a>。但是因为释迦族所处偏远，僻处 <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%A9%86%E7%BE%85%E9%96%80&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="婆羅門">婆罗门</a>文化圈之外，雅利安人到达的时间很晚，被认为是未开化地区，所以很有可能是当地土著民族，而不是纯粹的雅利安人种<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_note-7" title="">[8]</a>。 
佛陀时代，印度北部有十六个大国，都是君主制国家；释迦族统治的是东北部边缘四小国之一的<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E8%BF%A6%E6%AF%97%E7%BE%85%E8%A1%9B%E5%9C%8B&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="迦毗羅衛國">迦毗罗卫国</a><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_note-8" title="">[9]</a>，采取共和制<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_note-9" title="">[10]</a>，以憍萨罗（Kosāla）为宗主国。后来迦毗罗卫国受到<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%86%8D%E8%96%A9%E7%BE%85%E5%9C%8B&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="憍薩羅國 (尚未撰写)">憍萨罗国</a>的流离王侵略而亡国，整个部落也遭到灭族的命运。 
释迦牟尼佛的主要活动范围，在<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%81%86%E6%B2%B3&variant=zh-cn" title="恆河">恒河</a>两岸的<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%86%8D%E8%96%A9%E7%BE%85%E5%9C%8B&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="憍薩羅國 (尚未撰写)">憍萨罗国</a>（Kosāla）、<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%91%A9%E6%8F%AD%E9%99%80%E5%9B%BD&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="摩揭陀国">摩揭陀国</a>（Magadha）和<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%AF%97%E8%88%8D%E9%9B%A2%E5%9C%8B&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="毗舍離國">毗舍离国</a>（Vaiśālī）之间，所以他说法使用的语言很可能是印度东部的方言<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%91%A9%E6%8F%AD%E9%99%80%E8%AA%9E&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="摩揭陀語 (尚未撰写)">摩揭陀语</a>（Māgadhā nirutti, Māgadhikā bhāsā）。佛入涅槃后，弟子们编纂佛典时使用的语言，也应该是摩揭陀语；但是随着佛教传播地区的逐渐扩大，在各种方言的影响之下，佛教语言不可能保持纯正不染，学者又称呼此为<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%8D%8A%E6%91%A9%E6%8F%AD%E9%99%80%E8%AA%9E&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="半摩揭陀語 (尚未撰写)">半摩揭陀语</a>。在阿育王石碑出土之后，学者对于<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%8D%8A%E6%91%A9%E6%8F%AD%E9%99%80%E8%AA%9E&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="半摩揭陀語 (尚未撰写)">半摩揭陀语</a>开始有了更多的了解。 
根据<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%8D%97%E5%82%B3%E4%BD%9B%E6%95%99&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="南傳佛教">南传佛教</a>的说法，现存的<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%B7%B4%E5%88%A9%E6%96%87&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="巴利文">巴利文</a>就是摩揭陀方言，也就是佛陀所使用的语言。但是古印度语言学研究者认为，巴利文应该是来自印度西部的方言，与源自东部的摩揭陀语不同，但它很可能受到摩揭陀语的影响，从而接受了它的某些特征<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_note-10" title="">[11]</a>。 
佛陀传教之初，曾经拒绝弟子的建议，以<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%A2%B5%E6%96%87&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="梵文">梵文</a>为传教语言，而是允许弟子各自以自己拥有的母语来传播佛教<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_note-11" title="">[12]</a>。因此早期的佛教经典也不以梵文写成。 
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<h2 style="color: Blue;">[<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8A%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC&action=edit&section=7" title="编辑本节">编辑</a>] 弟子</h2> 
佛陀在世说法时，有闻名的<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%8D%81%E5%A4%A7%E5%BC%9F%E5%AD%90&variant=zh-cn" title="十大弟子">十大弟子</a>，他们是： <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%A4%A7%E8%BF%A6%E8%91%89&variant=zh-cn" title="大迦葉">大迦叶</a>（头陀第一） <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%9B%AE%E7%8A%8D%E9%80%A3&variant=zh-cn" title="目犍連">目犍连</a>（神通第一） <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%AF%8C%E6%A8%93%E9%82%A3&variant=zh-cn" title="富樓那">富楼那</a>（说法第一） <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%A1%BB%E8%8F%A9%E6%8F%90&variant=zh-cn" title="须菩提">须菩提</a>（解空第一） <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E8%88%8D%E5%88%A9%E5%BC%97&variant=zh-cn" title="舍利弗">舍利弗</a>（智慧第一） <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%BD%97%E7%9D%BA%E7%BD%97&variant=zh-cn" title="罗睺罗">罗睺罗</a>（密行第一） <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%98%BF%E9%9B%A3%E9%99%80&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="阿難陀">阿难陀</a>（多闻第一） <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%84%AA%E5%A9%86%E9%9B%A2&variant=zh-cn" title="優婆離">优婆离</a>（持律第一） <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%98%BF%E5%B0%BC%E5%BE%8B%E9%99%80&variant=zh-cn" title="阿尼律陀">阿尼律陀</a>（天眼第一） <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E8%BF%A6%E6%97%83%E5%BB%B6&variant=zh-cn" title="迦旃延">迦旃延</a>（议论第一）。 
至于比丘尼众中，则有<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%A4%A7%E6%84%9B%E9%81%93%E6%AF%94%E4%B8%98%E5%B0%BC&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="大愛道比丘尼 (尚未撰写)">大爱道比丘尼</a>、<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E8%93%AE%E8%8A%B1%E8%89%B2%E6%AF%94%E4%B8%98%E5%B0%BC&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="蓮花色比丘尼 (尚未撰写)">莲花色比丘尼</a>，都是杰出的人才。 
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<h2 style="color: Blue;">[<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8A%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC&action=edit&section=8" title="编辑本节">编辑</a>] 学说及影响</h2> 
佛陀进入般涅槃后，弟子们汇集、整理佛陀一生的言传身教，通过几次结集，形成经、律、论“<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E4%B8%89%E8%97%8F&variant=zh-cn" title="三藏">三藏</a>”。随着佛法传播范围的日益扩大，佛教逐渐成为世界性的<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%AE%97%E6%95%99&variant=zh-cn" title="宗教">宗教</a>。 
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<h3 style="color: Blue;">[<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8A%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC&action=edit&section=9" title="编辑本节">编辑</a>] 四圣谛</h3> 
佛陀悟道后最早传授的真理：“苦、集、灭、道。”又称四真谛、四正谛。《涅槃经》十五曰：“我昔与汝等，不见四真谛，是故又流转，生死大苦海。”根 
据对现实的深刻观察，佛总结出人生的八大痛苦：生、老、病、死、爱别离、怨憎会、求不得、五阴炽盛。这就是“苦谛”。只所以有这种种痛苦，是因为有产生痛 
苦的根源，主要是贪、嗔、痴三毒，这就是“集谛”。要想去除痛苦，就要消灭产生痛苦的原因“贪、嗔、痴”，这就是“灭谛”。是不是想灭掉三毒，就可以轻而 
易举地灭掉呢？不是的，必须要去修八正道，诸恶莫作，众善奉行，这就是“道谛”。这是从表面现象到深层原因的逆推过程。反过来说，就是修道除恶、灭贪嗔 
痴，就可以避免痛苦，脱离轮回。 
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<h3 style="color: Blue;">[<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8A%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC&action=edit&section=10" title="编辑本节">编辑</a>] 八正道</h3> 
八正道是佛弟子修行的八项内容：“正见解、正思想、正语言、正行为、正职业、正精进、正意念、正禅定。”八正道跟“戒、定、慧”的修行次序有所不 
同，它以智慧开始，首先要有正确的见解和正确的思想，这就涉及到人们常说的“慧根”，在起修之前应该先有些许基础，否则会障碍重重、不得要领；然后才属于 
持戒的范围：语言、行为、谋生都要符合法律、合乎礼仪，这里语言摆在行为之前，可见谨防祸从口出十分重要；跟在大乘“六度”中一样，“精进”贯穿修道的整 
个过程；跟见解、思想比起来，意念属于深层的心理范畴，处于思想产生之前的阶段，前面粗浅的内容规范以后，才能做到控制深层的微细意识，如果能够控制意 
念，基本上就可以进入禅定了。从禅定中获取的智慧，又可使前面的修行提高层次。因此八个环节是互相影响、相辅相成的。 
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<h3 style="color: Blue;">[<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8A%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC&action=edit&section=11" title="编辑本节">编辑</a>] 三十七道品</h3> 
又称三十七品助道法，大小乘佛教修行的基本内容，是趋向解脱、获得开悟的基础。分为七种： 
一、四念处：1）身念处，观身不净；2）受念处，观受是苦；3）心念处，观心无常；4）法念处，观法无我。主要对治执身为净、执受为乐、执心为常、执法为我的“四颠倒见”。 
二、四正勤：1）未生恶法令不生；2）已生恶法恒令灭；3）未生善法令出生；4）已生善法令增长。精进的重点在于行善去恶。 
三、四神足：意为产生神通的基础，1）欲神足，得到神通的欲望；2）勤神足，精勤习禅；3）心神足，心神专一；4）观神足，正确观想。 
四、五根：修习佛法的根本所在，1）信根，深信三宝；2）精进根，为善去恶的出发点，指“四正勤”；3)念根，忆念正法，指“四念处”；4）定根，修习禅定；5）慧根，开发智慧。 
五、五力：由五根产生的五种力量，1）信力，坚信真理；2）精进力，修四正勤的力量；3）念力，破邪、念正的力量；4）定力，治心一处的能力；5）慧力，产生智慧的能力。 
六、七觉支：修习止观的注意事项和感受，1）择法觉支，选择正确、适宜的修法；2）精进觉支，任何阶段都不能懈怠；3）喜觉支，修禅定得到的喜悦； 
4）轻安觉支，得到的轻松安适感觉；5)念觉支，忆念集中而念念分明；6）定觉支，摄心不散深入禅定；7）舍觉支，舍一切念，不即不离。 
七、八正道：正见解、正思想、正语言、正行为、正职业、正精进、正意念、正禅定。 
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<h2 style="color: Blue;">[<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8A%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC&action=edit&section=12" title="编辑本节">编辑</a>] 注释</h2> 
<div style="color: Blue;" class="references-small"> 
<ol class="references"><li id="_note-0"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_ref-0" title="">^</a> 《翻译名义集》卷一：“释迦牟尼，摭华云。此云能仁寂默。”</li><li id="_note-1"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_ref-1" title="">^</a> 《大唐西域记》卷七：“萨婆曷剌他悉陀（Sarvarthasiddha），唐言一切义成，旧曰悉达多〈Siddhartha〉，讹略也。”这应是由于方言不同，使得佛陀有不同名字的传出</li><li id="_note-2"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_ref-2" title="">^</a> 
《释迦氏谱》卷一：“明佛姓自分五别：一曰瞿昙，二曰甘蔗，三曰释迦，四曰舍夷，五曰日种。”《翻译名义集》卷一：“瞿昙，或憍昙弥，或俱谭。西域记云： 
乔答摩，旧云瞿昙，讹略也。古翻甘蔗、泥土等。南山曰：非也。瞿昙，星名，从星立称。至于后代，改姓释迦。慈恩云：释迦之群望也。文句曰：瞿昙，此云纯 
淑，应法师翻为‘地最胜’，谓除天外，人类中此族最胜。”</li><li id="_note-3"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_ref-3" title="">^</a> 也就是Vāmadeva（梵文：वामदेव），意为美丽的仙人</li><li id="_note-4"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_ref-4" title="">^</a> 据<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%AD%A3%E7%BE%A8%E6%9E%97&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="季羨林">季羨林</a>考证。季羨林所持的理由有二，一是释迦牟尼的姨母名叫瞿昙弥（Gautami），是瞿昙〈Gautama〉的阴性名词，当时印度习惯上是从父性而非从母姓，释迦族采取<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%A4%96%E5%A9%9A%E5%88%B6&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="外婚制 (尚未撰写)">外婚制</a>，也不应该会与同姓氏的人结婚。二者，瞿昙〈Gautama〉是一个婆罗门姓氏，释迦族认为自己源自刹帝利种姓而不是婆罗门，应该不会使用婆罗门姓氏。</li><li id="_note-5"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_ref-5" title="">^</a> 
误食铁匠纯陀（Cunda）进献的糕饼与“栴檀树菌茸”（Sukara-maddava），Franke 将此字译为“柔软的公猪肉”；Arthur 
Waley 则对此字作了下列四种解释：猪吃的软食、猪所嗜吃的食物、猪肉中最软的部分，被猪所踏碎的食物。（K.T.S. 
萨罗着：〈古印度佛教的不杀生思想〉）</li><li id="_note-6"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_ref-6" title="">^</a> 
《法苑珠林》卷八：“《菩萨本行经》云，甘蔗王次前有王，名大茅草。即以王位付诸大臣，大众围绕，送王出城。剃除须发，服出家衣。……成就四禅，具足五 
通，得成王仙。……有一猎师，游行山野，遥见王仙，谓是白鸟，遂即射之。……尔时彼地有两滴血，即便生出二甘蔗牙，渐渐高大。至时，甘蔗熟，日炙开剖，其 
一茎蔗出一童子，更一茎蔗出一童女。……此童子者，既是日炙熟甘蔗，开而出生故，一名善生。又其从甘蔗出故，第二复名甘蔗生。又以日炙甘蔗出故，亦名日 
种。彼女因缘一种无异，故名善贤，复名水波。时彼诸臣取甘蔗种所生童子，小年时即灌其顶立以为王。其贤善女，至年长大堪能伏事，即拜为王第一之妃。”释迦 
族的起源，又可见《长阿含经》及《佛祖统记》。</li><li id="_note-7"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_ref-7" title="">^</a> 
《杂阿含经》中曾记载释迦牟尼被婆罗门误认为贱民的故事，如果释迦牟尼是纯粹雅利安人种，就外貌特征上，应该不可能被误认。《杂阿含经》卷四：“佛住王舍 
城迦兰陀竹园。尔时，世尊晨朝着衣持钵，入王舍城乞食。次第乞食，至婆罗豆婆遮婆罗门舍。时，婆罗门手执木杓，盛诸饮食，供养火具，住于门边。遥见佛来， 
见已，白佛，作是言：住！住！领群特！慎勿近我门！”领群特即贱民。近代研究（如方广锠：《渊源与流变——印度初期佛教研究》）认为释迦牟尼为<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%BB%84%E7%A7%8D%E4%BA%BA&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="黄种人">黄种人</a>（现代<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%8D%97%E4%BA%9A&variant=zh-cn" title="南亚">南亚</a>的<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E4%B8%8D%E4%B8%B9&variant=zh-cn" title="不丹">不丹</a>人、<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%94%A1%E9%87%91&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="锡金">锡金</a>人、部分<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%B0%BC%E6%B3%8A%E5%B0%94&variant=zh-cn" title="尼泊尔">尼泊尔</a>人等也是黄种人）。</li><li id="_note-8"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_ref-8" title="">^</a> <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E7%8E%84%E5%A5%98&variant=zh-cn" title="玄奘">玄奘</a>译为劫比罗伐窣堵国（Kapilavastū，在今<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%B0%BC%E6%B3%8A%E7%88%BE&variant=zh-cn" class="mw-redirect" title="尼泊爾">尼泊尔</a>南部的提罗拉科特附近）</li><li id="_note-9"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_ref-9" title="">^</a> 《佛祖统记》卷一：“大劫之始，世界初成，光音诸天化生为人云云。于是议立一人有威德者，赏善罚恶，号‘平等王’。众共供给，遂有民主之名(长阿含经○详见三世出兴志)。”因为迦毗罗卫国采取的是共和制度，佛陀的父亲<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%87%80%E9%A5%AD%E7%8E%8B&variant=zh-cn" title="净饭王">净饭王</a>，应该只是高级武士贵族之中的一名领袖，而不是真正的国王。</li><li id="_note-10"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_ref-10" title="">^</a> <a href="http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/BDLM/lesson/pali/lesson_pali1.jsp#1" class="external free" title="http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/BDLM/lesson/pali/lesson_pali1.jsp#1" rel="nofollow">http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/BDLM/lesson/pali/lesson_pali1.jsp#1</a> 巴利语简介</li><li id="_note-11"><a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8B%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC%E4%BD%9B&variant=zh-cn#_ref-11" title="">^</a> <a href="http://www.chibs.edu.tw/publication/LunCong/004/55_68.htm" class="external free" title="http://www.chibs.edu.tw/publication/LunCong/004/55_68.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.chibs.edu.tw/publication/LunCong/004/55_68.htm</a> 季羨林〈原始佛教的语言问题〉</li></ol> 
</div> 
<a name=".E5.8F.83.E8.80.83.E8.B3.87.E6.96.99"></a> 
<h2 style="color: Blue;">[<a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E9%87%8A%E8%BF%A6%E7%89%9F%E5%B0%BC&action=edit&section=13" title="编辑本节">编辑</a>] 参考资料</h2> 
<ul style="color: Blue;"><li>林朝成、郭朝顺着，《佛学概论》，三民书局，26－27页，2000年，9571431036</li></ul> <h2>The Buddha's life</h2>
The prime sources of information regarding Siddhārtha Gautama's life are the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_texts" title="Buddhist texts">Buddhist texts</a>.
The Buddha and his monks spent four months each year discussing and
rehearsing his teachings, and after his death his monks set about
preserving them. A council was held shortly after his death, and
another was held a century later. At these councils the monks attempted
to establish and authenticate the extant accounts of the life and
teachings of the Buddha following systematic rules. They divided the
teachings into distinct but overlapping bodies of material, and
assigned specific monks to preserve each one. The teaching was thus
preserved orally for three centuries after the Buddha's death when they
were finally recorded on palm-leaf scrolls that were arranged in three
baskets (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pali" title="Pali">Pali</a>: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipitaka" class="mw-redirect" title="Tipitaka">ti-pitaka</a>). By this point, the monks had added or altered some material themselves, in particular magnifying the figure of the Buddha.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-2" title="">[3]</a>
The ancient Indians were not concerned with chronologies, being far
more focused on philosophy. The Buddhist texts reflect this tendency,
and we have a much clearer picture of what the Buddha thought than of
the dates of the events in his life. These texts contain descriptions
of the culture and daily life of ancient India which can be
corroborated from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jain" class="mw-redirect" title="Jain">Jain</a> scriptures, and make the Buddha's time the earliest period in Indian history for which substantial accounts exist.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-3" title="">[4]</a> The following is a summary of what is found in these texts.
<a name="Conception_and_birth" id="Conception_and_birth"></a>
<h3>Conception and birth</h3>
Siddhārtha was born more than 200 years before the reign of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurya" class="mw-redirect" title="Maurya">Maurya</a> king <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashoka_the_Great" title="Ashoka the Great">Aśoka</a> (273–232 BCE).
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width: 202px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SiddhartaBirth.JPG" class="image" title="The birth of Siddhartha, (2nd-3rd century)."><img alt="The birth of Siddhartha, (2nd-3rd century)." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/SiddhartaBirth.JPG/200px-SiddhartaBirth.JPG" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="146" width="200"></a>
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<div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SiddhartaBirth.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15"></a></div>
The birth of Siddhartha, (2nd-3rd century).</div>
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Siddhartha was born in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumbini" title="Lumbini">Lumbini</a><a href="http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/lumbini.htm" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/lumbini.htm" rel="nofollow">[1]</a> and raised in the small kingdom or principality of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapilavastu" title="Kapilavastu">Kapilavastu</a>. His father was King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suddhodana" title="Suddhodana">Suddhodana</a>[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a>], the chief of the Shakya nation, one of several ancient tribes in the growing state of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosala" title="Kosala">Kosala</a>; Gautama was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_name" title="Family name">family name</a>.
As was the Shakya tradition, when his mother Queen Maya fell pregnant,
she returned to her father's kingdom to give birth, but after leaving <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapilvastu" class="mw-redirect" title="Kapilvastu">Kapilvastu</a>, she gave birth along the way at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumbini" title="Lumbini">Lumbini</a> in a garden beneath a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sal" title="Sal">sal</a> tree.
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width: 202px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Maya_Devi_temple-Nepal.JPG" class="image" title="Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal."><img alt="Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Maya_Devi_temple-Nepal.JPG/200px-Maya_Devi_temple-Nepal.JPG" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="150" width="200"></a>
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<div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Maya_Devi_temple-Nepal.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15"></a></div>
Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal.</div>
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The day of the Buddha's birth is widely celebrated in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theravada" title="Theravada">Theravada</a> countries as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesak" title="Vesak">Vesak</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-4" title="">[5]</a>
Various sources hold that the Buddha's mother died at his birth, a few
days or seven days later. The infant was given the name Siddhartha
(Pāli: Siddhattha), meaning “he who achieves his aim”. During the birth
celebrations, the hermit <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clairvoyance" title="Clairvoyance">seer</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asita" title="Asita">Asita</a> journeyed from his mountain abode and announced that the child would either become a great king (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakravartin" title="Chakravartin">chakravartin</a>) or a great <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiness" class="mw-redirect" title="Holiness">holy man</a>.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a>]
This occurred after Siddhartha placed his feet in Asita's hair and
Asita examined the birthmarks. Suddhodarna held a naming ceremony on
the fifth day, and invited eight <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmin" title="Brahmin">brahmin</a> scholars to read the future. All gave a dual prediction that the baby would either become a great king or a great holy man.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a>] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaundinya" title="Kaundinya">Kaundinya</a> (Pali: Kondanna), the youngest, and later to be the first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arhat" title="Arhat">arahant</a>, was the only one who unequivocally predicted that Siddhartha would become a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhahood" title="Buddhahood">Buddha</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-5" title="">[6]</a>
While later tradition and legend characterized Śuddhodana as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hereditary" class="mw-redirect" title="Hereditary">hereditary</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch" title="Monarch">monarch</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinship_and_descent" class="mw-redirect" title="Kinship and descent">descendant</a> of the Solar Dynasty of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikshvaku" title="Ikshvaku">Ikṣvāku</a> (Pāli: Okkāka), many scholars believe that Śuddhodana was the elected chief of a tribal confederacy.
<a name="Early_life_and_marriage" id="Early_life_and_marriage"></a>
<h3>Early life and marriage</h3>
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:InfantBuddhaTakingABathGandhara2ndCenturyCE.jpg" class="image" title="The Buddha as a child, taking a bath. Gandhara, 2nd century CE."><img alt="The Buddha as a child, taking a bath. Gandhara, 2nd century CE." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/InfantBuddhaTakingABathGandhara2ndCenturyCE.jpg/180px-InfantBuddhaTakingABathGandhara2ndCenturyCE.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="106" width="180"></a>
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<div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:InfantBuddhaTakingABathGandhara2ndCenturyCE.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15"></a></div>
The Buddha as a child, taking a bath. Gandhara, 2nd century CE.</div>
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Siddhartha, destined to a luxurious life as a prince, had three
palaces (for seasonal occupation) especially built for him. His father,
King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suddhodana" title="Suddhodana">Śuddhodana</a> , wishing for Siddhartha to be a great king, shielded his son from religious teachings or knowledge of human <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dukkha" title="Dukkha">suffering</a>. Siddhartha was brought up by his mother's younger sister, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahapajapati_Gotami" title="Mahapajapati Gotami">Maha Pajapati</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-cvwlon-6" title="">[7]</a>
As the boy reached the age of 16, his father arranged his marriage to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yashodhara" class="mw-redirect" title="Yashodhara">Yaśodharā</a> (Pāli: Yasodharā), a cousin of the same age. In time, she gave birth to a son, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahula" class="mw-redirect" title="Rahula">Rahula</a>. Siddhartha spent 29 years as a Prince in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapilavastu" title="Kapilavastu">Kapilavastu</a>.
Although his father ensured that Siddhartha was provided with
everything he could want or need, Siddhartha felt that material wealth
was not the ultimate goal of life.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-cvwlon-6" title="">[7]</a>
<a name="The_Great_Renunciation" id="The_Great_Renunciation"></a>
<h3>The Great Renunciation</h3>
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Siddharta_Gautama_Borobudur.jpg" class="image" title="Prince Siddharta shaves his head and become an ascetic. 8th century Borobudur, Indonesia."><img alt="Prince Siddharta shaves his head and become an ascetic. 8th century Borobudur, Indonesia." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Siddharta_Gautama_Borobudur.jpg/180px-Siddharta_Gautama_Borobudur.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="100" width="180"></a>
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<div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Siddharta_Gautama_Borobudur.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15"></a></div>
Prince Siddharta shaves his head and become an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascetic" class="mw-redirect" title="Ascetic">ascetic</a>. 8th century <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur" title="Borobudur">Borobudur</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia" title="Indonesia">Indonesia</a>.</div>
</div>
</div>
At the age of 29, Siddhartha left his palace in order to meet his
subjects. Despite his father's effort to remove the sick, aged and
suffering from the public view, Siddhartha was said to have seen an old
man. Disturbed by this, when told that all people would eventually grow
old by his charioteer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channa_%28Buddhist%29" title="Channa (Buddhist)">Channa</a>, the prince went on further trips where he encountered, variously, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disease" title="Disease">diseased</a> man, a decaying <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body" title="Body">corpse</a>, and an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asceticism" title="Asceticism">ascetic</a>. Deeply depressed by these sights, he sought to overcome old age, illness, and death by living the life of an ascetic.
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Great_Departure.JPG" class="image" title="The Great Departure. Gandhara, 2nd century CE."><img alt="The Great Departure. Gandhara, 2nd century CE." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Great_Departure.JPG/180px-Great_Departure.JPG" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="47" width="180"></a>
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<div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Great_Departure.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15"></a></div>
The Great Departure. Gandhara, 2nd century CE.</div>
</div>
</div>
Siddhartha escaped his palace, accompanied by Channa aboard his horse <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanthaka" title="Kanthaka">Kanthaka</a>, leaving behind this royal life to become a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendicant" title="Mendicant">mendicant</a>. It is said that, "the horse's hooves were muffled by the gods"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-7" title="">[8]</a> to prevent guards from knowing the Bodhisatta's departure. This event is known as "The Great Departure".
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<div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:EmaciatedBuddha.JPG" class="image" title="The Buddha as an ascetic. Gandhara, 2-3rd century CE. British Museum."><img alt="The Buddha as an ascetic. Gandhara, 2-3rd century CE. British Museum." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/EmaciatedBuddha.JPG/180px-EmaciatedBuddha.JPG" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="279" width="180"></a>
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<div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:EmaciatedBuddha.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15"></a></div>
The Buddha as an ascetic. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhara" title="Gandhara">Gandhara</a>, 2-3rd century CE. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Museum" title="British Museum">British Museum</a>.</div>
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Siddhartha initially went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajgir" title="Rajgir">Rajagaha</a> and began his ascetic life by begging for alms in the street. Having been recognised by the men of King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimbisara" title="Bimbisara">Bimbisara</a>,
Bimbisara offered him the throne after hearing of Siddhartha's quest.
Siddhartha rejected the offer, but promised to visit his kingdom of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magadha" title="Magadha">Magadha</a> first, upon attaining enlightenment.
Siddhartha left Rajagaha and practiced under two hermit teachers. After mastering the teachings of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alara_Kalama&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Alara Kalama (page does not exist)">Alara Kalama</a>,
Siddhartha was asked by Kalama to succeed him, but moved on after being
unsatisfied with his practices. He then became a student of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Udaka_Ramaputta&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Udaka Ramaputta (page does not exist)">Udaka Ramaputta</a>,
but although he achieved high levels of meditative consciousness and
was asked to succeed Ramaputta, he was still not satisfied with his
path, and moved on.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-8" title="">[9]</a>
Siddhartha and a group of five companions led by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaundinya" title="Kaundinya">Kondanna</a>
then set out to take their austerities even further. They tried to find
enlightenment through near total deprivation of worldly goods,
including food, practicing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortification_of_the_flesh" title="Mortification of the flesh">self-mortification</a>.
After nearly starving himself to death by restricting his food intake
to around a leaf or nut per day, he collapsed in a river while bathing
and almost drowned. Siddhartha began to reconsider his path. As he laid
there, a boat passed him and he overheard the conversation that the two
musicians aboard it were saying: "If you tighten the string too tight
it will snap, but if it is too loose it will not play." From this, he
realised that he would have to take a "middle-way" to reach
enlightenment and not by using extremes. Then, he remembered a moment
in childhood in which he had been watching his father start the
season's plowing, and he had fallen into a naturally concentrated and
focused state that was blissful and refreshing, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhana" class="mw-redirect" title="Jhana">jhana</a>. Coming out of the jhana, he realised that a village girl named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sujata" title="Sujata">Sujata</a> was standing over him with a bowl of porridge.
<a name="The_Great_Enlightenment" id="The_Great_Enlightenment"></a>
<h3>The Great Enlightenment</h3>
After asceticism and concentrating on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation" title="Meditation">meditation</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anapanasati" title="Anapanasati">anapanasati</a> (awareness of breathing in and out), Siddhartha is said to have discovered what Buddhists call the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_way" title="Middle way">Middle Way</a>—a path of moderation away from the extremes of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonism" title="Hedonism">self-indulgence</a> and self-mortification. He accepted a little milk and rice pudding from a village girl named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sujata" title="Sujata">Sujata</a>,
who wrongly believed him to be the spirit that had granted her a wish,
such was his emaciated appearance. Then, sitting under a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipal" class="mw-redirect" title="Pipal">pipal</a> tree, now known as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhi_tree" title="Bodhi tree">Bodhi tree</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodh_Gaya" title="Bodh Gaya">Bodh Gaya</a>, he vowed never to arise until he had found the Truth. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaundinya" title="Kaundinya">Kaundinya</a>
and the other four companions, believing that he had abandoned his
search and become undisciplined, left. After 49 days meditating, at the
age of 35,[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed">citation needed</a>] he attained <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhi" title="Bodhi">Enlightenment</a>;
according to some traditions, this occurred approximately in the fifth
lunar month, and according to others in the twelfth. Gautama, from then
on, was known as the Buddha or "Awakened One." Buddha is also sometimes translated as "The Enlightened One." Often, he is referred to in Buddhism as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakyamuni" class="mw-redirect" title="Shakyamuni">Shakyamuni</a> Buddha or "The Awakened One of the Shakya Clan."
At this point, he realized complete awakening and insight into the
nature and cause of human suffering which was ignorance, along with
steps necessary to eliminate it. These truths were then categorized
into the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths" title="Four Noble Truths">Four Noble Truths</a>; the state of supreme liberation—possible for any being—was called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana" title="Nirvana">Nirvana</a>. He then came to possess the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhahood#Nine_characteristics" title="Buddhahood">Nine Characteristics</a>, which are said to belong to every Buddha.
According to one of the stories in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%C4%80y%C4%81cana_Sutta&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Āyācana Sutta (page does not exist)">Āyācana Sutta</a> (Samyutta Nikaya VI.1), a scripture found in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81li" class="mw-redirect" title="Pāli">Pāli</a> and other <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/canon" class="extiw" title="wiktionary:canon">canons</a>, immediately after his Enlightenment, the Buddha was wondering whether or not he should teach the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma_%28Buddhism%29" title="Dharma (Buddhism)">Dharma</a>
to human beings. He was concerned that, as human beings were
overpowered by greed, hatred and delusion, they would not be able to
see the true dharma, which was subtle, deep and hard to understand. However, a divine spirit, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahma_%28Buddhism%29#Brahm.C4.81_Sahampati" class="mw-redirect" title="Brahma (Buddhism)">Brahmā Sahampati</a>, interceded and asked that he teach the dharma to the world, as "there will be those who will understand the Dharma". With his great compassion to all beings in the universe, the Buddha agreed to become a teacher.
<a name="Formation_of_the_sangha" id="Formation_of_the_sangha"></a>
<h3>Formation of the sangha</h3>
<div class="thumb tright">
<div class="thumbinner" style="width: 152px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sermon_in_the_Deer_Park_depicted_at_Wat_Chedi_Liem-KayEss-1.jpeg" class="image" title="Painting of the first sermon depicted at Wat Chedi Liem in Thailand."><img alt="Painting of the first sermon depicted at Wat Chedi Liem in Thailand." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Sermon_in_the_Deer_Park_depicted_at_Wat_Chedi_Liem-KayEss-1.jpeg/150px-Sermon_in_the_Deer_Park_depicted_at_Wat_Chedi_Liem-KayEss-1.jpeg" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="202" width="150"></a>
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Painting of the first sermon depicted at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Chedi_Liem" title="Wat Chedi Liem">Wat Chedi Liem</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand" title="Thailand">Thailand</a>.</div>
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After becoming enlightened, two merchants whom the Buddha met, named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tapussa&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Tapussa (page does not exist)">Tapussa</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bhallika&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Bhallika (page does not exist)">Bhallika</a>
became the first lay disciples. They are given some hairs from the
Buddha's head, which are believed to now be enshrined in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shwe_Dagon" class="mw-redirect" title="Shwe Dagon">Shwe Dagon</a> Temple in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangoon" class="mw-redirect" title="Rangoon">Rangoon</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma" title="Burma">Burma</a>. The Buddha intended to visit <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asita" title="Asita">Asita</a>, and his former teachers, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alara_Kalama&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Alara Kalama (page does not exist)">Alara Kalama</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Uddaka_Ramaputta&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Uddaka Ramaputta (page does not exist)">Uddaka Ramaputta</a> to explain his findings, but they had already died.
The Buddha thus journeyed to Deer Park near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varanasi" title="Varanasi">Vārāṇasī</a> (Benares) in northern India, he set in motion the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharmacakra" title="Dharmacakra">Wheel of Dharma</a>
by delivering his first sermon to the group of five companions with
whom he had previously sought enlightenment. They, together with the
Buddha, formed the first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangha" title="Sangha">saṅgha</a>, the company of Buddhist monks, and hence, the first formation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Gem" class="mw-redirect" title="Triple Gem">Triple Gem</a> (Buddha, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma_%28Buddhism%29" title="Dharma (Buddhism)">Dharma</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangha" title="Sangha">Sangha</a>) was completed, with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaundinya" title="Kaundinya">Kaundinya</a> becoming the first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stream-enterer" class="mw-redirect" title="Stream-enterer">stream-enterer</a>. All five soon become arahants, and with the conversion of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasa" title="Yasa">Yasa</a>
and fifty four of his friends, the number of arahants swelled to 60
within the first two months. The conversion of the three Kassapa
brothers and their 200, 300 and 500 disciples swelled the sangha over
1000, and they were dispatched to explain the dharma to the populace.
<a name="Ministry" id="Ministry"></a>
<h3>Ministry</h3>
<div class="thumb tleft">
<div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:TheBuddhaAndVajrapaniGandhara2ndCentury.jpg" class="image" title="Gautama Buddha with his protector Vajrapani (here holding a flywisk). Gandhara, 2nd century CE."><img alt="Gautama Buddha with his protector Vajrapani (here holding a flywisk). Gandhara, 2nd century CE." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/TheBuddhaAndVajrapaniGandhara2ndCentury.jpg/180px-TheBuddhaAndVajrapaniGandhara2ndCentury.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="269" width="180"></a>
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<div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:TheBuddhaAndVajrapaniGandhara2ndCentury.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15"></a></div>
Gautama Buddha with his protector <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajrapani" title="Vajrapani">Vajrapani</a> (here holding a flywisk). Gandhara, 2nd century CE.</div>
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For the remaining 45 years of his life, the Buddha is said to have traveled in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangetic_Plain" class="mw-redirect" title="Gangetic Plain">Gangetic Plain</a>, in what is now <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttar_Pradesh" title="Uttar Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bihar" title="Bihar">Bihar</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepal" title="Nepal">Nepal</a>, teaching his doctrine and discipline to an extremely diverse range of people— from nobles to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalit_%28outcast%29" class="mw-redirect" title="Dalit (outcast)">outcaste</a> street sweepers, mass murderers such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angulimala" title="Angulimala">Angulimala</a> and cannibals such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alavaka&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Alavaka (page does not exist)">Alavaka</a>.
This extended to many adherents of rival philosophies and religions.
The Buddha founded the community of Buddhist monks and nuns (the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangha" title="Sangha">Sangha</a>) to continue the dispensation after his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parinirvana" title="Parinirvana">Parinirvāna</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81li" class="mw-redirect" title="Pāli">Pāli</a>: Parinibbāna) or "complete Nirvāna", and made thousands of converts. His religion was open to all races and classes and had no <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caste" title="Caste">caste</a> structure. He was also subject to attack from opposition religious groups, including attempted murders and framings. and southern 
The sangha travelled from place to place in India, expounding the
dharma. This occurred throughout the year, except during the four
months of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vassana&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Vassana (page does not exist)">vassana</a>
rainy season. Due to the heavy amount of flooding, travelling was
difficult, and ascetics of all religions in that time did not travel,
since it was more difficult to do so without stepping on submerged
animal life, unwittingly killing them. During this period, the sangha
would retreat to a monastery, public park or a forest and people would
come to them.
The first vassana was spent at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varanasi" title="Varanasi">Varanasi</a> when the sangha was first formed. After this, he travelled to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajagaha" class="mw-redirect" title="Rajagaha">Rajagaha</a>, the capital of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magadha" title="Magadha">Magadha</a> to visit King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimbisara" title="Bimbisara">Bimbisara</a>, in accordance with his promise after enlightenment. It was during this visit that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sariputta" class="mw-redirect" title="Sariputta">Sariputta</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahamoggallana" class="mw-redirect" title="Mahamoggallana">Mahamoggallana</a> were converted by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assaji" title="Assaji">Assaji</a>,
one of the first five disciples; they were to become the Buddha's two
foremost disciples. The Buddha then spent the next three seasons at
Veluvana Bamboo Grove monastery in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajagaha" class="mw-redirect" title="Rajagaha">Rajagaha</a>, the capital of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magadha" title="Magadha">Magadha</a>. The monastery, which was of a moderate distance from the city centre was donated by Bimbisara.
Upon hearing of the enlightenment, Suddhodana dispatched royal delegations to ask the Buddha to return to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapilavastu" title="Kapilavastu">Kapilavastu</a>.
Nine delegations were sent in all, but the delegates joined the sangha
and became arahants. Neglecting worldly matters, they did not convey
their message. The tenth delegation, lead by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kaludayi&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Kaludayi (page does not exist)">Kaludayi</a>,
a childhood friend, resulted in the message being successfully conveyed
as well as becoming an arahant. Since it was not the vassana, the
Buddha agreed, and two years after his enlightenment, took a two month
journey to Kapilavastu by foot, preaching the dharma along the way.
Upon his return, the royal palace had prepared the midday meal, but
since no specific invitation had come, the sangha went for an alms
round in Kapilavastu. Hearing this, Suddhodana hastened to approach the
Buddha, stating "Ours is the warrior lineage of Mahamassata, and not a
single warrior has gone seeking alms", to which the Buddha replied
<table style="border-style: none; margin: auto; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: transparent;" class="cquote">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding: 10px; color: rgb(178, 183, 242); font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;" valign="top" width="20">“</td>
<td style="padding: 4px 10px;" valign="top">That is not the custom of
your royal lineage. But it is the custom of my Buddha lineage. Several
thousands of Buddhas have gone by seeking alms</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; color: rgb(178, 183, 242); font-size: 36px; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" valign="bottom" width="20">”</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
 
Suddhodana invited the sangha back to the royal palace for the meal, followed by a dharma talk, after which he became a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sotapanna" title="Sotapanna">sotapanna</a>. During the visit, many members of the royal family joined the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangha" title="Sangha">sangha</a>. His cousins <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananda" title="Ananda">Ananda</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anuruddha" title="Anuruddha">Anuruddha</a> were to become two of his five chief disciples. His son <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahula" class="mw-redirect" title="Rahula">Rahula</a> also joined the sangha at the age of seven, and was one of the ten chief disciples. His half-brother <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanda" title="Nanda">Nanda</a> also joined the sangha and became an arahant. Another cousin <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devadatta" title="Devadatta">Devadatta</a> also became a monk although he later became an enemy and tried to kill the Buddha on multiple occasions.
Of his disciples, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sariputta" class="mw-redirect" title="Sariputta">Sariputta</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahamoggallana" class="mw-redirect" title="Mahamoggallana">Mahamoggallana</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahakasyapa" class="mw-redirect" title="Mahakasyapa">Mahakasyapa</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananda" title="Ananda">Ananda</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anuruddha" title="Anuruddha">Anuruddha</a> comprised the five chief disciples. His ten foremost disciples were completed by the quintet of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upali" title="Upali">Upali</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subhoti" class="mw-redirect" title="Subhoti">Subhoti</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahula" class="mw-redirect" title="Rahula">Rahula</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mahakaccana&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Mahakaccana (page does not exist)">Mahakaccana</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punna" title="Punna">Punna</a>.
In the fifth vassana, the Buddha was staying at Mahavana near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesali" class="mw-redirect" title="Vesali">Vesali</a>.
Hearing of the impending death of Suddhodana, the Buddha went to his
father and preached the dharma, and Suddhodana became an arahant prior
to death. The death and cremation led to the creation of the order of
nuns. Buddhist texts record that he was reluctant to ordain women as
nuns. His foster mother <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maha_Pajapati" class="mw-redirect" title="Maha Pajapati">Maha Pajapati</a>
approached him asking to join the sangha, but the Buddha refused, and
began the journey from Kapilavastu back to Rajagaha. Maha Pajapati was
so intent on renouncing the world that she lead a group of royal Sakyan
and Koliyan ladies, following the sangha to Rajagaha. The Buddha
eventually accepted them five years after the formation of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangha" title="Sangha">Sangha</a> on the grounds that their capacity for enlightenment was equal to that of men, but he gave them certain additional rules (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinaya" title="Vinaya">Vinaya</a>) to follow. This occurred after <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananda" title="Ananda">Ananda</a> interceded on their behalf. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasodhara" class="mw-redirect" title="Yasodhara">Yasodhara</a> also became a nun, with both becoming <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arahant" class="mw-redirect" title="Arahant">arahants</a>.
During his ministry, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devadatta" title="Devadatta">Devadatta</a>
(who was not an arahant) frequently tried to undermine the Buddha. At
one point Devadatta asked the Buddha to stand aside to let him lead the
sangha. The Buddha declined, and stated that Devadatta's actions did
not reflect on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Gem" class="mw-redirect" title="Triple Gem">Triple Gem</a>, but on him alone. Devadatta conspired with Prince <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajatasattu" class="mw-redirect" title="Ajatasattu">Ajatasattu</a>,
son of Bimbisara, so that they would kill and usurp the Buddha and
Bimbisara respectively. Devadatta attempted three times to kill the
Buddha. The first attempt involved the hiring of a group of archers,
whom upon meeting the Buddha became disciples. A second attempt
followed when Devadatta attempted to roll a large boulder down a hill.
It hit another rock and splintered, only grazing the Buddha in the
foot. A final attempt by plying an elephant with alcohol and setting it
loose again failed. Failing this, Devadatta attempted to cause a schism
in the sangha, by proposing extra restrictions on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinaya" title="Vinaya">vinaya</a>.
When the Buddha declined, Devadatta started a breakaway order,
criticising the Buddha's laxity. At first, he managed to convert some
of the bhikkhus, but Sariputta and Mahamoggallana expounded the dharma
to them and succeeded in winning them back.
When the Buddha reached the age of 55, he made Ananda his chief attendant.
<a name="Death" id="Death"></a>
<h3>Death</h3>
<div class="thumb tleft">
<div class="thumbinner" style="width: 202px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Parinibbana.jpg" class="image" title="Buddha's entry into Parinirvana."><img alt="Buddha's entry into Parinirvana." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Parinibbana.jpg/200px-Parinibbana.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="197" width="200"></a>
<div class="thumbcaption">
<div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Parinibbana.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15"></a></div>
Buddha's entry into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parinirvana" title="Parinirvana">Parinirvana</a>.</div>
</div>
</div>
According to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahaparinibbana_Sutta" title="Mahaparinibbana Sutta">Mahaparinibbana Sutta</a> of the Pali canon, at the age of 80, the Buddha announced that he would soon enter <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parinirvana" title="Parinirvana">Parinirvana</a>
or the final deathless state abandoning the earthly body. After this,
the Buddha ate his last meal, which, according to different
translations, was either a mushroom delicacy or soft pork, which he had
received as an offering from a blacksmith named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cunda_%28Buddhism%29" title="Cunda (Buddhism)">Cunda</a>. Falling violently ill, Buddha instructed his attendant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananda" title="Ananda">Ānanda</a> to convince <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cunda_%28Buddhism%29" title="Cunda (Buddhism)">Cunda</a>
that the meal eaten at his place had nothing to do with his passing and
that his meal would be a source of the greatest merit as it provided
the last meal for a Buddha.
The Mahayana <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vimalakirti_Sutra" title="Vimalakirti Sutra">Vimalakirti Sutra</a>
explains, in Chapter 3, that the Buddha doesn't really become ill or
old but purposely presents such an appearance only to teach those born
during the five defilements the impermanence and pain of defiled worlds
and to strive for Nirvana.
"'Reverend Ánanda, the Tathágatas have the body of the Dharma - not
a body that is sustained by material food. The Tathágatas have a
transcendental body that has transcended all mundane qualities. There
is no injury to the body of a Tathágata, as it is rid of all
defilements. The body of a Tathágata is uncompounded and free of all
formative activity. Reverend Ánanda, to believe there can be illness in
such a body is irrational and unseemly!' Nevertheless, since the Buddha
has appeared during the time of the five corruptions, he disciplines
living beings by acting lowly and humble."[14]
Ananda protested Buddha's decision to enter Parinirvana in the abandoned jungles of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kushinagar" title="Kushinagar">Kuśināra</a> (Pāli: Kusināra) of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malla_%28India%29" title="Malla (India)">Mallas</a>.
Buddha, however, reminded Ananda how Kushinara was a land once ruled by
a righteous wheel-turning king that resounded with joy:
<table style="border-style: none; margin: auto; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: transparent;" class="cquote">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding: 10px; color: rgb(178, 183, 242); font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;" valign="top" width="20">“</td>
<td style="padding: 4px 10px;" valign="top">44. Kusavati,
Ananda, resounded unceasingly day and night with ten sounds -- the
trumpeting of elephants, the neighing of horses, the rattling of
chariots, the beating of drums and tabours, music and song, cheers, the
clapping of hands, and cries of "Eat, drink, and be merry!"</td>
<td style="padding: 10px; color: rgb(178, 183, 242); font-size: 36px; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;" valign="bottom" width="20">”</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="thumb tright">
<div class="thumbinner" style="width: 202px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:EndAscetism.JPG" class="image" title="The sharing of the relics of the Buddha."><img alt="The sharing of the relics of the Buddha." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7e/EndAscetism.JPG/200px-EndAscetism.JPG" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="119" width="200"></a>
<div class="thumbcaption">
<div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:EndAscetism.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15"></a></div>
The sharing of the relics of the Buddha.</div>
</div>
</div>
Buddha then asked all the attendant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhikshu" class="mw-redirect" title="Bhikshu">Bhikshus</a>
to clarify any doubts or questions they had. They had none. He then
finally entered Parinirvana. The Buddha's final words were, "All
composite things pass away. Strive for your own liberation with
diligence." The Buddha's body was cremated and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relic" title="Relic">relics</a> were placed in monuments or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupa" title="Stupa">stupas</a>, some of which are believed to have survived until the present. For example, The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_the_Tooth" class="mw-redirect" title="Temple of the Tooth">Temple of the Tooth</a> or "Dalada Maligawa" in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka" title="Sri Lanka">Sri Lanka</a> is the place where the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relic_of_the_tooth_of_the_Buddha" title="Relic of the tooth of the Buddha">relic of the right tooth of Buddha</a> is kept at present.
According to the Pāli historical chronicles of Sri Lanka, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipavamsa" title="Dipavamsa">Dīpavaṃsa</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahavansa" class="mw-redirect" title="Mahavansa">Mahāvaṃsa</a>, the coronation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashoka_the_Great" title="Ashoka the Great">Aśoka</a>
(Pāli: Asoka) is 218 years after the death of Buddha. According to one
Mahayana record in Chinese (十八部論 and 部執異論), the coronation of Aśoka is
116 years after the death of Buddha. Therefore, the time of Buddha's
passing is either 486 BCE according to Theravāda record or 383 BCE
according to Mahayana record. However, the actual date traditionally
accepted as the date of the Buddha's death in Theravāda countries is
544 or 543 BCE, because the reign of Aśoka was traditionally reckoned
to be about 60 years earlier than current estimates.
<div class="thumb tright">
<div class="thumbinner" style="width: 196px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:BuddhaHead.JPG" class="image" title="Gandhara Buddha, 1st-2nd century CE, Musée Guimet."><img alt="Gandhara Buddha, 1st-2nd century CE, Musée Guimet." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/BuddhaHead.JPG/194px-BuddhaHead.JPG" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="278" width="194"></a>
<div class="thumbcaption">
<div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:BuddhaHead.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15"></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhara" title="Gandhara">Gandhara</a> Buddha, 1st-2nd century CE, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_Guimet" class="mw-redirect" title="Musée Guimet">Musée Guimet</a>.</div>
</div>
</div>
At his death, the Buddha told his disciples to follow no leader, but to follow his teachings (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma" title="Dharma">dharma</a>). However, at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Buddhist_Council" class="mw-redirect" title="First Buddhist Council">First Buddhist Council</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahakasyapa" class="mw-redirect" title="Mahakasyapa">Mahakasyapa</a> was held by the sangha as their leader, with the two chief disciples <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahamoggallana" class="mw-redirect" title="Mahamoggallana">Mahamoggallana</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sariputta" class="mw-redirect" title="Sariputta">Sariputta</a> having died before the Buddha.
<a name="Physical_characteristics" id="Physical_characteristics"></a>
<h2>Physical characteristics</h2>
<dl><dd>
<div class="noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_characteristics_of_the_Buddha" title="Physical characteristics of the Buddha">Physical characteristics of the Buddha</a></div>
</dd></dl>
Buddha is perhaps one of the few sages for whom we have mention of his rather impressive physical characteristics. A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kshatriya" title="Kshatriya">kshatriya</a>
by birth, he had military training in his upbringing, and by Shakyan
tradition was required to pass tests to demonstrate his worthiness as a
warrior in order to marry. He had a strong enough body to be noticed by
one of the kings and was asked to join his army as a general. He is
also believed by Buddhists to have "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty-two_marks_of_the_Buddha" class="mw-redirect" title="Thirty-two marks of the Buddha">the 32 Signs of the Great Man</a>".
The Brahmin Sonadanda described him as "handsome, good-looking, and
pleasing to the eye, with a most beautiful complexion. He has a godlike
form and countenance, he is by no means unattractive."(D,I:115).
"It is wonderful, truly marvellous, how serene is the good Gotama's
appearance, how clear and radiant his complexion, just as the golden
jujube in autumn is clear and radiant, just as a palm-tree fruit just
loosened from the stalk is clear and radiant, just as an adornment of
red gold wrought in a crucible by a skilled goldsmith, deftly beaten
and laid on a yellow-cloth shines, blazes and glitters, even so, the
good Gotama's senses are calmed, his complexion is clear and radiant."
(A,I:181)
A disciple named Vakkali, who later became an Arahant, was so
obsessed by Buddha's physical presence that Buddha has to tell him to
stop and reminded Vakkali to know Buddha through the Dhamma and not
physical appearances.
Although the Buddha was not represented in human form until around the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_century_AD" class="mw-redirect" title="1st century AD">1st century CE</a> (see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_art" title="Buddhist art">Buddhist art</a>), the physical characteristics of fully-enlightened Buddhas are described by the Buddha in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digha_Nikaya" title="Digha Nikaya">Digha Nikaya</a>'s Lakkhaṇa Sutta (D,I:142).<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-9" title="">[10]</a> In addition, the Buddha's physical appearance is described by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasodhara" class="mw-redirect" title="Yasodhara">Yasodhara</a> to their son <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahula" class="mw-redirect" title="Rahula">Rahula</a> upon the Buddha's first post-Enlightenment return to his former princely palace in the non-canonical Pali devotional hymn, Narasīha Gāthā ("The Lion of Men").<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-10" title="">[11]</a>
<a name="Teachings" id="Teachings"></a>
<h2>Teachings</h2>
<dl><dd>
<div class="noprint relarticle mainarticle">Main article: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_philosophy" title="Buddhist philosophy">Buddhist philosophy</a></div>
</dd></dl>
<div class="thumb tright">
<div class="thumbinner" style="width: 182px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SeatedBuddhaGandhara2ndCenturyOstasiatischeMuseum.jpg" class="image" title="Seated Buddha, Gandhara, 2nd century CE."><img alt="Seated Buddha, Gandhara, 2nd century CE." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/SeatedBuddhaGandhara2ndCenturyOstasiatischeMuseum.jpg/180px-SeatedBuddhaGandhara2ndCenturyOstasiatischeMuseum.jpg" class="thumbimage" border="0" height="231" width="180"></a>
<div class="thumbcaption">
<div class="magnify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SeatedBuddhaGandhara2ndCenturyOstasiatischeMuseum.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"><img src="http://en.wikipedia.org/skins-1.5/common/images/magnify-clip.png" alt="" height="11" width="15"></a></div>
Seated Buddha, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhara" title="Gandhara">Gandhara</a>, 2nd century CE.</div>
</div>
</div>
Certain basic teachings appear in many places throughout the early
texts, so most scholars conclude that the Buddha must at least have
taught something of the kind:<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-11" title="">[12]</a>
<ul><li>the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_characteristics" class="mw-redirect" title="Three characteristics">three characteristics</a></li><li>the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_aggregates" class="mw-redirect" title="Five aggregates">five aggregates</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dependent_arising" class="mw-redirect" title="Dependent arising">dependent arising</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma" title="Karma">karma</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebirth" title="Rebirth">rebirth</a></li><li>the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_noble_truths" class="mw-redirect" title="Four noble truths">four noble truths</a></li><li>the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eightfold_path" class="mw-redirect" title="Eightfold path">eightfold path</a></li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana" title="Nirvana">nirvana</a></li></ul>
Some scholars disagree, and have proposed many other theories.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha#cite_note-12" title="">[13]</a>
Different Buddhist traditions attribute a variety of texts and teachings to the Buddha. See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_texts" title="Buddhist texts">Buddhist texts</a>.
<a name="Language" id="Language"></a>
<h2>Language</h2>
It is unknown what language or languages the Buddha spoke, and no
conclusive documentation has been made at this point. However, some
modern scholars, primarily <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philologist" class="mw-redirect" title="Philologist">philologists</a>, believe it is most likely that the Buddha spoke some form or forms of a vulgate then current in eastern India, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magadhi_Prakrit" title="Magadhi Prakrit">Mâgadhî Prakrit</a>.
<a name="The_Buddha_and_Hinduism" id="The_Buddha_and_Hinduism"></a>
<h2>The Buddha and Hinduism</h2>
Modern day <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism" title="Hinduism">Hinduism</a> did not exist as such during Buddha's time. Various sects such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaishnava" class="mw-redirect" title="Vaishnava">Vaishnavas</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaiva" class="mw-redirect" title="Shaiva">Shaivas</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakta" class="mw-redirect" title="Shakta">Shaktas</a>
held sway in different parts of India. The Buddha's teachings attracted
a large number of people. These people did not accept the strictures
laid down by the various sects which would later group as Hinduism.
Under Ashoka's patronage Buddhism reached almost every part of India
and beyond.
Later in an attempt to check Buddhism's growth, the Buddha was cited as an incarnation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Vishnu" class="mw-redirect" title="Lord Vishnu">Lord Vishnu</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashavatara" class="mw-redirect" title="Dashavatara">Dashavatara</a> or the Ten Incarnations. Buddha is the ninth and the first incarnation of Lord Vishnu in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali_Yuga" title="Kali Yuga">Kali Yuga</a>. This inclusion affected the philosophy of many forms of Vaishnavite <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy" title="Philosophy">philosophy</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literature" title="Literature">literature</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art" title="Art">art</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture" title="Architecture">architecture</a>, particularly in Orissa. 

[ 本帖最後由 jackchan_b2b 於 2008-5-31 09:24 PM 編輯 ]

trap · 發表於 2008-7-24 15:13:28

对哦!!!!!!!!

hxg9005 · 發表於 2008-7-27 19:37:01

说得好啊,真是令人开心啊.

meng764 · 發表於 2008-8-9 22:31:51

好　不好　是二　非佛之本　宜思之　謝謝

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