Gautama Buddha is the man who holds the title of the Buddha, a Sanskrit word meaning “the one who is enlightened”. Gautama was born as Siddhartha Gautama in the 5th century B.C. in Lumbini, Nepal. His father, King Suddhodana, was the ruler of a small kingdom and upon Gautama’s birth, wise men predicted that he would either be a good ruler or a spiritual leader. Wanting his son to not seek the path of spirituality, King Suddhodana kept him shielded from the outside world and the harsh realities it held. Thus, Gautama grew up lavishly happy, with no concept of death, sickness or old age.
But as an adult, his curiosity got the best of him and one day, he sneaked out of the palace hoping to explore the wonders of the world around him. Instead, on his path, he encountered an old man, a sick man and a corpse, all the things that he never had any idea existed. This came as a massive shock to him but also prompted him to search for the meaning of life.
To find the answer, he left his grand home and started his journey to a life of asceticism. Practicing asceticism meant he would live minimally, denying himself physical and mental desires, even starving himself to the brink of death. But after six years of this, he was still stuck in that hindering rut.
Eventually he realized that the answer must be found within him. That is when he began meditating beneath a fig tree(which would later be known as the Bodhi tree) at Bodh Gaya in modern-day Bihar, India. He did not stop till, 49 days later, he finally found the answer, which then became his Enlightenment.
After reaching enlightenment, he desired to spread his knowledge to others. But he soon realized that what he had found was so out of the ordinary that merely teaching it to people would be futile. Instead, he decided to lead them to the path of enlightenment so they could attain it themselves.
According to Gautama’s teachings, enlightenment could be found by the Four Noble Truths: suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering and the path. To explain shortly, every life has suffering and they are mainly caused by our flawed mindsets. Thus, if we can change our way of thinking we can end what causes us to suffer. Then, by living fairly, meditating, gaining more knowledge and wisdom, we can follow the path to enlightenment. A person who desires to reach this mindset should also be removed from all negative desires, such as greed, envy and hatred, and should instead practice patience, empathy and humility.
Gautama then set out to propagate his findings through most of northern India. He carried out sermons and went from village to village, teaching and gaining devotees along the way. In later ways, he also reunited with his father and son, who he’d left behind. At the age of 80, Gautama died in Kushinagar, India, in about 483 BCE.
Even after passing away, his teachings were carried on through generations.They were also compiled by his followers and officially named Buddhism, hence earning Gautama the title of the “Buddha”.
The Buddha never considered himself a god, but a mere man who was spreading his beliefs and findings to the world. Yet, he remains one of the most prominent individuals to ever exist and the core of Buddhism.
Contributed by TANZEEM HOSSAIN
Gautama Buddha ni mtu ambaye anashikilia jina la Buddha, neno la Kisanskrit linalomaanisha "yule aliyeangazwa". Gautama alizaliwa kama Siddhartha Gautama katika karne ya 5 KK. Lumbini, Nepal Baba yake, Mfalme Suddhodana, alikuwa mtawala wa ufalme mdogo na baada ya kuzaliwa kwa Gautama, watu wenye hekima walitabiri kwamba atakuwa mtawala mzuri au kiongozi wa kiroho. Kwa kuwa Mfalme Suddhodana alitaka mwanawe asitafute njia ya kiroho, alimzuia asiingie katika ulimwengu wa nje na hali mbaya. Hivyo, Gautama alilelewa akiwa na furaha nyingi, bila wazo lolote la kifo, ugonjwa au uzee. Lakini akiwa mtu mzima, udadisi wake ulimshinda na siku moja, alitoroka kwa siri kutoka jumba la kifalme akitumaini kuchunguza maajabu ya ulimwengu uliomzunguka. Lakini katika njia yake, alikutana na mzee, mgonjwa na maiti, vitu vyote ambavyo hakujua vipo. Jambo hilo lilimshtua sana lakini pia lilimchochea atafute maana ya maisha. Ili kupata jibu, aliacha nyumba yake maridadi na kuanza safari yake ya maisha ya kujinyima. Kuishi maisha ya kujinyima chakula kulimaanisha kuishi maisha ya kiasi kidogo, kujikataa tamaa za kimwili na za kiakili, na hata kujinyima chakula hadi kufikia ukingoni mwa kifo. Lakini baada ya miaka sita ya kufanya hivyo, bado alikuwa amenaswa na hali hiyo mbaya. Hatimaye alitambua kwamba jibu lilipaswa kupatikana ndani yake mwenyewe. "Mwanzoni mwa karne ya 20, alianza kufanya mazoezi ya kutafakari chini ya mti wa tini (ambayo baadaye ilikuja kuitwa ""mti wa Bodhi"" katika eneo la Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India)." Baada ya siku 49 alifaulu kupata jibu, ambalo baadaye likawa Ufunuo wake. Baada ya kupata ufahamu, alitamani kueneza ujuzi wake kwa wengine. Lakini baada ya muda mfupi alitambua kwamba kile alichokuwa amepata kilikuwa cha ajabu sana hivi kwamba kungefundisha tu watu jambo hilo kungekuwa bure. Badala yake, aliamua kuwaongoza kwenye njia ya ufunuo ili waweze kuipata wao wenyewe. Kulingana na mafundisho ya Gautama, mwangaza unaweza kupatikana kwa ukweli nne wa Noble: mateso, sababu ya mateso, mwisho wa mateso na njia. Kwa ufupi, kila maisha yana mateso na yanasababishwa hasa na mawazo yetu yenye kasoro. Kwa hiyo, ikiwa tunaweza kubadilisha njia yetu ya kufikiri, tunaweza kumaliza kile kinachotufanya tuone mateso. Kisha, kwa kuishi kwa haki, kutafakari, kupata maarifa zaidi na hekima, tunaweza kufuata njia ya mwangaza. Mtu anayetaka kufikia hali hii ya akili anapaswa pia kuondolewa tamaa zote hasi, kama vile pupa, wivu na chuki, na badala yake anapaswa kufanya mazoezi ya subira, hisia-mwenzi na unyenyekevu. Kisha Gautama akaanza kueneza mambo aliyojifunza katika sehemu kubwa ya kaskazini mwa India. Alifanya mahubiri na kwenda kutoka kijiji hadi kijiji, akifundisha na kupata waabudu njiani. Baadaye, alikutana tena na baba yake na mwana wake, ambao alikuwa amewaacha nyuma. Gautama alikufa akiwa na umri wa miaka 80 huko Kushinagar, India, karibu mwaka 483 KK. Hata baada ya kifo chake, mafundisho yake yaliendelezwa kwa vizazi vingi, na pia yaliandikwa na wafuasi wake na kuitwa rasmi Ubudha, na hivyo kumpa Gautama jina la "Buddha". Buddha hakujiona kamwe kuwa mungu, bali mtu tu aliyekuwa akisambaza imani na uvumbuzi wake ulimwenguni. Hata hivyo, bado yeye ni mmoja wa watu mashuhuri zaidi ambao wamewahi kuwepo na kiini cha Ubudha. Imechaguliwa na TANZIM HOSSAIN