Buddha

He was born in 563 B.C. in Lumbini Nepal and died in India in 483 B.C.

Early Life

• It was predicted that he would become a great ruler or teacher.
• His father concealed him from the outside world so he won't be influenced to become a religious leader.
• He was married when he was 16.

Life in the Golden age of India

India’s art and architecture was mixed with Greek art and architecture. At the time, India was an empire.It was divided into districts, villages and provinces. The capital, Magadha, had many natural resources, with lots of iron. It had temples, palaces, a university, a library, gardens, and parks. Between 269 and 232 B.C. India converted to Buddhism. Between 200 B.C. and A.D. 300, India was invaded multiple times.

Education

• He did get a formal education from Alara Kalama and Udraka Ramaputra who taught him yogic meditation, but he felt it didn’t lead to the highest realization. Then he tried fasting and being extremely stern and when that didn’t work, taking enough food, he meditated under a pipal tree, called the Bodhi tree, in Bodh Gaya and did not leave until he reached the ultimate level of enlightenment. He reached it during a full moon, after being tempted and attacked by Mara at the age of 35. This is when he became Buddha.

Buddha's accomplishments

• Buddha creating Buddhism, the fourth largest religion on Earth.
• Siddhartha reached Nirvana.
• He also learned how to stop suffering and what caused it.

Why was Buddha historical significant?

• Buddha was historically significant because he founded Buddhism.
• He also influenced many other religions.
• For the rest of his life, he preached the Dharma.

Other interesting facts

• His original name was Siddhartha Gautama.
• His mother died a week after his birth.
• He left the palace when he was 29 to see the world.

This is a timeline of Buddha's life.

Bibliography

• Biography.com Editors. "Buddha." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.
• The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Ed., and Columbia University Press. "Buddha: Early Life." Infoplease. Infoplease, 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
• GatewayforIndia.com. "Indian History." Indian History. N.p., 2005. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.

Bibliography (cont.)

• "Accomplishments." Buddha. Weebly, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
• "Gautama Buddha Biography." - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline. Famous People, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
• The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Ed. "Buddha: Enlightenment." Infoplease. Infoplease, Oct. 2015. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
• "Buddhists Celebrate Birth of Gautama Buddha." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.