Accounts of the birth of the historical Buddha and the Four Sights

Question 1

How quickly has Buddhism developed?

Answer 1

Buddhism is the fastest growing religion in the world.

Question 2

Which 2 subgroups is it divided into?

Answer 2

Theravada and Mahayana.

Question 3

What does Theravada follow?

Answer 3

Theravada tends to follow the very earliest recorded teachings of the Buddha.

Question 4

Where is Theravada usually found?

Answer 4

Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar.

Question 5

What does Mahayana follow?

Answer 5

Mahayana follows the later teachings.

Question 6

Where is Mahayana usually found?

Answer 6

China, Tibet, Vietnam, Korea and Japan.

Question 7

What is the Pali Canon?

Answer 7

Scriptures written in Pali.

Question 8

What is Pali Canon usually known as?

Answer 8

Tripatka or ‘three baskets’, covering the rules for the monastic order, the teachings of the Buddha and Buddhist philosophical and psychological analysis.

Question 9

Who was the Buddha born as?

Answer 9

Siddhartha Gotama.

Question 10

Where was the Buddha born?

Answer 10

Small republic of Sakya on the present-day border between India and Nepal.

Question 11

Was Siddhartha the first Buddha?

Answer 11

According to Buddhist mythology he wasn’t.

Question 12

What do stories suggest about Siddhartha’s past life?

Answer 12

• Met a previous Buddha, Dipankara;
• Was so impressed by his teachings that he resolved to become Buddha himself;
• He met many other past Buddhas and took on many forms;
• In his penultimate life he lived in the god realm Tusita Heaven;
• Waited for people to forget the path of enlightenment before taking his final rebirth as Siddhartha, being able to teach Buddhism again.

Question 13

What is Tusita heaven?

Answer 13

The realm of the delighted Gods.

Question 14

Who was Siddhartha’s mother?

Answer 14

Mahamaya.

Question 15

What did Mahamaya have a dream about?

Answer 15

A white elephant which was interpreted as showing Siddhartha would have a great destiny.

Question 16

Why did she interpret it like this?

Answer 16

If Siddhartha saw suffering he would become a holy man but if he didn’t see suffering he would become a great leader.

Question 17

AO3: In what way can Gautama’s account be seen to be of importance to Buddhists today?

Answer 17

The art and iconography that exists.

Question 18

AO3: What standpoint does Walpola Rahula take?

Answer 18

Rahula - a respected Buddhist scholar - removed all mythical elements in his book ‘What the Buddha taught’.

Question 19

AO3: How many pages does Walpola Rahula give to the account of the Buddha?

Answer 19

Only one page.

Question 20

AO3: How does Donald Lopez further support the idea that historically, the account is unimportant?

Answer 20

In his book, ‘From Stone to Flesh’, he notes there has never been a historical quest and there is little known about Gautama historically.

Question 21

AO3: What does the Patimokkha detail?

Answer 21

Focused collection of Suttas detailing the Middle Way and stories of the Buddha.

Question 22

AO3: Why does the Patimokkha make the biography important?

Answer 22

As it promotes his teachings through the biography.

Question 23

AO3: How does Therevada Buddhism see the accounts of the Buddha?

Answer 23

They focus on the Buddha as a man.

Question 24

AO3: How does Mahayana Buddhism view the historical accounts of the Buddha?

Answer 24

More of a mythical approach with the Buddha becoming a supernatural being.

Question 25

AO3: What does Paul Williams say?

Answer 25

In his book - ‘Buddhist Thought’ - that most Buddhists throughout the centuries have not departed from the mythical elements in order to elucidate the Dhamma.

Question 26

AO3: What is an overall view on the importance of the historical Buddha?

Answer 26

Whichever view is accepted, the Buddha is not an object of devotional pursuit. It is instead an elaborative story to express the Dhamma.

Question 27

AO3: What does the Buddha say regarding him and the Dhamma?

Answer 27

‘He who sees Dhamma, sees me’.

Question 28

AO3: What does Williams argue about the importance of the narrative of the Buddha?

Answer 28

‘It is only self-evidently appropriate to start the study of a religion with the life-story of its founder’.

Question 29

AO3: What does Williams outline the narrative to be important in supporting?

Answer 29

It supports the Sasana (teaching) through narrating his discovery of it.

Question 30

AO3: What does Williams say supports the Dhamma in the hagiography?

Answer 30

Baby Gautama taking seven steps, turning to all corners of the Universe and announcing he is the most enlightened being.
Supports the Buddha bringing Dhamma back into the world.

Question 31

AO3: What do the Four Sights allow us to understand?

Answer 31

Tells us more about the teaching rather than Gautama - teaches us sickness, old age and death are integral to being human.

Question 32

AO3: What opposing argument does Daniel Lopez establish?

Answer 32

The views of the Buddha have been distorted. Only recently scholars have produced the first insightful translations of texts that give insight into the historical Buddha.

Question 33

AO3: How have recent translations of Buddhist scripture helped Western Psychology?

Answer 33

Professor Marsha Linehan and Dr. Sheldon Kopp have been influenced by the Buddha’s teachings - particularly mindfulness.

Question 34

What was this dream seen as in the mythodological account?

Answer 34

The moment when Siddhartha passed from Tusita heaven into his mother’s womb.

Question 35

What happened when Mahamaya gave birth?

Answer 35

• Went into labour;
• Took hold of a sal tree and gave birth;
• Warm and cool water appeared from the sky, washing Siddhartha and refreshing his mother.

Question 36

What did Siddhartha do when he was born?

Answer 36

Took 7 steps and said he was the foremost being and this would be his last rebirth - Modern Buddhists - mythological not actual account

Question 37

Who was Siddhartha raised by and why?

Answer 37

His aunt as his mother died a week after giving birth.

Question 38

How was he raised?

Answer 38

Lived a life of luxury, with fine clothes, palaces and pleasure gardens.

Question 39

What were his characteristics?

Answer 39

Intelligent, compassionate and well educated in the religious traditions of time.

Question 40

Who did he marry? When did they have their child?

Answer 40

Married Yasodhara at 16 and had a son, Rahula when he was 29.

Question 41

What were the 4 sights?

Answer 41

• Old man
• Sick man
• Holy person
• Dead corpse.

Question 42

What did seeing these 4 sights make Siddhartha do?

Answer 42

Made him question his whole life and made him resolve to find out why such suffering exists and what caused it.