The document provides biographical information about Siddhartha Gautama, who became the Buddha. It describes how he was born a prince but realized the universal suffering in the world. He renounced his royal life at age 29 and wandered as an ascetic seeking truth and peace. At age 35, after rejecting extremes of indulgence and self-mortification, he attained enlightenment under a bodhi tree and became the Buddha. The Buddha taught that through their own efforts, all people can reach deliverance from suffering by following the Middle Path. He established orders for men and women to learn and teach his philosophy of awakening.

1. BUDDHA – A VIVID HUMAN
PERSONALITY
A PRESENTATION
BY
C. THAMOTHARAN
NOTE: THIS PRESENTATION IS NOT MEANT FOR COMMERCIAL
PURPOSES.

3. MATERIAL COLLECTED WITH
GRATITUDE
FROM
“Buddhism in a Nutshell”
By Ven.Narada, Thera.
Published by
Buddhist Publication society, Kandy,
Sri Lanka

4. Namo tassa bhagavato arahato
sammāsambuddhassā.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato
sammāsambuddhassā.
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato
sammāsambuddhassā.
(Meaning: Homage to him, the worthy one, the one
without any defilements, the fully self-enlightened
one.)

5. What is Buddhism?
Buddhism can be called the
philosophy of awakening or
enlightenment, a state of inner peace
and wisdom. Buddha means an
enlightened one.
It has its origin in the experiences of a
man called Siddhartha Gautama, who
became a Buddha at the age of 35.

6. Who was Siddhartha Gautama?
Siddhartha Gautama was a prince
born to the Sakya King, Suddhodhana
and his Queen Mahamaya. The Sakya
kings ruled the areas falling on the
borders of Nepal and India, along the
northern part of the State of Uttar
Pradesh, in the first millennium, BCE .

7. Gautama was married and had a son.
His contemplative nature and boundless
compassion did not allow him to enjoy
the pleasures of a royal life.
He realized the universality of sorrow and
felt pity for the suffering humanity.

8. At the age of 29, Gautama renounced all
worldly pleasures.
He became an ascetic and wandered forth
in search of Truth and Peace.
The renouncement came not at an old age
but, in the prime of youth, not in poverty
but in plenty.

9. He was convinced of the futilities of the
two extremes of self-indulgence and
self-mortification.
He avoided them and discovered a new
way, called the Middle Path.
He realized things as they truly were
and became a Buddha.

10. WHO WAS BUDDHA?
The Buddha was a human being.
As a man he was born, as a man
he lived and as a man he died.
Though an extraordinary man, he never
arrogated to himself, divinity.
He never gave others scope for treating
him an immortal divine being.

11. The Buddha is neither an incarnation of
any God nor is he a savior of anyone.
He even tells his disciples to depend on
themselves, as they themselves are
responsible for their purity or defilement.
The Buddha only shows the path.

12. The Buddha reached the highest possible state
of perfection without the help of any teacher.
He doesn’t claim monopoly over Buddhahood.
He doesn’t condemn anyone.
According to him, the world is not wicked but
deluded by ignorance.
For him everyone is a potential Buddha .

13. The Buddha proclaimed to the world the latent
possibilities and creative power of man.
He raised the worth of mankind by not placing
man under an unseen Almighty God.
It is he who taught that man can get his
deliverance through his own efforts.
It is he who taught the noble ideal of selfless
service.

14. It was he who revolted against the caste
system. Probably, the first social reformer.
It was he who taught equality of mankind.
It was he who gave equal opportunity to all to
distinguish themselves.
He established celibate orders for both
deserving men and women to walk the talk.

15. The Buddha never wanted his followers to be
slaves of either himself or his teachings.
He gave them full freedom of thought.
He never discouraged them by reserving
Buddhahood only to himself.
He encouraged and induced them to emulate
him.

16. The Buddha comforted the bereaved with
his consoling words.
He ministered to the sick that were
deserted.
He helped the poor that were neglected.
He ennobled the lives of the deluded.
He purified the corrupted lives of
criminals.

17. The Buddha:
Encouraged the feeble, United the divided,
Enlightened the ignorant, Clarified the mystic,
Guided the benighted, Elevated the base and
Dignified the noble.
His noble example was a source of inspiration
to all.

18. No surprise, H.G.Wells saw in Buddha “A
man, simple, devout, lonely, battling for
light - a vivid human personality, not a
myth”.
That is why Buddha’s serene and peaceful
countenance continues to be a soothing
sight to all who believe in humanity.

20. THANK YOU!