The Life of Siddhartha Gautama: The Beginning of Buddhism

The Years of the Prince (563-534 BCE)

Siddhartha Gautama was born around 563 BCE in Lumbini (present-day Nepal), in an aristocratic family of the Shakya clan.

The Four Sights

At 29, Siddhartha left the palace on four occasions. He saw an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and an ascetic.

The Great Renunciation

On the night of his son Rahula's birth, he left the palace in secret.

The Years of Search (534-528 BCE)

He studied with Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta. He practiced six years of extreme asceticism.

The Enlightenment (528 BCE)

Siddhartha sat under the Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya. He defeated Mara. At dawn, he attained the state of Buddha.

The First Sermon

In Sarnath, he delivered the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta.

The Parinirvana (483 BCE)

At 80, in Kushinagar, he died surrounded by monks. His last words: "Compounded things are subject to change. Strive diligently for liberation."

Sources

• Mahaparinibbana Sutta (DN 16)
• Buddhacarita of Asvaghosa (2nd c. CE)
• Modern research by Richard Gombrich, Johannes Bronkhorst