01:840:211 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Bodhisattva
Siddhattha Gotama:
The last life of the Bodhisatta as Siddhattha Gotama
Named Siddhattha: “he who has accomplished the goal.
The Bodhisatta was reborn into the Gotama clan of the high-class ksatriya as a prince.
Was hidden from all suffering in the world until realizes the existence of suffering at the age of
29.
He left his palace when he was 29 after discovering the 4 signs: an old person, a sick person, a
dead person, and an ascetic/ renouncer
● He leaves the kingdom and studied the Bodhisatta studies for the next 6 years(remember
can’t be a Buddha till the age of 35) and attains Buddhahood and becomes the Buddha Gotama.
The Four Signs/Omens
The prince was protected by his father, the king from all sufferings and unhappiness, the prince
at the age of 29 witnessed the four signs or the “divine messengers” conjured by gods outside the
palace walls: an old person, a sick person, a corpse, and a renouncer/ascetic.
Mara
The god of death
One day while sitting under the Bodhi tree, Siddhattha was attacked by the god of death and his
army. Mara criticizes the Bodhisatta, saying that he has no right to claim Buddhahood and
challenges Siddhattha to produce evidence that he has perfected all the perfection to which
Siddhartha touches the earth calling the earth as his witness and the earth and Mara is defeated.
Document Summary
The last life of the bodhisatta as siddhattha gotama. Named siddhattha: he who has accomplished the goal. The bodhisatta was reborn into the gotama clan of the high-class ksatriya as a prince. Was hidden from all suffering in the world until realizes the existence of suffering at the age of. He left his palace when he was 29 after discovering the 4 signs: an old person, a sick person, a dead person, and an ascetic/ renouncer. He leaves the kingdom and studied the bodhisatta studies for the next 6 years(remember can"t be a buddha till the age of 35) and attains buddhahood and becomes the buddha gotama. One day while sitting under the bodhi tree, siddhattha was attacked by the god of death and his army. Mara criticizes the bodhisatta, saying that he has no right to claim buddhahood and challenges siddhattha to produce evidence that he has perfected all the perfection to which.
