RELG 253 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Parinirvana, Bodh Gaya, Age Of Enlightenment
Document Summary
Sakyamuni = sage of the sakyas / the silent one of the sakya. She had a dream in which she was visited by a white elephant. It moved around her bed 3 times, and then with his trunk touched her 3 times and she became pregnant. The buddha was born from the right side of his mother. She passed the flower garden of lumbini on her way, she stopped and raised her right hand to touch a flower --> then the buddha was born. Sage said the buddha would be a world leader. 32 cakravartin (signs of a religious world leader) Long white tongue that could touch his forehead. Wanted his son to become a military leader. As a teenager, he left the palace once. Withdrawn from society to devote his time to religious practice. First time he came in touch with this 4 things. Then he decided he wanted to become a sramana monk.