A Brief History of Buddhism

What follows is a brief history of Buddhism. It originated in northern India by a man named Siddhartha Gautama, also Siddhatta Gotama, approximately twenty-five hundred years ago.Legend has it that he was the son of a wealthy king that ruled a small kingdom. Thus, Siddhatta Gotama was raised as a prince. He received the finest training in all disciplines that one would expect of wealth and power.

A Brief History of Buddhism

It is true that Siddhartha Gautama lived in luxury but it was relative luxury. That is, his father looked after one of the states of a much larger warlord. He had all his earthly needs met and eventually became troubled by those same earthly conditions.
He had a keen innate ability to sense the reality of nature. Siddhartha was bothered by sickness, old age, death and all human suffering. He was unable to delude himself of this knowledge like those of his clan and others could.
It is said that Siddhatta Gotama took notice of the unpleasant aspects of life. He sought the answer to happiness within this growing realization of the reality of greed, hatred and delusion that existed. He was curious as to the nature of all things regarding life including the sick, the dying and the dead at a deep and true level. This as opposed to a superficial level that includes the attainment of false desires and illusions.
How does one live when so much suffering arises? It seemed to Siddhatta Gotama that life was overwhelmed with suffering and sorrow. It also seemed that happiness was only fleeting. These conditions made life difficult to take. It was thoughts like this that Siddhatta contemplated.
So, against his father's wishes he left the luxury of the palace. He gave up all his wealth and inheritance in an attempt to discover the truth of existence. He became a wandering ascetic.
For several years Siddhatta learned from the finest religious teachers of the day. He learned well and was offered positions within the various disciplines. Alas, none of the teachings were able to free his heart and mind from the sorrows of the difficulty of the human condition.

A Brief History of Buddhism

After much learning Siddhatta still hadn't realized complete truth. This determined man, unable to quench his thirst for answers through other means, decided to meditate under a Bodhi tree until he experienced total enlightenment. Finally, in deep contemplation he awoke to the nature of true reality. Siddhatta understood the problem, its origins, and incredibly the serenity of realizing the blissfulness of life with the release of suffering. Further, he knew the solution. This he called the Noble Eightfold Path.
Now, Siddhartha did not accomplish this in an hour or two. He didn't do this in a week or two, nor a month. It took Siddhatta Gotoma several years to attain awakening. He also had several teachers along the way. Although good they were, he did not get complete understanding.
This knowledge that Siddhatta awakened to he called the Four Noble Truths.
1) The Truth of Suffering.
2) The Cause of Suffering.
3) The State of no Suffering.
4) The Eightfold Noble Path that, when followed, frees you from suffering.
These four truths were the subject of the Buddha's first sermon in Deer Park. His students are known as the five ascetics. These ascetics were the first people that he encountered. With them, he experienced the extremes of self mortification.
Initially they revered Siddhatta for his will-power of self-denial. Later they rebuked the Buddha as they had felt he was a failure. That is, he no longer endured self mortification or the way of asceticism. The five ascetics believed self-mortification the way to truth. Siddhatta knew realized that self mortification led nowhere. That it definitely did not lead to nirvana, awakening, or enlightenment.

A Brief History of Buddhism

The reason the ascetics thought Siddhartha a failure? It is said that a young women saw Siddhartha sitting cross legged in a state of extreme self denial. He was barely alive and roasting in the heat of the sun. Siddhatta was bone thin. His hair fell out in clumps. His skin loose. He was barely existing in the unhealthiest of states. The young lady saw that he was in need. She immediately offered him a meal. Siddhatta, realizing that self mortification was not enlightening to say the least, graciously accepted.
At this point the five ascetics wandered upon the spot where Siddhatta had been sitting in a state of self denial and found him resting comfortably in the shade fully satisfied with the meal the kind young lady had given him. This is when they rebuked him as a failure.
Siddhatta then sat at the base of a Bodhi tree determined to attain enlightenment. Eventually, enlightenment came with the realization of how the conditions of life truly are. It is said that he faced Mara and held his ground. That is, the forces of fear, anxiety, anger, greed, and delusion all arose within him. He conquered each one as they arose by allowing for the full experience of each without clinging. They evaporated as the illusions that they are.

A Brief History of Buddhism

When the five ascetics saw that Siddhartha looked different, that maybe there was something to Siddhattha's awakening, they were curious. They questioned him for answers. At first Siddhatta didn't think it possible to teach what he now knew.
The ascetics persisted and Siddhatta explained what he knew with the The Four Noble Truths. He explained what came to be known as the Middle Way. That is, neither self mortification or the extremes of wealth and luxury led to any sort of awakening. He also realized that all things that arise also cease to be, and that all things are subject to conditions.
When the ascetics heard the Four Noble Truths and saw that there was something to Siddhartha's awakening. They gave up asceticism and followed him. At this point Siddhatta Gotama was known as the Buddha. His teachings spread to China, Burma, Japan, Tibet, Thailand, Vietnam, and other areas of Southeast Asia. Now Buddhism has spread to the west. Its popularity is ever increasing and for good reason and cause.
Thus, you have a brief history of Buddhism and its origins. For more history please follow the links below. For a good understanding you will want to read the pages in order.
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