Bodh Gaya

Buddha's Enlightenment

Prince Siddhartha grew up in luxury, but at the age of 30, he became deeply moved by the sickness, old age, and death he witnessed in his kingdom. Inspired by his first sight of a renunciate, he left behind the prince's life and set off on a quest to find the solution to suffering as a wandering mendicant. For 6 years, he practiced restraining his body and mind near the village of Uruvilva (or Uruvela) on the banks of the Nairañjana River but realized that asceticism alone cannot put an end to suffering. He accepted rice milk offered to him by a village girl, Sujata, regained his strength, and sat under the Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) in meditation, resolved not to rise until he attained enlightenment. The last obstacle to his goal appeared in the form of Māra, the Evildoer, who attempted to expose Siddhartha's lust and fear and deny him the right to meditate on that spot. The bodhisattva called on the earth to give witness to his innumerable lifetimes of virtue, finally leading him to sit and meditate under the Bodhi tree. He touched the ground with his right hand, and the earth shook in response. He thus defeated Mara, gained decisive insight into the nature of reality called “truly complete enlightenment” (samuyaksambodhi), and became transformed into an awakened being or Buddha.

Following his enlightenment, Buddha remained in the vicinity of the Bodhi tree, meditating and enjoying his experience. Although traditional Buddhist sources, such as Mahāvagga (in Pāli) and Lalitavistara and Mahavastu (in Sanskrit), slightly differ about the order and duration of the later episodes, they mostly concur about the actual events. In each of the succeeding weeks, Buddha was absorbed in one specific action: He meditated under the Bodhi tree, out of gratitude stood and observed the tree, engaged in walking meditation, reflected on dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda) and the cessation of suffering, meditated under the Ajapala (“banyan”) tree, meditated during a great tempest protected by the snake king Mucilinda, accepted rice cake and honey offered by two itinerant merchants Trapus.a and Bhallika, and was urged by Brahma to teach and share his experience. Each of these events was commemorated by later generations of pilgrims, and shrines were built at their locations, which are still venerated today. At the end of this period, Buddha set out for Sarnāth, [Page 148]resolved to teach his former companions in austerity, whom he deemed the most ready to understand the Dharma.

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