Copyright of BMSMThe Search for Enlightenment
Herenounced the worldly life at the
age of 29. During the years that
followed, he studied the orthodox
teachings·and practiced many severe
austerities. For six years he meditated,
practicing the utmost physical
austerities until he wasted away.
He held hisbreath until pain pierced
his belly as if it had been ripped open
with a sharp butcher’s knife. He
reduced his intake of food until his
hips stood out like a camel's hoof, his
backbone stoodoutlikeastring-of
beadsandhiseyeswere sunk like stars
reflected in the water of a deep well -
so determined was heinhissearch.
He conquered fear; subdued all lust of
theflesh:developed and controlled his
mind, but still, he did not find
Enlightenment. In a state of utter
exhaustion, he found that not only was
self-indulgenceuseless in this spiritual
quest, but so was self-mortification.
He became aware that the answer lay
between these twoextremes.
Abandoning his ascetic practices at age
35 years old, he accepted a bowl of milk
rice from a maid, Sujata. Having eaten
and bathed, he sat under the Bodhi tree
at Buddhagaya and resolved to remain
there until supreme Enlightenment had
beenattained.
As the fullmoon of May rose above
the trees and lighted up the forest
with its silverbeams the Blessed One
subdued the host of Mara the Evil
One, and passed into deep
meditation. He attained Full
Enlightenment, unaided and unguided
by supernatural powers. With his own
effort and wisdom, he eradicated all
mental defilements and
comprehended the Truth.
Thereafter,he was known as the
Buddhaorthe Enlightened One.
His MinistryThe decision was made. The Buddha
would preach the Dhamma to mankind. "I
will beat the drum of the Immortal in the
darkness of the world."
On the night of the full moon of July, he
preached to five ascetics his first sermon of
'Setting in Motion the Wheel of
Righteousness.' He spoke of the two
extremes of sensuality and mortification,
and of the Middle Way which lies between.
He taught the Four Noble Truths of
Suffering and its cause, the removal of the
cause, and of the Eightfold Path which
leads to the end of suffering. There in the
Deer Park of Samath near Benares, the
Buddha proclaimed his Dhamma.
Kondanna, the leader of the ascetic, was
first to perceive and realize the Truth.
Soon, the other four ascetics perceived the
Truth of the Dhamma and they too (with
Kondanna) attained the state of Nibbana,
the final goal of life.The Buddha spent the remaining 45 years of
his 80 years· as a wandering teacher,
transforming the lives of hundreds of
thousands.He taught that all of us have the same
potentiality as himself, and could realize
Enlightenment as he had done. His aim
was to rescue us from the chains of passion
and to convince us of an ideal higher than
mer e worldly good.
He was the perfect embodiment of all the
virtues he preached. Even those jealous of him
did not say otherwise. Endowed with deep
wisdom and boundless compassion, he
worked untiringly for the good and
happiness of mankind. Even at his final
moments, the Blessed One allowed Subhadda
to question him in order to clear all doubts,
Subhadda was converted and was the last
person to be ordained by the Buddha.In his eightieth year, he passed away
between two sala trees at Kusinara after
having successfully completed his noble
mission. As a man he was born, as an
extraordinary man he lived and as a
Buddha he passed away.6