Shakyamuni Buddha: Life, Teachings and Symbolism

The Life and Enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha

Born in the 5th century BCE as Prince Siddhārtha Gautama to the royal lineage of the Shakyas in present-day Nepal, Siddhartha lived in royal favor with his father shielding him from sorrow. At the age of 29, after experiencing the sights of old age, disease, death and renunciation, the Four Sights collectively, he left royal life in search of religious understanding. He spent twelve years in extreme ascetic practice, but finding in turn that pampering did not provide liberation nor did self-mortification, he gave in to the Middle Way.

Refreshed by a meal prepared by the peasant woman Sujata, he sat in meditation beneath the sacred fig tree at Bodh Gaya. At the end of 49 days, he became enlightened, the Buddha—“the Awakened One.” Lured by Māra and calling forth the earth as witness to his determination, he surmounted all illusions. Famous afterwards as Shakyamuni, “Sage of the Shakyas,” he began to teach at Sarnath, delivering his first sermon and founding the monastic Sangha. For 45 years, he traveled tirelessly, instructing the way to liberation to people from all station in life. At the age of 80, he expired at Kushinagar, passing over into Parinirvana. His relics were enshrined in stupas, and the four main sites of his life - to Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar - are to this day sacred sites of pilgrimage.

Core Teachings: The Path to Liberation

At Sarnath, a revered statue marks the moment the Buddha delivered his First Sermon—a pivotal event often described as “setting in motion the Wheel of Dharma.” It was here that he first shared the path to liberation, rooted in the profound awakening he experienced beneath the Bodhi Tree. This foundational teaching is distilled into what are known as the Four Noble Truths:

1. The Truth of Suffering (Dukkha) – Existence is marked by suffering, instability, and change. Even the joys we cling to are fleeting, incapable of offering lasting fulfillment.

2. The Truth of the Cause of Suffering (Samudaya) – At the heart of suffering lies our craving—our deep-seated attachments and aversions, fueled by ignorance. We suffer because we want things to be different from what they are.

3. The Truth of the End of Suffering (Nirodha) – It is possible to bring suffering to an end. By letting go of craving and dispelling ignorance, one can reach nirvāṇa—a state of liberation and deep inner peace, free from the cycle of rebirth.

4. The Truth of the Path (Magga) – The way to this freedom is through the Noble Eightfold Path, a guide for living with wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental discipline. It’s not a doctrine of belief, but a practical path to transformation.

The Noble Eightfold Path, a central pillar of the Buddha’s teachings, is organized into three essential areas of cultivation:

1. Wisdom (Paññā):
- Right Understanding
- Right Intention

2. Ethical Conduct (Sīla):
- Right Speech
- Right Action
- Right Livelihood

3. Mental Discipline (Samādhi):
- Right Effort
- Right Mindfulness
- Right Concentration

Together, these practices are designed to foster clarity, compassion, ethical awareness, and deep meditative insight. The Buddha consistently emphasized personal responsibility on the path, urging his followers:
“Be a lamp unto yourselves; work out your own salvation with diligence.”

Beyond the Eightfold Path, the Buddha outlined several foundational truths that support deeper understanding:

• Impermanence (Anicca): Everything is in a state of constant change; nothing lasts forever.
• Non-Self (Anattā): There is no unchanging, permanent self—what we call “self” is a process, not a fixed entity.
• Dependent Origination (Paṭicca Samuppāda): All phenomena arise due to specific causes and conditions; nothing exists in isolation.

For lay practitioners, the Buddha also recommended the Five Precepts as a guide for ethical living: refraining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and intoxication. These serve as a moral foundation for inner peace and social harmony.

At the heart of the Buddha’s teaching lies a deep commitment to compassion and wisdom. He presented the Dharma not as dogma, but as a practical remedy for suffering- one to be tested and verified through direct experience, not accepted on blind faith. It’s this grounded, experiential approach that has allowed his teachings to remain vibrant and relevant across cultures and centuries.

Symbols and Stories Surrounding Shakyamuni Buddha

Across cultures, Shakyamuni Buddha's life has spawned a rich tradition of symbols and tales that vividly illustrate his teachings. The Bodhi Tree, where he achieved enlightenment, is frequently portrayed with heart-shaped leaves, signifying spiritual development and awakening. Often depicted with deer by its side to evoke the Deer Park at Sarnath, the Dharma Wheel (Dharmachakra), with its eight spokes, symbolizes both his first sermon and the Noble Eightfold Path. The lotus flower stands for purity rising from the mud, much like the enlightened mind. In Buddhist art, the Buddha is portrayed with serene features: half-closed eyes for meditation, a gentle smile for compassion, long earlobes from his princely past, and symbolic hand gestures or mudrās. The teaching mudrā represents his function as a spiritual mentor, while the earth-touching mudrā commemorates his victory over Māra's temptations. Additional characteristics that indicate spiritual wisdom and enlightenment include the aura and ushnisha (topknot). Both followers and admirers can better internalize his path to awakening with the aid of these visual components, which act as potent reminders of his journey and message.

His moral teachings that are illustrated by the stories and legends are also equally impactful. Queen Māyā had a dream of a white elephant that predicted his birth as a great being, and it's said that the Buddha took seven steps right after he was born declaring his final rebirth. From miraculous childhood meditations to his battle with Māra under the Bodhi Tree, these narratives reflect both symbolic and spiritual truths. Famous parables, like Kisā Gotamī and the mustard seed, teach impermanence and compassion through lived experience rather than doctrine. The Buddha is depicted in the Jātaka tales, which tell of his previous incarnations, exhibiting qualities such as patience and generosity—even giving his life to feed a starving tigress. The Buddha's teachings are timeless and relatable because these stories are present in literature, art, and performance. When combined, these tales and symbols strengthen the universal message that anyone who seeks it can be freed from suffering by bridging the gap between abstract doctrine and human experience. This legacy is still preserved and shared by ancient texts like the Pāli Canon and Lalitavistara Sūtra as well as by publications like Buddha Weekly, PBS, and Kagyu Office.