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527
Yoga & Meditation
527-528 BC During this time frame, Siddhartha had begun to get more and more involved with meditating and with yoga. It was through these practices that he felt a cleansing effect. The yoga and meditations helped with building discipline over the mind and body and to see ones true motivations. Siddhartha still seemed to be unsuccessful at reaching his goal and knew that there was something more. -
527
Traveling With His Teachings
527 BC Buddha was followed by his disciples during this time and leading up to his death. He would speak of his teachings to anyone who wanted to learn or had the urge to try to understand. He went back to his hometown during his travels and was reunited with his father and son for a short period of time. Even with having so many followers, Buddha was still had enemies, for example his cousin who got jealous of all of his followers and tried to have him killed by a wild elephant. The elephan -
533
Quest through Suffering
533-527 BC Siddhartha went through years of starvation, taking it to the extreme and almost killing himself. Also during this time he was sleeping outside amongst brutal weather and wild animals. He felt the suffering and believed that this was the way to overcoming all suffering. He realized after almost dying that there must be another way to live. -
534
Siddhartha Sets Out In Solitude
534 BC Siddhartha left behind his sheltered palace life at the age of 29, following the birth of his son, Rahula, meaning “impediment.” He began his search for enlightenment, abandoning all the basic needs for life. He gave up everything to gain the ultimate wisdom. -
547
Siddhartha Gets Married
547 BC At the age of 16 (which is custom at this time), Siddhartha married a princess named Yasodhara. This made his father very happy, as he had his own plans for his son’s future. He thought this would ensure that Siddhartha would stick around to one day become a ruler or king. His father made all kinds of riches and indulgences available to him, in efforts to distract him from the spiritual questions he had about in hopes that he would stay in the kingdom. -
554
Growing up a Prince
554 BC Siddhartha experienced a life of great luxury while growing up. He made his father proud for being a skilled athlete in wrestling, archery, and fencing. At age nine, he accomplished his first meditative trance-like state while sitting under an apple tree. He began to question so many things about life. -
563
Birth Of Siddhartha
563 BC Siddhartha, meaning “he who has accomplished a goal,” was born in Lumbini, which is present day Nepal. There was pillar placed there, with inscriptions representing his birth. His mother died shortly after he was born, leaving him to be raised by his aunt. People knew he was “special” based on being born with what was described as “32 marks of a great person.” -
Buddha "The Enlightened One"
528 BC It was during a meditation while sitting under a Bodhi or Pipal tree, that Siddhartha became enlightened at the age of 35 years old. He was able to fight off all urges and the threats that try to consume him through thoughts of turmoil. He now became known as Buddha, “The Enlightened One.” -
Spreading His Teachings
529 BC In a city named Sarnath was where Buddha delivered his first sermon. It was here where he began his teachings of the middle way, which is in between rich and poor and indulgence and starvation. He came up with the 4 noble truths, right thoughts, right feeling, right conduct, and right meditation. He also is the creator of the Eightfold Path. With following these teachings it would lead to the end of suffering -
Buddha Dies
480-486 BC Somewhere in this timeframe or argumentivly much later than this, it was thought that Buddha had died. He died in the holy city of Kushinager at the age of 80 years old. He had spent about 45 years traveling and teaching until he finally passed away into a state called Nirvana.
