The life of the buddha

The life of the buddhaThe Buddha’s life provides a model for

Buddhists all over the world of how to walk the Buddhist path.

The eight great events in buddha’s life

Emperor Asoka had eight stupas built as reminders of the most important actions of the Buddha. This stupa

is at Vaishali in India, where the story of the monkey’s gift of honey is said to have happened.

QUEEN MAYA’S DREAMSiddhartha Gautama’s mother dreamed about a white

elephant

Birth of the BuddhaHe was born out of his mother’s side as she gripped a

tree branch overhead

taming mara’s armiesto claim a witness to his ability to defend himself against mara’s assault, siddhartha touches the earth. this is one way to identify

buddha in art--he is touching the earth.

The Four encounters: Poverty, Disease, old age & death

Buddha’s enlightenmentThe tree the Buddha sat under when he “woke up”--it is

called the bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India

The first turning of the wheel of the dharma at sarnath, India

Descent from tusita heaven

Taming the wild elephant, nalagiri

a monkey’s gift of honeySanchi, India

miracle at sravasti

Note the flames coming out of

Buddha’s shoulders, and water shooting out of his feet.

Indra and Brahma are protecting

him by holding a parasol over his

head.

Parinirvana: Buddha’s death