The life of Lord Buddha is a
lesson for all of us. Born as a prince 2,600 years ago, his life depicted the
struggles we face even today. But he rose above all odds and became the
awakened Buddha. But there’s more to his life than we all know. Post
enlightenment, he uplifted many souls and ordained them into Buddhism.
His life is a long text book
based on travel. In the pursuit of the ultimate truth and knowledge, he
renounced his kingdom comforts at Kapilvastu and wandered as an austere monk
for the next six years in the search of the awakening. But he didn’t get his
goal.
Therefore, the frail prince sat
on a meditation with a determination - to receive an answer and ultimate
knowledge to all his questions in life. Until that, he will not leave the
meditation. All his fellow monks left him along the banks of Nairanjana River
near Uruvela village and the prince selected a Banyan Tree for meditation. This
meditative trance continued for 49 days and on the full moon night of Vaishakha
in 521 B.C., the prince conquered his ignorance and became Buddha in Bodhgaya.
The tree under which the Lord achieved the feat over his desires became the
revered Bodhi tree.
Many travellers begin Bodhgaya
pilgrimage with a same hope to gain the answers to the ignorance, just like the
master and sit under the Bodhi to gain the same spiritual setting, like the
Buddha. Also, they visit the sites where Lord spent the next seven weeks after
enlightenment. The Animesh Lochana Chaitya Stupa, Chankramana, Muchalinda Lake
in the present day Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodhgaya illustrate the lords’
presence.
The next prominent destination in
the life of Buddha was Deer Park or Mulagandhakutivihara where Buddha after
enlightenment preached the first sermon of Dharmachakrapravartana to the five
ascetics. These were the same ascetics who prior to awakening left the lord
isolated in the forest. Eventually, they became his first disciples. The site
where this event occurred is presently known as the prominent Buddhist
pilgrimage site, Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh. Here only Buddhism or following
Gautama Buddha started.
Here, a pilgrim can pay respects
to the two stupas and even can discover the roots to India’s national emblem,
Lion Capital on an Ashokan Pillar in Sarnath Museum. The Buddhist pilgrimage
site is 13 km away from Varanasi.
From there, the lord travelled as
with his followers, took refuge in the numerous towns and monasteries at
Jetavana (Sravasti), Rajagriha (Rajgir), Sankasia, Vaishali. These sites also
became witness to lord’s prime suttas or discourses.
At the age of 80, in 486 BC, the
lord spent his last rainy season in Vaishali. Here, he had his last meal from metalsmith,
Chunda after which he fell ill. He asked the host to bury the food and
announced his Mahaparinirvana. In this poor health, he with his followers moved
towards Kushinara or Kushinagar. Here, the lord preached his last sermon of
Mahaparinibbana Sutta where he asked his followers to visit the four important
places in the journey of his life – Lumbini (birth), Bodhgaya (enlightenment),
Sarnath (first sermon) and Kushinagar (final parinirvana). On the Vaishaka full
moon day, the lord attained the Mahaparinirvana.
It can be considered contrasting
that the Lord was born on the same day in the forests of Lumbini.
Presently, this site of Lord’s birth is there in Nepal, attracting a lot of
pilgrims who seek inspiration and lesson from the life of the awakened one.
These four Buddhist sites have a
strong association with Lord Buddha’s life. On these sacred sites, Tathagata
not he not just changed his destiny, but delivered millions from the cycle of
birth and death.
The trend still continues where millions of followers visit
the Buddhist-Pilgrimage every
year to seek inspiration and lesson from the life of the spiritual master. This
blissful journey traces the footprints of the enlightened one and introduces
the pilgrims to the sacred spiritual essence of the religion. To know more
about this enlightening doctrine.
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