BIOGRAPHY | Davidsindiaproject

PRINCE SIDDHARTHA

I. EARLY YEARS

A. Birth and Early Life

1. Prince Siddhartha was born in the year 563 BCE in northern India near the Himalaya Mountain

2. His full name was Prince Siddhartha Gautama.

3. "Five days after his birth, eight wise men came to the palace for a naming ceremony. Seven of the wise men raised two fingers and said that the prince would either become a Great King or a Buddha."

4. Shortly after the ceremony, his mother, Queen Maha Maya, passed away. The queen's sister, Pajapathi Gotami, who was also married to the prince's father, King Suddhodhana, took care of him.

B. Marriage and Children

1. Prince Siddhartha met Princess Yasodhara, and they soon got married. He was 16 years old.

2. They lived in peace for 12 years.

3. When Siddhartha turned 29, they had a son named him Rahula.

II. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

A. The Four Sights

1. "On his first trip out of the palace, Prince Siddhartha saw an old man and realized that everyone had to one day grow old."

2. "On the second trip, he saw a sick man, and he knew that everyone could become sick."

3. "On the third trip, the prince saw a dead body, and knew that everyone has to die some day."

4. "On the fourth trip, the prince saw a monk and noticed that he was very calm and happy and lead a peaceful life."

5. "After seeing the monk, the prince decided he wanted to leave the palace and help people find peace and happiness like the monk."

B. Leaving the Palace

1. When Rahula was born, King Suddhodhana threw a big party.

2. After the party everyone fell asleep and at midnight, Prince Siddhartha took one last look at Yasodhara and Rahula sleeping soundly, and left the palace.

3. The prince cut off his hair and changed into yellow robes.

4. He was 29 years old when he left the palace.

III. PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

A. The Search for Truth

1. After dressing himself in simple robes, Siddhartha went to houses with his bowl for alms to look for food just like the other monks. Alms are goods given to the poor.

2. He became known as ascetic Gotama and wanted to find a way to end his suffering.

3. An ascetic is a person who gives up worldly pleasures.

4. He met two monks and began learning all of their teachings.

5. He decided he need to find the Truth himself.

B. Seeking Enlightenment

1. Ascetic Gotama was meditating under a Bodhi tree trying to reach Enlightenment.

2. But Mara, the evil god, heard and came to him in a thundering cloud with flashes and lightening. He was determined to stop Gotama.

3. Mara tried to tempt him by sending his three daughters Discontent, Delight and Desire but Siddhartha resisted them all.

4. Siddhartha used his love, generosity, compassion and wisdom to overpower Mara.

5. He cleared his mind of all bad thoughts, became calm and peaceful. He was in deep meditation.

6. In the second part of the night, he saw his past lives and the great cycle of rebirth. He saw the importance of Karma.

7. During the third part of the night, he saw how to gain freedom from the endless cycle and end his suffering.

8. Ascetic Gotama gained Enlightenment and became a Buddha, or "Fully Enlightened One" at the age of 35.

IV. CONTRIBUTIONS

A. Invitation to Preach Dhamma

1. After Enlightenment, the Buddha found that many people were still doing wrong things.

2. The god Brahma Sahampati asked the Buddha three times to teach the Dhamma. After the third time the Buddha finally agreed.

3. The Dhamma teaches you to do good and make the mind happy.

B. Finding Buddhism

1. Buddha traveled, teaching the Four Noble Truths as well as the art of meditation to purify body, speech, and mind. The four truths are:

a. Suffering is present in all things, and nothing lasts forever.

b. Suffering is caused by desires and wants.

c. The way to end suffering is to give up all cravings.

d. The way to give up all cravings it to live life according to the Eightfold Path.

2. The Buddhas teachings spread and soon he had many followers.

3. The truths that the Buddha discovered under the Bodhi tree are the basis of Buddhism.

4. At 80 years old, after preaching for forty-five years, Buddha prepared himself to enter Nirvana, a state of eternal peace, where there is no more birth or death.

5. "Before his final departure, Buddha addressed his disciples: REALIZE YOUR OWN SELF. THE TRUTH IS IN YOUR HEART THAT WILL LEAD YOU TO HEAVEN" [1-4]

V. MY IMPRESSIONS

A. An Amazing Story!

1. I thought the story about how Prince Siddhartha became a Buddha was great.

2. I enjoyed learning about his life and how he gave up the life of riches to live a simple life without worldly pleasures.

3. I think that this choice is more difficult than most people think.

B. Similarities to Jesus

1. As I read the story about the Buddha I noticed there were some similarities to the life of Jesus, with the exception that Jesus was not born rich.

2. But like Jesus, Buddha wanted to help others and teach them to be peaceful.

3. The story about Buddha being tempted by the evil god Mara reminded me of the story when Jesus was in the desert and was tempted by the devil.

4. Overall, I liked reading the story about Prince Siddhartha.

KING ASHOKA

I. EARLY YEARS

A. Birth and Early Life

1. Ashoka was born around 304 BCE in Patliputra, Patna.

2. The legend associated with the emperor goes that his birth had been predicted by Buddha, in the story of "The Gift of Dust"

3. He was the grandson of the famous ruler Chandragupta Maurya and son of Mauryan emperor Bindusara and Maharani Dharma.

4. As a young man, Ashoka was good at whatever he was taught whether it was the art of warfare or reading the Holy Scriptures.

5. Ashoka had many half brothers and was loved by one and all. After his father died, his elder brother Suman took over the reign of the kingdom.

B. Becoming King

1. After Suman took over as king, most of his father's ministers found Ashoka to be a better leader and helped him gain power.

2. After a three year war in which he killed all of his brothers and Ashoka was crowned King of Magadha in 273 BCE at the age of 31.

3. After he became the King, Ashoka started many wars to expand his empire, which lasted for around eight years.

4. Around this time, his Buddhist queen, Devi, gave birth to Prince Mahindra and Princess Sanghamitra.

II. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

A. The Mauryan Empire

1. Asoka was one of the most powerful kings of India and his Mauryan Empire ruled over the country from 273 BC to 232 BC.

2. "The reign of Emperor Asoka covered most of India, South Asia and beyond, stretching from present day Afghanistan and parts of Persia in the west, to Bengal and Assam in the east, and Mysore in the south."

B. The Kalinga War

1. This would be the final battle that Ashoka ever fought. It changed his life forever and it was during this war that he became "Ashoka the Great."

2. Kalinga was a kingdom between the river Godavari and Mahanadi, close to the Bay of Bengal. "It had an infantry of 60,000 men, 10,000 horsemen and 600 elephants."

3. Ashoka wanted to capture this fertile land, and he had it surrounded. The brave and loyal people of Kalinga, however, did not want to lose their independence.

4. A fierce battle followed, in which there were too many victims. In the middle of the battlefield, Ashoka stood with the wounded, crippled and the dead all around him. Ashoka was moved by the number of bodies and the cries of the families of the dead.

6. He saw burnt houses and scattered corpses which made him sick and he cried the famous monologue: “What have I done? If this is a victory, what’s a defeat then? Is this a victory or a defeat? Is this justice or injustice? Is it gallantry or a rout? Is it valor to kill innocent children and women? Do I do it to widen the empire and for prosperity or to destroy the other’s kingdom and splendor? One has lost her husband, someone else a father, someone a child, someone an unborn infant…. What’s this debris of corpses? Are these marks of victory or defeat? Are these vultures, crows, eagles the messengers of death or evil?”

III. PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

A. Chandashoka

1. Emperor Ashoka was a fierce warrior-king who killed anyone who stood in his way. He was a brutal and bloodthirsty, and frequently warred against other countries to expand his empire.

2. Ashoka in his younger days is said to have had a massive temper and was also very wicked and cruel.

3. He once put his ministers through a loyalty test in which he killed 500 of them. He was also nicknamed Chandashoka which means “Ashoka the Cruel.”

B. Ashoka's Conversion

1. After the Kalinga War, Ashoka decided to embrace Buddhism. He supported the Buddhist values of love, peace and nonviolence.

2. He gave up hunting and became a strict vegetarian but most amazingly, Ashoka gave up wars of conquest.

3. He would never again fight another kingdom for its land.

4. Ashoka wanted his people to follow the teachings of Buddhism. He urged them to be kind, respectful and moral and to respect elders, tolerate people of different religions and treat their servants well.

IV. CONTRIBUTIONS

A. Charity

1. Ashoka opened charitable hospitals for the welfare of the poor. He planted trees to provide shade and opened inns for travelers and laid out green parks and gardens to beautify his kingdom.

2. He had water wells built for the welfare of his people.

3. He believed in non-violence and so he banned the sacrifice of animals.

4. His good works earned him the name of Devanamapriya Priyadarshi, which means “one who loves the divinity” and “one who looks at others with love.”

5. Ashoka, himself was a great humanitarian and worked day and night for the welfare of his people.

B. Ashoka’s Edicts

1. Ashoka wanted a strong, united empire guided by Buddhist values. To spread his values, Ashoka had his edicts carved into walls, rocks and tall pillars in public places for all to see.

2. Edicts are a command that is obeyed like a law.

3. Ashoka’s edicts were designed to promote four main goals:

a. Buddhist Values: "Promoted the Buddha’s teachings. It asked for people to be loving, respectful and practice non-violence."

b. General Welfare: "Made sure that people had good health, shelter, clean water and enough food storage."

c. Justice: "Put fair laws in place. The laws also described the way people were to be treated in court."

d. Security: "These edicts dealt with the enemies of the Mauryan Empire regarding issues of peace and conquest."

4. He died in 232 BC. To commemorate his rule and the great things he did the Government of India has adopted the Ashoka Chakra as its national symbol, which can be seen today on the national flag [5-9].

V. MY IMPRESSIONS

A. Cruel King at First

1. At first I thought the story of Ashoka was just about what a cruel leader he was. I also thought that he would remain a cruel leader until he died.

2. Being called Ashoka “The Cruel” proved to me that he was an unkind king.

3. Like other kings that we have studied such as Alexander the Great, Ashoka also expanded his empire by starting wars with other kingdoms and taking their land

B. Conversion to Buddhism

1. I was surprised that in the end Ashoka would become a kind and peaceful ruler.

2. I enjoyed learning about his transformation to a great leader. I was happy to read about all of the great things he did for his people.

3. It made me realize that the impact that the religion of Buddhism had on Ashoka and Prince Siddhartha.

CHANDRAGUPTA AND THE GUPTA EMPIRE

I. EARLY YEARS

A. Rise of the Gupta Empire

1. After the Mauryan Empire fell in about 187 CE, India broke apart into separate kingdoms.

2. Around 319 CE, a second great empire arose in India known as the Gupta Empire, which began under Chandragupta I.

3. The Gupta kings were not Buddhists but Hindus, following the older Indian religion.

B. Chandragupta I

1. Chandragupta I, was the first king of India under the Gupta Empire.

2. He reigned from 319 to 335 CE.

3. He was the grandson of Sri Gupta, who was the first known ruler of the Gupta line.

4. There is not much known about Chandragupta I’s early life, but what is known is that he became a local chief in the kingdom of Magadha.

5. He increased his power and territory by marrying Princess Kumaradevi of the Licchavi tribe in about 308 CE.

6. The union by marriage between the Guptas and Licchavis enhanced their power over the new kingdom.

II. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

A. Important Emperors and Facts

1. Chandragupta I (319 to 335 CE)

a. He was the son of Ghatotkacha and grandson of Srigupta.

b. He married Kumaradevi which made the Gupta empire more powerful.

c. He took the title 'Maharajadiraja' which means "king of kings."

2. Samudragupta (335 to 375 CE)

a. He was the son of Chandragupta I.

b. He expanded the empire and is known as the "Indian Napoleon.”

c. During hsi reign many great achievements were made in the fields of mathematics, science and the arts.

d. He was a believer of Hinduism but respected other religions.

3. Chandragupta II (375 to 414 CE)

a. He was the son of Samudragupta.

b. He conquered the peninsula of Saurashtra by the Arabian Sea.

c. Some of the great Hindu art was created during his reign.

4. Kumaragupta (414 to 455 CE)

a. He was the son of Chandragupta II.

b. He assumed the title, Mahendraditya.

c. The University of Nalanda was established during his reign.

5. Skandagupta (455 to 467 CE)

a. He was the son of Kumaragupta.

b. He took the title of Vikramaditya and Kramaditya.

c. He defeated the Pushyamitra, who became powerful during Kumaragupta's reign.

d. He defeated the White Hunas but the war affected the wealth of the Gupta Empire and the empire eventually fell to the Huns.

B. Reign

1. After the fall of the Mauryan Empire, India broke into separate kingdoms.

2. The Gupta family line of kings united the northern kingdoms by conquering them through war.

3. They formed alliances by arranging marriages with the sons and daughters of other rulers.

4. The Gupta Empire lasted about 230 years from 320 to 550 CE.

III. PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

A. The Guptas Return to Hinduism

1. Under the rule of Guptan kings, the people of India returned to their Hindu roots. Hinduism became the religion of the Gupta Empire, and leaders encouraged the people to follow the teachings in the sacred Hindu writings.

B. The Golden Age

1. Guptan Kings lowered taxes and encouraged freedom and personal development. The Guptan Empire became the center of arts, learning, science and technology, astronomy and math for the region.

2. Many historians have called the reign of the Gupta Empire the “Golden Age” of India, a time of prosperity, achievement and peace.

3. Universities and colleges were built, many literary works were created, paintings and sculptures were made, metalworking, advances in mathematics and building of roads were all part of the Golden Age.

C. Similarities to the Mauryan Empire

1. Like the Mauryans, the Guptas set up a central government to oversee the Empire.

2. A council made up of advisors and members of the royal family helped the king make important decisions.

IV. CONTRIBUTIONS

A. Universities and Colleges

1. The Guptas built both Hindu and Buddhist universities all around the Empire. Hindu universities were for the upper class and provided religious training.

2. Students attended classes in religion, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry and Sanskrit. They also learned sculpture, painting, music and dancing.

3. The most famous university built was the Buddhist school at Nalanda, which had 8 colleges and 3 libraries. It also included a hospital and a monastery, which is a home for monks.

4. Students of medicine learned "to make cures from bark, roots, and leaves. They used the front claws of giant ants to stitch up wounds."

5. Hindu doctors were especially skilled at surgery.

B. Metalworking

1. The Gupta kings controlled mines of gold, copper and iron. Metalworkers made gold and copper coins and engraved the coins with pictures of the Gupta ruler.

2. The iron pillar at Meharauli is an extraordinary example of ironwork. The pillar stands 25 feet tall and weighs 13,000 pounds. The sides of the pillar describe the accomplishments of a Gupta emperor.

3. After 1,600 years the pillar is rust-free even though rain and snow fall on it.

C. Mathematics

1. The Gupta Hindu mathematicians used the decimal system and were the first to treat zero as a number.

2. Aryabhata was one of the famous mathematicians during the Gupta Empire. Using mathematics and astronomy he figured out that a year was exactly 365.258 days long!

3. He figured out the approximate size of Earth, proposed that planets were spheres, and was one of the first to suggest that the Earth rotated on an axis.

4. Because of the advancement in Mathematics, Gupta builders were able to design more complex structures [10-14].

V. MY IMPRESSIONS

A. Achievements

1. There were many more contributions by the Gupta Empire that I read about; I just chose my favorite 3.

2. It was interesting to read all of the accomplishments of the Gupta Empir and how the government and leaders encouraged it.

3. I also realized that this achievement came during a time of peace. If the empire had been constantly at war they would not have had the time to accomplish everything that they did. Even more reason why war is never a good thing.

B. Legacy

1. Even though the Gupta Empire disappeared, the Gupta culture remained. Much of modern Indian culture was first established by the Guptas.

2. The mathematics system developed during The Gupta Empire is still used today.

3. The ruins of the University of Nalanda and the complex temples built during the Gupta Empire are reminders of the incredible achievements during the "Golden Age" of ancient India.