The Historical Buddha: The Times, Life, and Teachings of the Founder of BuddhismNo man has had a greater inflience on the spiritual development of his people than Siddartha Gautama. Born in India in the sixth century BC into a nation hungry for spiritual experience, he developed a religious and moral teaching that, to this day, brings comfort and peace to all who practise it. This comprehensive biography examines the social, religious and political conditions that gave rise to Buddhism as we now know it. |
Contents
An ancient Indian city | 24 |
The religious liberation movement | 34 |
Siddhatthas path to the homeless life | 44 |
Siddhattha the Buddha | 53 |
THE FOUNDATION OF THE ORDER AND THE BEGINNING | 61 |
Sārnāth the archaeological site | 67 |
The rains retreat in Isipatana | 80 |
Back in Uruvelā | 86 |
THE FIRST TWENTY YEARS | 88 |
THE DOCTRINE THE ORDER THE LAITY | 130 |
GOTAMA PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS | 194 |
LATER YEARS | 215 |
483 | 244 |
AFTERWARDS | 258 |
264 | |
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Common terms and phrases
accepted according Ajātasattu alms alms-round Ananda Anathapindika ancient India Arahant ascetic Asoka ātman become Benares bhikkhu Bimbisāra birth bodhi Brahmin Buddha Buddhist capital caste century BC council craving death declared deeds Devadatta developed Dhamma disciples discourse doctrine emancipation enlightenment existence father gained Ganges gave Gotama grove impermanent Indian Isipatana Jain Jetavana Jīvaka Kālāma kamma kammic Kapilavatthu Kassapa khattiya King Bimbisāra King Pasenadi Kosala Kosambi Kusināra later lay followers liberation Licchavī lived Lord Magadha Mahākassapa Mahāvīra Makkhali Mallas Master meditation mind Moggallāna monastery monks monsoon Nibbāna Noble Truth novice nuns once Order ordination painful Pali Pāli Canon Pasenadi path person philosophical Rahula rains retreat rāja Rājagaha rebirth religious ritual robes rules sacrifice Sakiya republic samana Sangha Sariputta Savatthi Siddhattha soul stūpa Suddhodana suffering sutta teacher Thag things tion took tree Vesāli village Vinaya visited wandering mendicant Whoever Yasa young