The Buddha’s First Teaching and the Growth of the Sangha
In the first sutra the Buddha taught to the five bhikshus, the “Dharmachakra Pravartana Sutra” (Turning the Dharma Wheel Sutra), he expounded his personal realization—the “Middle Way” teaching—a completely new philosophy different from all other religions. The Buddha admonished the five bhikshus that sensual indulgence and physical torture are two extreme experiences: the former obstructs […]
The Buddha’s Enlightenment and First Teaching
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 […]
Shakyamuni Buddha: From Prince to Enlightened One
Shakyamuni, originally named Siddhartha Gautama, was a person from the kingdom of Kapilavastu in India (present-day Nepal) in the 6th century BCE. His father was the king of Kapilavastu at that time. “Shakya” is the name of his family clan, and “Muni” means sage in translation. “Shakyamuni” is the respectful title people gave him after […]
Buddhism and the Buddha: The Awakened One
Those who study Buddhism know that Shakyamuni Buddha is the founder of Buddhism, revered by the world as the Buddha. Historically, he coincidentally appeared in the same era as the Great Sage and Teacher Confucius, and was a sage who achieved enlightenment both for himself and for all phenomena. When he was in the human […]
