HISTORY PROJECT

BUDDHA’S PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT

INDEX

1. Introduction
2. The Making of Buddha
3. The Teachings of Buddha
4. Followers
5. Spread of Buddhism
6. Stupas
7. The Fate of Amravati
8. Literary Sources
9. Archaeological Sources
10. Mahayana
11. Timeline
12. Conclusion
13. Bibliography

INTRODUCTION
This project is intended to give a brief introduction to Buddhism. It will discuss the way
Buddha received the enlightenment, the four main teachings of the Buddha, the
Buddhists view of the self, the relationship between this self and the various ways it
responds to the world, the Buddhists path and the final goal. Buddhism has been
described as a very pragmatic religion. It does not indulge in metaphysical speculation
about first causes; there is no theology, no worship of a deity or defecation of the
Buddha. Buddhism takes a very straightforward look at our human condition; nothing is
based on wishful thinking at all. Everything that the Buddha taught was based on his
own observation of the way things are.
Buddhism began in India in the sixth century B.C. as reform movement in
Hinduism. It was the first religion in the world to become international. The founder of
Buddhism was Siddhartha Gautama, the son of a rich ruler of Kshatriya caste.
Finally, around the age of thirty-five he sat down under the shade of a Peepal tree to
meditate; he determined to meditate until he received enlightenment. After seven
weeks he received the Great Enlightenment; The Four Noble Truths and the Eight fold
Path. Henceforth, he became known as the Buddha(enlightened one).
Gautam Buddha taught a way of life devoid of authority, ritual, speculation, tradition
and the supernatural. He stressed intense self-effort. His last words before he died at
the age of eight were, “Work out your own salvation with diligence”. Gautama accepted
the law of Karma and reincarnation. He saw Nirvana not as state of extinction or
annihilation but as the “highest destiny of the human spirit”. It is so totally different that
it is “incomprehensible, indescribably, inconceivable, unutterable…. Bliss”.
Buddha did not believe in the existence of a personal God, nor did
he believe that man had a soul. He tended to deny the existence of substance of every
kind and saw the transitoriness of all finite things and beings; he stressed
impermanence. Man’s life after achieving Nirvana is unfathomable.

THE MAKING OF BUDDHA

According to the traditions, Siddhartha was the son of a chief of the Sakya clan. He had a
sheltered upbringing within the palace, avoiding the harsh realities of the life.
One day he persuaded his charioteer to take him into the city. His first journey
into the world outside was traumatic. He was deeply anguished when he saw an old
man, a sick man and a corpse. He realized in that moment that the decay and
destruction of the human body was inevitable. He also saw a homeless mendicant, who
had come to terms with old age and disease. Soon after he left the palace and set out in
search of his own truth. Siddhartha explored several paths including bodily mortification
which led him to a situation of near death. He meditated for several days and finally
attained enlightenment. After this he came to be known as the Buddha or the
enlightened one.
For the rest of his life he taught dhamma or the path of righteous living.

THE TEACHINGS OF BUDDHA

 According to Buddhist philosophy, the world is TRANSIENT (Annica) and
CONSTANTLY CHANGING. It is also SOULLESS (Annata) as there is nothing
permanent or eternal in it.
 Within this transient world, SORROW (Dukkha) IS INTRINSIC TO HUMAN
EXISTENCE.
 By following the PATH OF MODERATION between severe penance and self
indulgence that human beings can come out of these worldly troubles.
 In the earliest form of Buddhism, whether or not GOD EXISTED WAS
IRRELEVANT.
  The Buddha regarded the SOCIAL WORLD AS THE CREATION OF HUMANS rather
than of divine origin. Therefore, he advised kings and gahapatis to be humane
and ethical towards common people.
 Individual effort was expected to transform social relations. Buddha emphasized
INDIVIDUAL AGENCY and RIGHTEOUS ACTION as the means to escape from the
cycle of rebirth and attain self-realisation and NIBBANA, literally the
extinguishing of the ego and desire and thus end of the circle of suffering for
those who renounced the world.
 According to Buddhist tradition, Buddha’s last words to his followers were:
“BE LAMPS UNTO YOURSELF AS ALL OF YOU MUST WORK OUT YOUR OWN
LIBERATION”.

FOLLOWERS
 The body of disciples of the Buddha or an organization of monks is called
SANGHA. The monks too become teachers of dhamma. These monks lived
simply by possessing only the essential requisites for survival, such as a bowl to
receive food once a day from the laity. As they lived on alms, they were known
as BHIKKUS.
 Initially, only men were allowed into the SANGHA, but later women also came to
be admitted. The Buddha’s foster mother MAHAPAJAPATI GOTAMI was the first
women to be ordained as a Bhikkhuni.
 The Buddha’s followers came from various SOCIAL GROUPS. These included
kings, wealthy men and gahapatis and also humbler folk: workers, slaves and
craftspeople.
 Once persons get into the Sangha, all were regarded as EQUAL, having shed
their earlier social identities on becoming bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. The eternal
functioning of the Sangha was based on the traditions where decisions were
taken through DISCUSSIONS and VOTING.

SPREAD OF BUDDHISM
CAUSES:-
 Buddhism grew rapidly both during the lifetime of the Buddha and after his
death, as it appealed to many people dissatisfied with existing religious practices
and confused by the rapid social changes taking place around them.
 The importance was attacked to conduct and values rather than claims of
superiority based on birth, the emphasis was placed on metta (fellow feeling) and
 karuna (compassion), especially for those who were younger and weaker than
oneself.
 Buddha preached his message in the local language of the people which was easy
to understand.
 Buddhism didn’t believe in elaborate ceremonies into which Hinduism had sunk.
These ceremonies were very complicated and costly. All these ceremonies led to
superstition and made men turn to other religions for solace.
 Many kings had adopted Buddhism and set personal examples for the subjects to
follow the religion.

STUPAS
Stupas are semi circular mound like structures in which relics of Buddha are
buried.
WHERE WERE STUPAS BUILT?
Stupas were built on places associated with the Buddha’s life.
 Lumbini (where he was born).
 Bodh Gaya (where he attained enlightenment).
 Sarnath (where he gave his first sermon).
 Kusinagara (where he attained nibbana).
WHY WERE STUPAS BUILT?
 Stupas contained relics regarded as sacred; the entire stupa came to be venerated as an
emblem of both the Buddha and the Buddhism.
 According to a Buddhist text known as Ashokavadana, Ashoka distributed portions of
the Buddha’s relics to every important town and ordered the construction of stupas
over them.
HOW WERE STUPAS BUILT?
 Inscriptions found on the railings and pillars of stupas record donations made for
building and decorating them.
--- Kings such as Satavahans.
--- Guilds such as associations of ivory workers.
---Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis.

THE FATE OF AMRAVATI

 In 1796, a local raja who wanted to build a temple stumbled upon the ruins of stupa at
Amravati. He decided to use the stone, and thought there might be some treasure
buried in what seemed to be a hill.
  Some years later, a British official named Colin Mackenzie visited the site. Although he
found several pieces of sculpture and made detailed drawings of them, these reports
were never published to protect the stupa.
 In 1854, Walter Elliot, the commissioner of Guntur visited Guntur and collected several
sculpture panels and took them away to Madras. These came to be Elliot marbles after
him.
 By the 1850s, some of the slabs from Amravati were taken to different places:-
(a) To the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
(b) To the Indian Office in Madras.
(c) Some to London.
 It was usual to find these sculptures adorning the gardens of British administrators.

LITERARY SOURCES
1. After Buddha’s death his teachings were compiled by his disciples at a council of “elders”
or senior monks at Vaishali. These compilations were known as Tipitaka- literally three
baskets to hold different types of texts. The Vinaya Pitaka included rules and regulations
for those who joined the Sangha or monastic order. The Buddha’s teachings were included
in the Sutta-Pitaka and the Abhidhamma Pitaka dealt with philosophical matters.
2. As Buddhism travelled to new regions such as Sri Lanka. Other tents such as the
Dipavamsa (literally the chronicle of the island) and Mahavamsa (the great chronicle) were
written, containing regional histories of Buddhism.
3. Buddhist texts were preserved in manuscripts for several centuries in monasteries in
different parts of Asia. Modern translations have been prepared from Pali, Sanskrit,
Chinese and Tibetan texts.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOURCES
SYMBOLS OF WORSHIP
1. Sculptors did not show the Buddha in human form, instead they showed his presence
through symbol of an empty seat to indicate the meditation of the Buddha.
2. The stupa was meant to represent the mahaparinirvana.
3. Another symbol was the wheel. This stood for the first sermon of the Buddha at Sanchi.

POPULAR TRADITIONS
1. A beautiful woman swinging from the edge of the gateway, holding onto a tree, scholars
realized that it could be a representation of a Shalabhanjika, a woman whose touch
caused trees to flower and bear fruit.
2. Some of the finest depictions of animals are found in Sanchi. These include elephants,
horses, monkeys and cattle.
3. Another motif is a women surrounded by lotuses and elephants, which are sprinkling
water on her as if performing an abhisheka or consecration. While some historians
identify the figure as Maya, the mother of the Buddha, others identify her with a
popular Goddess-Gajalakshmi.
4. The serpent motif, which is found on several pillars.

MAHAYANA
 By the first century CE, there is evidence of changes in Buddhist ideas and practices.
Early Buddhist teachings had given great importance to self-effort in achieving nibbana.
Besides, the Buddha was regarded as a human being who attained enlightenment
through his own efforts. Those who adopted these beliefs were described as Hinayana
or the “lesser vehicle”.
 However, gradually the idea of savior emerged. Buddha was regarded as a God, the one
who could ensure salvation. Those who adopted these beliefs were described as
Mahayana or “the greater vehicle”.
 The concept of Bodhisatta also developed. Bodhisattas were perceived as deeply
compassionate beings, they accumulated merit through their efforts not to attain
nibbana but to help others.
 The worship of images of the Buddha and Bodhisattas became an important of
Mahayana tradition.

TIMELINE
MAJOR RELIGIOUS DEVELOPMENTS
C. 1500-1000 BCE Early Vedic traditions
C. 1000-500 BCE Later Vedic traditions
C. Sixth century BCE Buddhism
C. Third century BCE First stupas
C. Second century BCE Development of Mahayana Buddhism

TWENTIETH CENTURY:-
1989 Sanchi declared a World Heritage Site
 CONCLUSION
The teachings of the Buddha are exceedingly vast and very profound. The eight-fold path of
Buddhism carries it’s unique importance.
The eight-fold path of Buddhism are:-
 Right Belief
 Right Thought
 Right Speech
 Right Action
 Right Living
 Right Effort
 Right Recollection
 Right Meditation
Buddhism has a great importance in Indian culture thus symbols from Buddha’s life are a part of
Nation emblem of India.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS:-
 Class 12 NCERT History textbook (Themes in Indian History Part-1).
 Dalai Lama’s little book of Buddhism.
 Buddhism, One Teacher, Many traditions, book by The Dalai Lama and Thubten
Chodron.
 The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, book by Thich Nhat Hanh.
 ,
The Book of Joy book by 14th Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu.
 The Buddha: An Alternative Narrative of His Life and Teaching, book by
Mukunda Rao.
NEWSPAPERS:-
 THE HINDU
WEBSITES:-
 www.indiaeducationdiarybureau.com
 www.britannica.com
 knowindia.gov.in
 www.history.com
 THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT
In the accomplishment of this project, successfully many people have best owned
upon me through blessings and the heart pledged support, this time I am utilizing
to thank all people who have been concerned with this project. Primarily, I would
thank God for being able to complete this project with success. Then I would like
to thank my History teacher Mr. Debmalya Das, whose valuable guidance has
been the ones that helped me paten this project and make it fully proof success.
Last but not the least, I would like to thank my classmates who have helped me a
lot.

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that “Ashmit Dasgupta”, a student of class XII (Humanities) has
successfully completed the project on ‘Buddha’s path to enlightenment’ under
the guidance of respected Mr. Debmalya Das sir during the year 2021-22 in
complete fulfillment of Political Science assignment conducted by CBSE.

________________
Signature of Teacher
[DEBMALYA DAS]