English PSSSB Practice 37

Buddha's life refers to the life story of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, who lived in ancient India around the 6th-5th century BCE. Siddhartha was born in Lumbini (present-day Nepal) in the Shakya clan to King Suddhodana and Queen Maya. His birth is surrounded by many legends, including the prophecy that he would become either a great king or a spiritual leader. To protect him from suffering, his father shielded him from the harsh realities of life and provided him with luxury in the palace of Kapilavastu. Siddhartha was married to Yasodhara and had a son named Rahula. However, despite his comfortable life, he became curious about the outside world. On four separate trips outside the palace, he encountered the "Four Sights" - an old man, a sick man, a dead body, and an ascetic - which made him aware of human suffering and the transient nature of life. Deeply moved, Siddhartha renounced his royal life at the age of 29 to seek the cause of human suffering and the way to overcome it. He adopted the life of an ascetic, practiced severe austerities, and studied under great teachers but found that extreme self-denial did not lead to enlightenment. Eventually, he chose the Middle Path - a balanced way of life between indulgence and asceticism. At the age of 35, after meditating under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, Siddhartha attained enlightenment and became the Buddha, meaning "The Enlightened One." For the next 45 years, Buddha traveled across northern India teaching the Dharma - the path to liberation from suffering. His core teachings include the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, which guide individuals toward Nirvana - the ultimate state of liberation. Buddha's life is a model of compassion, wisdom, and moral discipline, inspiring millions across the world. He attained Mahaparinirvana at the age of 80 in Kushinagar, leaving behind a spiritual legacy that became one of the world's greatest religions.