>born in Lumbini (modern-day Nepal) around 563 BCE
>not a prince in a monarchy, son of an oligarch in a tribal republic (Shakya gana-sangha)
>raised in luxury, isolated from suffering
sees old age, disease, death → has existential meltdown
>leaves wife and newborn son Rahula ("shackle") in the middle of the night
>becomes forest ascetic, starves himself nearly to death
>gives up extreme asceticism → creates “Middle Way” after trial and error
>sits under tree at Bodh Gaya until he achieves “enlightenment”
>concludes that life = suffering (dukkha), detachment is the solution
>starts teaching in Pali/Prakrit, not Sanskrit
>regularly ate meat offered to him, as long as it wasn’t killed specifically for him
>refuses to allow women into monastic order at first, relents under pressure
>Shakya clan later genocided by King Vidudabha → he does nothing, says it’s karma
>never writes anything himself, all teachings passed down orally
>teachings eventually compiled by disciples, altered over time
>dies around age 80 in Kushinagar after eating a pork dish (sukara-maddava)
>final words: “All things decay. peace out.”
>only turned into a divine figure centuries later through Bhakti-era icon fusion and myth-making
OG neet
Anonymous
AP
GaPGPzAXIAAM4UI.jpeg
>born in Lumbini (modern-day Nepal) around 563 BCE
>not a prince in a monarchy, son of an oligarch in a tribal republic (Shakya gana-sangha)
>raised in luxury, isolated from suffering
sees old age, disease, death → has existential meltdown
>leaves wife and newborn son Rahula ("shackle") in the middle of the night
>becomes forest ascetic, starves himself nearly to death
>gives up extreme asceticism → creates “Middle Way” after trial and error
>sits under tree at Bodh Gaya until he achieves “enlightenment”
>concludes that life = suffering (dukkha), detachment is the solution
>starts teaching in Pali/Prakrit, not Sanskrit
>regularly ate meat offered to him, as long as it wasn’t killed specifically for him
>refuses to allow women into monastic order at first, relents under pressure
>Shakya clan later genocided by King Vidudabha → he does nothing, says it’s karma
>never writes anything himself, all teachings passed down orally
>teachings eventually compiled by disciples, altered over time
>dies around age 80 in Kushinagar after eating a pork dish (sukara-maddava)
>final words: “All things decay. peace out.”
>only turned into a divine figure centuries later through Bhakti-era icon fusion and myth-making
