The organized form of Buddhism had come to the fore during the lifetime of Buddha, but after his Nirvana this religion was spread rapidly by his disciples. 6th century BC Buddhism was the most popular of all the revolutionary movements that started in India. Within no time it was spread all over northern India. Gradually it spread in South India also and later Buddhism spread not only in whole of India but also in countries like Burma, Sri Lanka, Tibet, China, Japan, Central Asia, Indochina, Kamboja etc.
Gautam Buddha
The word 'Buddha' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Buddha'. Buddha refers to a person who has attained Bodhi, that is, enlightenment. The followers of Buddha are called Buddhists and the religion they follow is called Buddhism. Mahatma Buddha was the originator of Buddhism. He was born in 563 BC. He was born as the eldest son of Suddhodana, the head of a small republic called Kapilavastu.
Buddha's childhood name was Siddhartha. Siddhartha's mother's name was Mahamaya or Mayadevi, who was the daughter of the head of a republic located in Gorakhpur district. When Mayadevi was on her way to Naihar, Siddhartha was born on the way in a forest called Lumbini, which is situated in the Terai of Nepal. Mayadevi died of labor pain. Siddhartha was brought up by his consort Prajapati Devi Gautami. On the birth of Siddhartha, astrologers predicted that the prince would be either a great Chakravarti emperor or a great ascetic.
Siddhartha is called Gautama because of his upbringing by Gautami and because of being born in the Shakya Kshatriya clan, he is called Shakya Muni. After attaining Buddhahood, that is, enlightenment, he is called Buddha. Siddhartha's father was Suddhodana Suryavanshi Shakya Kshatriya and his kingdom Kapilvastu was situated on the eastern border of the present Basti district. When he was young, Siddhartha was married to a princess named Yashodhara, from whom he had a son named Rahul.
Maha-Abhi-Nishkraman
Siddhartha was very serious and reflective since childhood. He often used to sit in solitude and meditate and became so engrossed in thought that he could not care about anything. old age, disease and death; He appeared to be the most feared enemy of man. He was anxious to find a way to get rid of them. After twelve-thirteen years of marriage, he continued to meditate while staying in the homestead.
When he was 29 years old, one day he became disinterested during the night and leaving his sleeping wife, son and kingdom-glory, he sat in a chariot with his charioteer Chandak and set out in search of truth. This event is called 'Mahabhinishkraman' in Buddhist literature.
Exodus means to leave. When Siddhartha went outside the limits of his father's kingdom, he returned his charioteer and his horse and, giving his royal clothes and ornaments to a beggar, took the form of a sanyasi and went in search of truth.
speech
Siddhartha went to the capital of Magadha, Rajagriha, where several ashrams of high-ranking Brahmin masters were located. Siddhartha became his disciple but soon he had to leave in despair because the Brahmin teacher could not show him the path of retirement. When Siddhartha left the palace, five more companions joined him. Siddhartha entered a forest called Uruvel near Gaya with five companions and performed such severe penance for six years that his body dried up and became thorns, but he did not attain true knowledge.
Then they came to the conclusion that there is no benefit in hurting the body and knowledge can be attained only from a healthy body. The result of this was that the faith of his five companions ended in him and he left them and went towards Kashi. Now Siddhartha started meditating alone. At the age of 35, on the night of Vaishakhi Purnima, when he was absorbed in meditation after meditating under a banyan tree, he had a vision of truth.
In Buddhism, this event is called 'sambodhi' (acquisition of proper knowledge). Siddhartha came to be called Buddha from this time because he had attained Bodhi i.e. Enlightenment and the religion practiced by him was called Buddhism. The tree under which he attained enlightenment was called the Bodhi tree and Gaya was named Bodhigaya.
dependent arising
In his speech, Siddhartha realized the principle of 'Perpetual Emergence' and attained 'Nirvana'. Pratitya means belief or belief and Samutpata means origin. Thus the literal meaning of 'appearance emergence' is belief in origin.
In the broad sense, 'Pratitya Emancipation' means, 'All the things and desires of the world are dependent on cause and effect.'
This means that there is a very close relationship between cause and effect, and whatever happens in this world, there must be some reason or the other. The literal meaning of 'Nirvana' is liberation, but 'Nirvana' in the broad sense is the state of getting rid of worldly cravings, sorrows and bondage, which is the ultimate truth. Thus Buddha came to know the way to get rid of worldly bondages.
dharma-chakra-pravartan
It is believed that the Buddha did not want to propagate his religion, but when he saw that the people of the world were immersed in various kinds of miseries and were desperate to get rid of them, then his tender generous heart melted with immense compassion and He decided to propagate his religion. Buddha gave his first sermon at a place called Sarnath near Kashi to his five companions who had left him. In Buddhist literature that first sermon is called 'Dharma-chakra-pravartan' which means to drive the wheel of Dharma. Buddha told his disciples- "Go in all four directions and propagate your religion."
Buddha himself also spent the remaining 45 years of his life preaching his religion. He gave his teachings to the general public in Pali language. The main area of his preaching was modern Bihar, some parts of Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. There was such an attraction in the personality of Buddha that all the kings and ranks were influenced by his teachings. During the lifetime of Buddha, his followers formed a good association.
Maha-Pari-Nirvana
At the age of about 80, while preaching his religion, Mahatma Buddha reached Pava, the capital of the Mallas. Here he became afflicted with diarrhoea (dysentery). From Pava he went to Kushinagar and there at the age of eighty in 483 BC. His body calmed down. In Buddhism, this event is called 'maha-pari-nirvana' (the attainment of the great salvation). Buddha's place is among the great promoters of the world, whose religion was propagated not only in the whole of India but in a large part in Asia.