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The Life of Siddhartha Gotama and the
Foundations of Buddhism
(“Gotama” and “Awakening”)
By: Elizabeth Cash, Jessica Hancock, Savannah
Hourigan & Jackie Doty
Grady
LC3
1B
The Foundations of
Buddhism:
After Buddha’s enlightenment under the bodhi tree
at Bodh-gaya, he began to teach others.
The Buddha's first sermon after his Enlightenment
centered on the Four Noble Truths, which are the
foundation of Buddhism.
Buddhism began almost 2,500 years ago.
The foundation of Buddhism rests on the life of one
teacher, an Indian prince named Siddhartha Gotama.
Life of Buddha is Key:
For the next six years, Siddhartha (Buddha) lived an
ascetic life
He partook in its practices, studying and meditating using
the words of various religious teachers as his guide
Continued...
The five ascetics decided that Siddhartha had given up the
ascetic life and would now follow the ways of the flesh,
They promptly left him.
However, Siddhartha encouraged people to follow a path of
balance instead of one characterized by extremism. He called
this path the Middle Way.
Differences Between
Siddhartha and Buddha
Buddha is the enlightened god with perfect spiritual
peace. He has reached the stage of Nirvana.
•
•
Siddhartha Gautama is a physical
person
Biography of Siddhartha Gautama:
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Siddhartha Gautama (also known as the Buddha “the awakened one”)
was the leader and founder of a sect of wonderer ascetics (Sramanas),
one of many sects which existed at that time all over India.
Siddhartha sat under the Bodhi tree, vowing to not get up until the truths
he sought came to him, and he meditated until the sun came up the next
day.
The turning point in Siddhartha’s life was attaining nirvana. The image of
the Buddha meditating under a tree is as important in Buddhism as the
image of Jesus Christ on the cross is to most Christians. What is the
meaning of nirvana? What does it mean that Siddhartha Gautama
achieved enlightenment thus becoming the Buddha (awakened)? The
precise nature of the buddhahood is debated by various schools. Despite
the fact that “nirvana” is a very popular expression in Buddhism,
Buddhists have never reached full agreement on its meaning.
Who is Siddhartha?
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Siddhartha is a Sanskrit personal name which means "He Who Achieves
His Goal".
The name is best known in English as the title of the novel by Hermann
Hesse, in which the main character (who actually is not the Buddha) is
named Siddhartha.
The Sanskrit family name Gautama means "descendants of Gotama"
Gotama is the name of several figures in ancient India, including a poet of
the Rig Veda and also Aksapada Gautama (or Gotama), a famous Indian
logician. Pali literature normally refers to Siddhartha Gautama as Gotama
Buddha.
Traditionally, the meaning of the term Buddha is understood as a person
who has awakened from the deep sleep of ignorance. In Indian tradition,
the expression was already used before, during, and after the life of
Siddhartha by many religious communities, but it became most strongly
linked to the Buddhist tradition.
Continued...
 At the time when Siddhartha Gautama lived, Northern India was composed of numerous and
small independent states competing for resources.
 This was also a time when the traditional religious order in India was being challenged by a
number of new philosophical and religious schools that were not in line with the orthodox Indian
religious views.
 Reliable factual data on the life of Siddhartha Gautama is very scarce. His historical biography
can be, to some extent, pieced together by comparing early Buddhist texts from different
traditions
Siddhartha’s Teachings
The Four Nobel Truths
The Eightfold Path
The Five Precepts
The Four Noble Truths
Form the Bedrock of Buddhist Belief and is
The Buddha’s Analysis of the Human Condition
Dukkha: The Noble Truth of Suffering
Samudaya: The Noble Truth of the
Cause of Suffering
Nirodha: The Noble Truth of the End of
Suffering
Magga: The Noble Truth of the Path
The Eightfold Path
Also called the Wheel of Law, contains eight steps for eliminating dukka.
Right Understanding (Samma ditthi)
Right Thought (Samma sankappa)
Right Speech (Samma vaca)
Right Action (Samma kammanta)
Right Livelihood (Samma ajiva)
Right Effort (Samma vayama)
Right Mindfulness (Samma sati)
Right Concentration (Samma samadhi)
The Five Precepts
Represent the third set of laws governing Buddhist thought
Do not harm any living thing
Do not steal. Only take what is given
Avoid over stimulation
Do not say unkind things
Do not take alcohol or drugs
Work Cited
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Buddhism. About.com, 1 Sept. 2013. Web. .
<http://buddhism.about.com/od/thefournobletruths/a/fournobletruths.htm>.
bucket , Photo. "India;%20buddha Pictures, Images & Photos on Photobucket." Photobucket.
Photobucket , 17 May 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
<http://photobucket.com/images/india;%20buddha?page=1>.
Rahula, Walpola . "Tricycle | Awake in the World." The Eightfold Path. Tricycle.com, 17 May
2011. Web. . <http://www.tricycle.com/new-buddhism/-noble-eightfold-path/eightfold-path>.
Violatti, Cristian . "Siddhartha Gautama ." www.ancient.eu.com. Ancient History Encyclopedia , 9
Dec. 2013. Web. 18 Apr. 2014. <http://www.ancient.eu.com/Siddhartha_Gautama/>.
Answers , Yahoo . "What is the difference between "buddha" and " siddhartha gautama"?." Yahoo!
Answers. Yahoo!, 19 Apr. 2009. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
<https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090222124648AABK2iA>.
"Buddha." 2014. The Biography.com website. Apr 19 2014 http://www.biography.com/people/buddha9230587.
Featherman, Mark . "featherblog: The Second Noble Truth." featherblog: The Second Noble Truth.
Blogspot , 16 Oct. 2012. Web. . <http://feathermanblog.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-second-nobletruth.html>.
Work Cited Continued:
"Stock Image ofwheel of dhamma of buddhism." Royalty Free Image of
Wheel Of Dhamma Of Buddhism. yaymicro, 8 Apr. 2012. Web. 18 Apr.
2014. <http://yaymicro.com/stock-image/wheel-of-dhamma-ofbuddhism/1657342>.
"The flourishment of Buddhism." Buddhism in China's history,
Development of Buddhism in China's Histroy, History of Ancient China.
History-of-china.com, 1 Jan. 2007. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.history-of-china.com/southern-northerndynasty/flourishment-of-buddhism.html>.