Regarding Shakyamuni’s age when he became Buddha, there are various accounts—some say thirty years old, others say thirty-five years old. The first answer he awakened to was “the equality of all sentient beings.” This might seem easy to understand, but the “equality” the Buddha spoke of was not superficial “equality,” but rather referred to “the wisdom and virtuous characteristics that sentient beings originally possess, identical to those of Buddha” (this point will be further explained in our introduction to Buddhist teachings). This means that as long as one follows Buddhist practice, one can reach the state of perfect wisdom and become Buddha. Therefore, after his enlightenment, the Buddha did not immediately enter final nirvana, but began fifty years (or forty-five years) of spreading the Dharma (the law of enlightenment), traveling everywhere to proclaim the truth he had realized.
The Buddha first went to the city of Benares to find the five ministers who had left him to continue their ascetic practices. Initially, they had agreed that none of them would come out to meet the Buddha. However, after becoming Buddha, Shakyamuni was adorned with merit and virtue, and when he arrived at Deer Park, all five spontaneously came out to welcome him. The Buddha informed them that he had awakened and become Buddha, and at their invitation, gave them teachings. During the three months he stayed at Deer Park, the Buddha turned the Dharma wheel three times for them, teaching the “Four Noble Truths.” Among them, Venerable Kaundinya, upon hearing the teachings, attained liberation and achieved Arhat fruition. The other four also successively achieved fruition. These five people were the first five bhikshus the Buddha converted and were the Buddha’s earliest disciples. This teaching was also the first time after his enlightenment that the Buddha proclaimed the liberating law of enlightenment to the world. In Buddhist history, this is called the “First Turning of the Dharma Wheel.” The original monastic community was established at this time.
Glossary of Terms
Nirvana Old translations include: extinction, crossing over extinction, cessation, no-birth, unconditioned, peace and bliss, liberation, etc. Extinguishing the causes and effects of birth and death, crossing the torrential flow of birth and death. That is, no-birth and no-death; new translation is “perfect cessation.”
Merit and Virtue Adornment One of two types of adornment—cultivating meritorious and virtuous good actions to adorn the Buddha fruit.
Four Noble Truths Also called the Four Truths or Four Real Truths—the truths seen by sages. The Four Truths are suffering, origination, cessation, and the path.
Arhat The fruition of ultimate realization in the Lesser Vehicle. First translation: “killer of thieves,” meaning one who kills the thieves of afflictions. Second translation: “worthy of offerings,” meaning worthy of offerings from heavenly beings and humans. Third translation: “no-birth,” meaning permanently entering nirvana and not being subject to birth and death.
Liberation The meaning of being freed from bondage and attaining freedom; also another name for nirvana.
