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The historical Buddha Shakyamuni was born around 560 B.C.E. to a royal family. From early childhood, he was surrounded by wealth and beauty, and enjoyed a sophisticated education. The texts describe him as tall, strong, and blue-eyed. When he was 29 years old, he left the palace for the first time and encountered an old person, a sick person, and a dead person, experiences he had never known before. He then realized that nothing was permanent and left his palace to meditate in the mountains and forests of Northern India. After a six-year search for lasting meaning, he recognized the nature of mind while in deep meditation and reached enlightenment in what is Bodh Gaya in Northern India today. The Kanjur, Buddha's own words, consists of 108 volumes containing 84,000 teachings. Commentaries written after his death called the Tenjur amount to another 254 books. This makes Buddha's final evaluation of his life understandable: "I can die happily. I did not hold one single teaching in a closed hand. Everything that may benefit you I have already given." His very last statement is what sets Buddhism apart from what is otherwise called religion: "Now, don't believe my words because a Buddha told you, but examine them well. Be a light onto yourselves." Such statements show the practicality of Buddhism. When people asked Buddha why he taught, he replied: "I teach because you and all beings seek happiness and try to avoid suffering. I teach "the way things are." So, what is Buddhism? Buddha used the best description himself. During the 1,500 years the teachings existed in India, they were called Dharma, and for the last 1,000 years in Tibet, the name was Chö. Both mean "the way things are." Understanding "the way things are" is the key to every happiness. Buddha himself is our teacher, example, protector and friend. He helps beings to avoid suffering and to enter a state of increasing bliss while also liberating and enlightening others. |
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