The Life of Buddha

The Life of Buddha

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The Life of BuddhaThe Buddha. The history of Buddhism is the story of one man's spiritual journey to Enlightenment, and of the teachings and ways of living that developed from it. Siddhartha Gautama - The Buddha. By finding the path to Enlightenment, Siddhartha was led from the pain of suffering and rebirth towards the path of Enlightenment and became known as the Buddha or 'awakened one'.

A life of luxury. Siddhartha Gautama was born around the year 580 BCE in the village of Lumbini in Nepal. He was born into a royal family, and his privileged life insulated him from the sufferings of life; sufferings such as sickness, age and death.

Discovering cruel reality. One day, after growing up, marrying and having a child, Siddhartha went outside the royal enclosure where he lived. When he went outside he saw, each for the first time, an old man, a sick man, and a corpse. This greatly disturbed him, and he learned that sickness, age, and death were the inevitable fate of human beings - a fate no-one could avoid.

Becoming a holy man. Siddhartha had also seen a monk, and he decided this was a sign that he should leave his protected royal life and live as a homeless holy man. Siddhartha's travels showed him much more of the the suffering of the world. He searched for a way to escape the inevitability of death, old age and pain first by studying with religious men. This didn't provide him with an answer.

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hri
hri
3 years ago

As far as the Buddha-Vishnu identity goes, that's not just in hinduism
but in buddhism itself as well. In Lankavatara sutra (76) Buddha says
that Vishnu, Ishvara, Kapila, Rama or Vyasa are among the countless
names of Tathagata (Buddha). In Dasharatha Jataka (#461 in Jataka
cannon) he identifies himself with Rama. Amitabha's (jap. Amida) bija
mantra is hrim (Hari) and his two-armed form Sho Kannon playing flute,
with a peacock feather in hair, is identical with Krishna. It is shown
e.g. on the Great Lantern in Yakushi (Bhaishajya-guru) temple Todaiji
in Nara, Japan.

Ian
Ian
4 years ago

I agree that the original path taught by the Buddha is not a religion; it’s actually a system of applied psychology that, followed to its logical conclusion, results in the attainment of mastery over the mind (as opposed to allowing the mind to control oneself as most people do).

Souvik Roy
Souvik Roy
5 years ago

What is Buddhism?
I think it is a scientific behaviour which helps a man to become his own lamp.

Rahul G
Rahul G
7 years ago

Buddhism is not a religion if you search for the word 'Religion' in dictionary. I'd like to accept Buddhism as a philosophy only.

Northener
Northener
9 years ago

Buddha got fit...

Kaiolani Martinez
Kaiolani Martinez
11 years ago

wow, such anger writings and debates.... please wih compaasion try to only understand one another in if we can explain each side respectfully in the end if the other doesnt see your side. it is okay! patience may be exhausted, and it may be time to listen to teachings of buddah...

anuragawasthi
anuragawasthi
12 years ago

They shld have mentioned abt influence of samkhya school of thought(a theistic version of hinduism)on Buddha.

RockPesc
RockPesc
12 years ago

I find it funny, if only because it's so ironic, that every time experts -- including the Dalai Lama himself -- say that Buddhism is a "science of mind" or a psychology and, therefore, not a Religion, that they fail to realize how this LOWERS or DEVALUES the very thing they're attempting to praise. So Buddhism is merely a study in psychology, aye? Then, by definition, it is the study of a lower order of reality (the Mind), and, as such, you have REDUCED it to the realm of the profane (like so many university departments studying the almighty Science). And the Buddha -- instead of a god-like being meant to be worshiped as one -- is, what?, the original psychologist? Let's be clear, this denoting of Buddhism as Psychology makes it, by definition, LESSER than true Religion, the latter being a study in ultimate transcendence of the phenomenal, the material, the visible, toward the Invisible and the Divine (e.g. God, Extinction (Nirvana), the Pure Land).

Aye, but here's the rub. If you think that Buddhism is NOT a Religion (It is, because of Its ability to transcend the worldly) and does NOT believe in a God (the Buddha has been and continues to be worshiped as Divine -- just look at the worldwide temples, statues, and the prostrating, devout millions, all in worship of or prayer to the Buddha), then you don't understand Buddhism. To call It a Psychology is not only insulting. It's just plain wrong.

Natlover
Natlover
12 years ago

This is a good documentary about Buddha but misses some important incidences of his life. There is also a good documentary about Buddha in a series "Story of India"which provides those details. It is funny as hell that here people are fighting over nation's border after watching documentary on Buddha who believed and taught renunciation. Why Nepalis are so defensive about whether Kapilvastu was in Nepal or India? Nobody knows that. What we know that there was a kingdom which could have spread in both countries. Buddha, anyway then move in present day India to live all his life and to get Nirvana. In those times, Nation's boundaries were not clearly defined and more importantly people were joined through cultures rather boundaries. It was also dependent on the King as some king would go on winning lands by war and increase their kingdom which would shrink or increase in following generations. More importantly whole present day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal (don't know about Sri Lanka) was following Vedic culture ( you can call it Hinduism now but term which is more accurate is "Sanaatan Dharm" which meant religion which is continuous with no start and end), There was no religion called Brahminism which is so many times used by narrators in documentary. Also, important point is though Buddhism is now a different religion than Hinduism, it is very much influenced by Hinduism. Buddha himself was a Hindu and meditation techniques which he used, are described in various hindu religious texts like Geeta (which is part of Mahabhartha), Saankhya yoga, Yoga vashisht etc. Hope people will take teachings from documentary rather than going into insignificant details.

JustSome Guy
JustSome Guy
12 years ago

When he realized it was perfect is the only part that matters. Listen.

milind bharane
milind bharane
12 years ago

how can i download this documentary

patbb
patbb
12 years ago

best documentary to initiate for Buddhism, without any of the cliche usually superimposed to meditation and Buddhism by westerners, which usually greatly slow our progress at the beginning of our practice.

(instead of just doing and getting whatever results, we expect things to be very different from what they truly are. So first we must rid ourselves from our expectations, then we can begin the actual work.)

Sandesh Gawai
Sandesh Gawai
12 years ago

converting to this religion or that religion doesn't matter . All that matters is are you really willing to lead a pure life of morality ... if u live a life of morality then u belong to all the religion and all religions belong to u ... If the essence of morality is lost then everything you do is just waste of time and precious life u got ....

Vikum
Vikum
13 years ago

Dear Khalil Ahmed

Obviously you have misunderstood Lord Buddha's teachings.
If your leg is injured you have to seek treatment. It is a necessity just like the way we have to eat when we are hungry. There had been one or two occasions where the Great Lord himself had received treatment for minor ailments from a medic called "Jeewaka".
Desire is the craving or the longing (greed) that we feel for various things both living and lifeless. For example, you see a pretty woman and you want to have her. You start thinking about her. That is desire. And that creates suffering because everything we desire is impermanent, subject to change, subject to decay and is eventually destroyed. We cannot change the "Law of impermanence".
Methodical elimination of all craving through meditation (Vipassana Meditation) leads to "Nirvana" - the escape from "Samsara".
I will conclude by quoting a small piece of advice the Great Lord has given to a person called "Darucheeriya".

"What you saw is just that, nothing more,
think no more of it.
What you heard is just that, nothing more,
think no more of it.
What you felt is just that, nothing more,
think no more of it."

Vikum
Vikum
13 years ago

Dear Ahmed,

Read more about lord Buddha's teachings.
Venerable Achan Cha's sermons and Venerable Ajahn Brahmawamso's sermons (Available on the web) would be very
helpful for a novice like you.

vikum

Connie
Connie
13 years ago

@ just signing in.

Charles B.
Charles B.
13 years ago

Sid: You said you hope the Dali Lama becomes a Buddah. What do you mean by that?

I also know that he has asked if they want the Dali Lama to be reborn in Tibet again (as he always is), or in India next time so the Communists can't control him from birth.

Anyway, I really am not fond of Buddhists, but I'm not as worried about them chopping off my head for my opinions as I am the other guys! Seriously. But I do try to be polite as there are lots here in Korea.

Buddha
Buddha
13 years ago

Give me a break!!! @Bullon Who the hell are u tell us that Nepal was part of India???? huh??? did you flunk you history and geography class did you or you country teach all the b@##$%^& in the world!!!

Bullon
Bullon
13 years ago

Nepal has always been a part of India for centuries before British Rule , just like Pakistan,Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Accept it.

niranjan
niranjan
13 years ago

sorry guys
nepal brave gurkhali have never been part of india its the only country which was unable to be ruled by even Britisher.Nepali(gurkhali)seeing their bravery even british government started requiting them.
The point i just wanted to say was buddha was born in nepal and nepal was not part of india.
Thank you

Ravi
Ravi
13 years ago

Anbu, thanks for the advice, i will most certainly read about them as well. Peace and happiness to you.

anbu
anbu
13 years ago

ravi its great to have these noble ideas!! its really good the advice you gave to ahmed and ahmed although i am by birth a hindu i am fascinated by most religions and in islam if i remember correctly there is imam ali who said"every man you meet is a muslim or a brother of humanity"!!and i really love that saying!! also you can read jiddu krishnamurti my favorite philosopher and you will learn a lot!may all be well with you people!!

Ravi
Ravi
13 years ago

Ahmed my friend.. Buddhism is not something you need to convert into follow.. what matters is how you live your life.. to take the right path you don't need a label saying you are Buddhist .. read and understand what it is all about.. in Buddhism the main teaching is that we our selves must find the way.. by living correctly.. if i am not mistake even in Muslim they teach you to live a life of non-violence and do good to others.. thats all that is required.. and the final and most important thing is learning to control once mind and desires. Show kindness to those who oppose you for they too are your brothers just that they are not open minded.. peace and happiness to you. If you need any info just ask.

Ahmed....
Ahmed....
13 years ago

This is really cool i m tryin 2 make a very big decision of my life - to covert from muslim to a Buddhist as i hv studied both religions but my community peoples are opposing that strongly and satanically i need help can somebody tell me..........

Anthony
Anthony
13 years ago

Nice Doc. I see that in short order the source of the video was moved from youtube to google. Thanks Vlatki(sp) This doc describes exactly where I am in this journey called life. The beginning stages of searching for enlightenment. *bows*. Buddhism is the vehicle of choice for me.

@ Ravi; Thanks to you for being the voice of reason. You put a roadblock to my making a negative comment to syly1212.

Ravi
Ravi
13 years ago

A Buddhist don't need to deal with it JM, those people are entitled to their own ideas.. but it would be wise to use common sense and study any religion before one makes a judgment.. if someone wants to ridicule a religion which teaches to respect all other religions and their leaders ... i cannot understand the reasons behind such a thing.. but they too have feeling like me.. may no harm come to them or to any one.

JM
JM
13 years ago

So how does a Buddhist deal with those from other creeds who say that theirs is the one and only true religion and that Buddhists and everyone else are devil worshippers?

Ravi
Ravi
13 years ago

Buddha never said he was god, he said he is just some one who shows you the way to end this suffering, he said take the path only if it resons with your common sense.. also said to respect all other religions and their leaders.. therefore please try to understand once religion before commenting .... for i respect and love you, your religion and your god regardless from which faith you are from. Peace and may you find your own way to eternal bliss.

Syly1212
Syly1212
13 years ago

If you worship Buddha know that he is dead!

If you worship God know that He lives forever!

puppetandmuppets
puppetandmuppets
13 years ago

Buddha words was amaze me , what he said he practice it , not like other faith sellers that always said good but bad practice

which makes me wonder to him is, no blood was falling from his hands he is trully the father of peace

PHILIP VAN DER MUDE
PHILIP VAN DER MUDE
13 years ago

excell ! watch this video yet think for yourself durin it . rip it apart 2 gigabyte ablity of human brain power by 2 giga byte human brain power , do not get over whelmed by the information stream of ..... hierachy .

about the hurt leg thingie ,1st if your can warp your mind around the idea that pefection is BOREDOM , you could live this 1 experince of the sea turtle without , comparing today with any other possible then the pain would be a n non issue , but that would be no fun ! the oppurutunity to experince contrast or to give a it a humanized value of suffereing . is blessing for the real you " turtle " the life of a fruit fly bron in the morning dead by evening , a simple humans 70 years the torises 400 or or the red woods 1000's all no1thing ..nothing to the idea of infinity . equal to the flash of a quanta coming in and out of BEING nes , all valid oppurutunity to experince an ASPECT ... a yoke in an infintie sea .

get away from the idea of comparisions .. or human values about good or bad ( outside of expresions of bio mechincal evolution and will to live aspect ) and enjoy the oppurutunity to feel the NOW for it will all be over very very soon .

the Bramha idea of Male jobs being passed down while female were to be used to marry hopefully into more UP-wardly advantagous familys is contrary to bio mechinacs since the male sperm is the ADPTIVE aspect and the older of the success of living thru life's contrstes or challenges ( like the damamged leg ) to reproduce and bring with it in the DNa this adaptive asset ... ie western dna able to survive small pox to a level of 60% while aborinal ameican died to the tune of 95% , also example of alcohol tolerance of whites over north american natives

now with out the albity to have been brought up in the place the , normal world of civil humanity would not have been so strange as to have demanded the ..evolvution of todays Buddha . Yet in nature to life does die but it instinctual of the bio machine is to transition quickly or survie quickly orten within a window of days , not fear state of suffering and the slow years of progession to death or transistioing of civil man . ... the buddha needed to have the oppurutunity to experince CONTRAST ...like a damamged leg may provide another being .

classic idea that KNOWLEDGE of man and his schools of Brhama or university will be the savior instead of the evidence trail of the enslavement it has been for 10k years . Hierachy drw within the lines do not THINK FOR YOURSELF ! and never observe data not subject to EMPIRE ( imperical data )

you are born a clean slate with DNA expectations of bio mechanics natural for this species , dentirte memory pathways create a level of OPPURUTUNITY challenge aspects difined by the age/epoch of the being birthed we often still refer to this as MYTH story sometimes. Thus the FUN of being for the turtle or buddha was the search of a stupid aspect called HUMAN deifned enlightenment ( as if human / honid / ape is all that F'ing important on this tiny 3rd planet of a star in the middle of just ANOTHER galaxy where galaxies are like grains of sand to a universe ) I love BUDDHA !

Zombi
Zombi
13 years ago

@thapa: They say about 4 or five minutes in that they "found a pillar" in Nepal and said it was apparent that "that was where Buddha was born" pay attention...

but since no one has said anything about it... this special is worth watching!

hanan
hanan
14 years ago

thank you ken for steering the point away from the insignificant details.

ken
ken
14 years ago

it doesn't matter where he is born. what's important is the lessons he left behind.

Dipendra
Dipendra
14 years ago

Dear Carolina
You are mistaken. Kapilvastu has never been part of India. I would suggest you to go through The history of Nepal. You seriously need to know the meaning of brave GURKHA.

thank you.

Carolina B.
Carolina B.
14 years ago

Dear Thapa,

Yes it is true the Buddha was born in modern day Nepal, but at that time Kapilavastu was part of India.

Khalil Ahmed
Khalil Ahmed
14 years ago

i watch this documentries very carefully again and again the final and last leason in this is that we should not desire for any thing this is the only way to get rid from suffering.
But the other point of view is that we shuld satified in every condition it maybe any conidition of happy or sorrow. My question is that if my leg is injured in a accident and i feel satisfied but my pain will not remove i have to bear pain untill my leg will be ok. According to my point of view dont desire is not way for get rid of suffering.
hope u understand for further contact at my email adress. thankx

Thapa
Thapa
14 years ago

Buddha was born in Nepal, not in India!!!