Who was Buddha? (Earth, tradition, Buddhism, followers, disciples)

[Rex]

In the year 563 B.C. a baby was born into a royal family in northern India. He grew up in wealth and luxury but eventually found that worldly comfort and security do not guarantee happiness. He was deeply moved by the suffering he saw all around and resolved to find the key to human happiness. When he was 29 he left his wife and child and set off to sit at the feet of the great religious teachers of the day to learn from them. They taught him much but none really knew the cause of human suffering or how it could be overcome. Eventually, after six years study and meditation he had an experience in which all ignorance fell away and he suddenly understood. From that day onwards he was called the Buddha, the Awakened One. He lived for another 45 years in which time he traveled all over northern India teaching others what he had discovered. His compassion and patience were legendary and he made thousands of followers. In his eightieth year, old and sick, but still happy and at peace, he finally died

[Green Gaia]

Haven't there been many "buddhas"? Or am I confusing this with something else? :?

[Engyo]

Maize -

This can be confusing. There is one "Buddha" (capital B) per time period. This is the person who first becomes enlightened and then teaches his enlightenment to others. Prince Siddhartha of the Gautama family in the Shakya clan (also known as Shakyamuni, or sage of the Shakyas) is generally acknowledged to be the current holder of this title for our world. You may also hear of Maitreya, who is prophesied to be next in line, after some ten thousand years or so, when Shakyamuni's teachings have degenerated and been forgotten.

There can be/have been many "buddhas" (small b) indicating those who have attained enlightenment.

It is useful to realize that most Buddhists agree that enlightenment is not a point, but a process; IOW that in most cases one doesn't wake up one day and say, "Oh, yesterday I wasn't enlightened but now I am", or some such. It is something which grows and develops, becoming more and more a part of one's life until ultimately one's life manifests nothing else. Many schools or traditions in Buddhism postulate that this process takes place over many (myriads of) lifetimes; others believe it can happen during a single lifetime.

There is also what the Lotus Sutra calls Perfect Enlightenment, or Annutara-Samyak'-Sambodai. This is what Siddhartha, or Gautama, or Shakyamuni, achieved and began to teach to others. This is, supposedly, the goal of any practicing Buddhist. The paths are many, the destination one.

Have I completely confused the issue yet?

[Green Gaia]

Thank you for the explanation, Engyo. I understand more clearly now.

[Runt]

Wow Engyo! I never knew that before, that there is a difference between Buddha and buddha. You say that Prince Siddhartha is the Buddha for our time period. Who was there before him? And as for Maitreya, is that a title, or did Buddhists somehow prophesize (do Buddhists prophesize?) that a man (or woman?) named Maitreya would one day come and be the new Buddha?

Is it possible for a woman to be a Buddha or buddha? Have there ever been any? Do you think there ever will be any?

[Engyo]

Runt -

In the Lotus Sutra Shakyamuni talks about his past existences where he studied under another Buddha (I would have to look up the name) of another world. I am not sure that our world has had a Buddha previous to Shakyamuni (I use that title since it is the one I am most familiar with). Maitreya is/was a bodhisattva studying under Shakyamuni; he is mentioned in a number of sutras. He is propesied in (I believe) the Lotus Sutra to be the next Buddha for earth.

Because my school considers the Lotus Sutra to be the culmination of the Buddha's teaching, I am far more familiar with the contents and so on of the Lotus Suta than I am with any other. One of the reasons we consider the Lotus Sutra to be the culmination is that, via the story of the Dragon King's daughter who was able to attain enlightenment as not only a female but lso a non-human being, the Lotus promises that all living beings contain the potential for enlightenment. I will have to research further to find if there are predictions of future enlightenment (as capital "B" Buddhas) for the female disciples (as females). I firmly believe that there is no difference as regards potential for enlightenment between men and women.

[Runt]

Engyo-

I'm slightly confused about what you said in the first paragraph.

In the Lotus Sutra Shakyamuni talks about his past existences where he studied under another Buddha (I would have to look up the name) of another world. I am not sure that our world has had a Buddha previous to Shakyamuni (I use that title since it is the one I am most familiar with). Maitreya is/was a bodhisattva studying under Shakyamuni; he is mentioned in a number of sutras. He is propesied in (I believe) the Lotus Sutra to be the next Buddha for earth.

Are saying that Prince Siddhartha remembered past lives on ANOTHER WORLD in which he studied with a different Buddha, or that he remembered past lives where he studied on THIS WORLD with a Buddha from ANOTHER world?

By "world" do you mean "plane/dimension" or "planet"?

And are you saying that Maitreya was a bodhisattva (what IS a bodhisattva anyway? A disciple of Buddha?) that studied under Prince Siddhartha and will be reborn one day as the next Buddha?

I hope you don't find my questions stupid. I am just new to Buddhist thought... lots of terms and theories that I have never heard of before... :P

[Engyo]

Runt -

The cosmology depicted in the Lotus Sutra is remarkably similar to what modern astronomy has understood our universe to be.

In the first chapter, Shakyamuni enters into samadhi (a deep meditative state). A ray of light issues from between his eyes and illuminates all of the worlds or realms in each one of the 10 directions (can't remember the list of all 10 currently). These realms or worlds all contain millions of living beings. In each of these worlds or realms was illuminated a Buddha teaching the living beings of that realm, and the monks nuns and laypeople who were practicing towards their enlightenment.

Also in the Lotus Sutra is a description of time which is long and involved, but goes like this: Take all of the worlds (stars, planets, moons, asteroids) in a medium world system (galaxy). Grind them to dust. Travel east through the universe. Count galaxies as you go. On every thousandth galaxy, drop a dust particle. When you run out of dust, gather up all of the galaxies you counted, both where you dropped dust and not. Grind up all of these worlds into dust particles. The number of dust particles formed is how many years ago that Shakyamuni first began his path towards Buddhahood. This dust-particle kalpa description is about time, but also gives us a glance at the understanding of space as well.

One could interpret worlds or realms as either plane/dimensions or as planets.

A bodhisatva is a practitioner of the way; ultimately anyone practicing to attain enlightenment is practicing the way of the bodhisatva. Some of the traditions in buddhism emphasize individual practice, focusing only on one's own development. This postpones working in society and to help others until the individual has attained a certain level of practice. The way of the bodhisatva consists of working to assist others at the same time that one is practicing for oneself.

Maitreya and the other "named" bodhisatvas, or disciples of the Buddha, are the ones who studied directly under Shakyamuni during his lifetime.

The only stupid question is one which isn't asked. I hope I have been able to understandably answer the questions you have asked so far.