Shakyamuni Buddha

This​ ​thangka​ ​depicts​ ​the​ ​most​ ​important​ ​incidents​ ​of​ ​Shakyamuni​ ​Buddha’s​ ​life.​ ​Gautam Buddha,​ ​the​ ​”Lord​ ​of​ ​Shakyas”​ ​or​ ​”Lion​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Shakya​ ​clan”.
He​ ​is​ ​a​ ​historical​ ​figure​ ​and​ ​founder​ ​of​ ​Buddhism.​ ​Nepalese​ ​and​ ​Tibetan​ ​buddhists believe​ ​that​ ​in​ ​every​ ​aeon​ ​or​ ​​kalpa,​ ​​there​ ​lived​ ​a​ ​Buddha.

It​ ​is​ ​almost​ ​certain​ ​that​ ​these​ ​scenes​ ​depicted​ ​in​ ​the​ ​thangka​ ​are​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​several Tibetan​ ​texts​ ​which​ ​describe​ ​the​ ​Buddha’s​ ​life.
Gautam​ ​Buddha,​ ​the​ ​Enlightened​ ​One,​ ​was​ ​born​ ​in​ ​623​ ​B.C.​ ​in​ ​Lumbini,​ ​Nepal.​ ​His earlier​ ​name​ ​was​ ​Siddartha​ ​which​ ​means​ ​in​ ​sanskrit​ ​”the​ ​one​ ​who​ ​has​ ​accomplished​ ​his aim”.​ ​Suddhodana,​ ​the​ ​father​ ​of​ ​Gautam​ ​Buddha​ ​was​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Shakya​ ​clan.​ ​He​ ​wanted his​ ​son​ ​to​ ​become​ ​a​ ​great​ ​monarch.​ ​As​ ​the​ ​legend​ ​goes,​ ​Maya​ ​Devi,​ ​the​ ​queen​ ​mother dreamt​ ​of​ ​a​ ​white​ ​elephant​ ​which​ ​announced​ ​great​ ​news.​ ​The​ ​astrologers​ ​who​ ​cast​ ​his horoscope​ ​predicted​ ​a​ ​brilliant​ ​future​ ​for​ ​him​ ​either​ ​as​ ​a​ ​spiritual​ ​leader​ ​or​ ​as​ ​a​ ​great conqueror.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​former​ ​case​ ​he​ ​was​ ​to​ ​be​ ​guided​ ​by​ ​four​ ​things​ ​i.e.,​ ​old​ ​age,​ ​sickness, death​ ​and​ ​renunciation.​ ​King​ ​Suddhodana​ ​​preferred​ ​the​ ​first​ ​outcome​ ​and​ ​prepared​ ​his son​ ​accordingly.

T​aking​ ​precautionary​ ​measures​ ​so​ ​as​ ​not​ ​to​ ​expose​ ​him​ ​to​ ​any​ ​of​ ​these​ ​signs,​ ​the​ ​king raised​ ​the​ ​boy​ ​in​ ​great​ ​luxury​ ​and​ ​shielded​ ​him​ ​from​ ​knowledge​ ​of​ ​religion​ ​and​ ​human suffering,.​ ​At​ ​the​ ​age​ ​of​ ​16,​ ​he​ ​was​ ​married​ ​to​ ​his​ ​cousin,​ ​Yasodhara.
However,​ ​one​ ​day,​ ​the​ ​prince​ ​went​ ​out​ ​for​ ​a​ ​ride​ ​and​ ​saw​ ​an​ ​old​ ​man​ ​leaning​ ​on​ ​a​ ​stick, then​ ​a​ ​sick​ ​man,​ ​and​ ​then​ ​a​ ​corpse​ ​being​ ​taken​ ​to​ ​the​ ​funeral​ ​ground.​ ​The​ ​stark​ ​realities of​ ​old​ ​age,​ ​disease,​ ​and​ ​death​ ​seized​ ​and​ ​sickened​ ​the​ ​Prince.​ ​Next​ ​day,​ ​he​ ​saw​ ​a wandering​ ​ascetic.​ ​The​ ​charioteer​ ​explained​ ​that​ ​the​ ​ascetic​ ​was​ ​one​ ​who​ ​had renounced​ ​the​ ​world​ ​and​ ​sought​ ​release​ ​from​ ​the​ ​fear​ ​of​ ​death​ ​and​ ​suffering.​ ​The​ ​birth of​ ​his​ ​son​ ​Rahul,​ ​the​ ​luxurious​ ​palace​ ​life​ ​and​ ​the​ ​married​ ​life​ ​had​ ​no​ ​attraction​ ​for Siddartha​ ​and,​ ​one​ ​night,​ ​he​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​leave​ ​home​ ​and​ ​live​ ​a​ ​life​ ​of​ ​a​ ​recluse.

In​ ​his​ ​search​ ​for​ ​the​ ​truth,​ ​he​ ​became​ ​the​ ​disciple​ ​of​ ​several​ ​teachers​ ​but​ ​could​ ​not​ ​get the​ ​right​ ​remedy​ ​for​ ​the​ ​misery​ ​of​ ​life​ ​and​ ​the​ ​human​ ​suffering.​ ​None​ ​of​ ​the​ ​penances nor​ ​the​ ​practices​ ​that​ ​he​ ​followed​ ​brought​ ​him​ ​nearer​ ​the​ ​goal,​ ​he​ ​then​ ​gave​ ​up asceticism​ ​and​ ​started​ ​making​ ​a​ ​search​ ​for​ ​truth​ ​under​ ​the​ ​Bodhi​ ​Tree,​ ​the​ ​tree​ ​of wisdom.​ ​During​ ​meditation,​ ​the​ ​Demon​ ​Mara,​ ​the​ ​holder​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Wheel​ ​of​ ​Life,​ ​got envious​ ​of​ ​Siddartha’s​ ​achievements​ ​and​ ​sent​ ​his​ ​beautiful​ ​daughters​ ​to​ ​disrupt Siddartha’s​ ​meditative​ ​state​ ​but​ ​in​ ​vain,​ ​then​ ​Mara​ ​turned​ ​evil​ ​forces​ ​against​ ​Siddartha

but​ ​failed​ ​in​ ​his​ ​attempt.Then,​ ​he​ ​himself​ ​challenged​ ​Siddartha​ ​to​ ​prove​ ​how​ ​he​ ​was qualified​ ​for​ ​Buddhahood.​ ​The​ ​sage​ ​touched​ ​the​ ​earth​ ​with​ ​the​ ​fingers​ ​of​ ​his​ ​right​ ​hand in​ ​all​ ​humility​ ​and​ ​called​ ​upon​ ​it​ ​as​ ​witness.​ ​As​ ​soon​ ​as​ ​he​ ​touched​ ​the​ ​earth​ ​with​ ​his fingers,​ ​the​ ​earth​ ​started​ ​quaking​ ​as​ ​a​ ​witness.​ ​This​ ​”earth-touching”​ ​gesture​ ​is​ ​known as​ ​​bhumisparsha​ ​​​mudra​​ ​which​ ​symbolizes​ ​the​ ​moment​ ​of​ ​enlightenment.
Later​ ​on​ ​this​ ​posture​ ​became​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​important​ ​iconographic​ ​aspects​ ​in​ ​relation​ ​to the​ ​images​ ​of​ ​Buddha​ ​Shakyamuni.
After​ ​the​ ​49th​ ​day​ ​of​ ​his​ ​meditation,​ ​Shakyamuni​ ​attained​ ​enlightenment​ ​under​ ​the​ ​Bodi Tree.
Then​ ​he​ ​went​ ​to​ ​Varanasi​ ​and​ ​gave​ ​his​ ​first​ ​sermon​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Four​ ​Noble​ ​Truths.
The​ ​Buddha​ ​traveled​ ​tirelessly​ ​through​ ​all​ ​areas​ ​of​ ​northern​ ​India​ ​and​ ​Nepal,​ ​​He​ ​taught constantly​ ​for​ ​forty-five​ ​years.​ ​People​ ​of​ ​all​ ​castes​ ​and​ ​professions,​ ​from​ ​kings​ ​to courtesans,​ ​were​ ​drawn​ ​to​ ​him,​ ​​all​ ​of​ ​whom​ ​were​ ​seeking​ ​the​ ​truth​ ​he​ ​had​ ​to​ ​offer.
At​ ​the​ ​age​ ​of​ ​80,​ ​the​ ​Buddha​ ​entered​ ​paranirvana​ ​leaving​ ​his​ ​physical​ ​body​ ​behind.​ ​In this,​ ​he​ ​abandoned​ ​the​ ​endless​ ​cycle​ ​of​ ​death​ ​and​ ​rebirth.

Ref.
Gods,​ ​Goddesses​ ​&​ ​religious​ ​symbols​ ​of​ ​Hindouism,​ ​Buddhism​ ​&​ ​Tantrism (including​ ​Tibetan​ ​Deities)
T.C.​ ​Manjupuria​ ​and​ ​Rohit​ ​Kumar.
Published​ ​by​ ​M.​ ​Devi,​ ​Lashkar​ ​(Gwalior),​ ​India.