102-748: Bodh Gayā is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple complex, situated in the Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar . It is famous for being the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment ( Pali : bodhi ) under what became known as the Bodhi Tree . Since antiquity, Bodh Gayā has remained the object of pilgrimage and veneration, for both Hindus and Buddhists . In particular, archaeological finds, including sculptures, show that
204-730: A UNESCO World Heritage Site . Bodh Gayā is considered to be the holiest site in Buddhism. Known as Uruvela in the Buddha's time, it is situated by the bank of the Lilajan River . The first temple at the site was built by Maurya Emperor Ashoka . Traditionally, it is believed that the Buddha was born in 563 BCE on the next Baisakhi purnima (second full moon in calendar years that do not themselves start during full moon) in Lumbini Nepal. As Siddhartha, he renounced his family at
306-643: A three-year term, must by law consist of four Buddhist and four Hindu representatives, including the head of Sankaracharya Math monastery as an ex-officio Hindu member. A 2013 Amendment to the Bodhgaya Temple Management Act allows the Gaya District Magistrate to be the chairman of the committee, even if he is not Hindu. The advisory board consists of the governor of Bihar and twenty to twenty-five other members, half of them from foreign Buddhist countries. In June 2002,
408-486: A Buddha is born during the new kalpa, the lotus flowers bloom in accordance with the number of Buddhas expected to arise. According to legend, in the case of Gautama Buddha , a Bodhi tree sprang up on the day he was born. In approximately 250 BCE, about 200 years after the Buddha attained enlightenment , Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire visited Bodh Gaya in order to establish a monastery and shrine on
510-553: A branch with the cooperation of senior members of the temple's management committee. While the temple's spokesman stated that botanists had pruned the tree, the Bihar home secretary ordered the tree examined. A criminal charge was filed against Bodhipala. If convicted, Bodhipala would be subject to at least 10 years' imprisonment. Following the expiration of the committee's term in September 2007, Bihar's government delayed appointing
612-546: A grant to Sri Lankan monks near the Mahabodhi temple. During the 12th century CE, Bodh Gayā and the nearby regions were invaded and destroyed by Muslim Turk armies, led by Delhi Sultanate 's Qutb al-Din Aibak and Bakhtiyar Khilji . The complex, located about 110 kilometres (68 mi) from Patna , at 24°41′43″N 84°59′38″E / 24.69528°N 84.99389°E / 24.69528; 84.99389 , contains
714-457: A logical elongation of the stepped Gandharan stupas. This truncated pyramid design also marked the evolution from the aniconic stupa dedicated to the cult of relics, to the iconic temple with multiple images of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. This design was very influential in the development of later Hindu temples . The " shikhara " tower with an amalaka near the top is today considered more characteristic of Hindu temples . The Temple
816-485: A low intensity bomb blast took place in the Mahabodhi Temple complex. This was followed by a series of nine low intensity blasts which resulted in two monks being injured; one was Tibetan and the other Burmese. These blasts were carried out by an Islamic terrorist organization called Indian Mujahideen . Two other bombs, one under the 80-foot statue of the Buddha and the other near Karmapa Temple were defused by
918-553: A new Committee and the district magistrate administered the temple pending such appointment. Eventually, on May 16, 2008, the government announced the appointment of a new Temple Management Committee. As of June 2017 , the Temple's head monk was Bhikkhu Chalinda. In 2013, the upper portion of the temple was covered with 289 kg of gold. The gold was a gift from the King of Thailand and devotees from Thailand and installed with
1020-469: A restoration of earlier work of the 2nd or 3rd century: a plaque from Kumrahar dated 150–200 CE, based on its dated Kharoshthi inscriptions and combined finds of Huvishka coins, already shows the Mahabodhi Temple in its current shape with a stepped truncated pyramid and a small hemispherical stupa with finials on top. This is confirmed by archaeological excavations in Bodh Gaya . It is thought that
1122-419: A temple with the same name and modelled on the original Mahabodhi Temple. It is said that six weeks after the Buddha began meditating under the Bodhi Tree , the heavens darkened for seven days, and a prodigious rain descended. However, the mighty king of serpents, Mucalinda , came from beneath the earth and protected with his hood the one who is the source of all protection. When the great storm had cleared,
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#17327650641181224-601: A village woman, offered Siddhartha a bowl of rice milk, providing him with nourishment after years of severe asceticism. This act of kindness is said to have given Siddhartha the strength to pursue the Middle Path, ultimately leading to his enlightenment. The temple stands near the banks of the Niranjana River, symbolizing the site where this transformative event took place. Architecturally, the Sujata Temple
1326-500: A wide area around the Mahabodhi Temple. These buildings reflect the architectural styles and decoration of their respective countries. The statue of the Buddha in the Chinese temple is 200 years old, and was brought from China. Japan's Nippon temple is shaped like a pagoda . The Myanmar (Burmese) temple is also pagoda-shaped and is reminiscent of Bagan . The Thai temple has a typical sloping, curved roof covered with golden tiles. Inside,
1428-482: Is 15 km from Gaya and is about 96 km (60 mi) from Patna . The site contains a descendant of the Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment and has been a major pilgrimage destination of Buddhists for over two thousand years. Some of the site's elements date to the period of Ashoka (died c. 232 BCE ). What is now visible on the ground dates from the 6th century CE, or possibly earlier, as well as several major restorations since
1530-405: Is a core problem in the study of Buddhism, and is one of the fundamentals of Buddhist practice. Bodhi , Sanskrit बोधि , "awakening", "perfect knowledge", "perfect knowledge or wisdom (by which a man becomes a बुद्ध [Buddha ] or जिन [ jina , arahant ; "victorious", "victor" ], the illuminated or enlightened intellect (of a Buddha or जिन)". The word Bodhi is an abstract noun , formed from
1632-689: Is equivalent to vipassana , insight into the three marks of existence, namely anicca , dukkha and anatta . Insight leads to the four stages of enlightenment and Nirvana. In Mahayana Buddhism Prajna (Sanskrit) means "insight" or "wisdom", and entails insight into sunyata . The attainment of this insight is often seen as the attainment of "enlightenment". Wu is the Chinese term for initial insight. Kensho and satori are Japanese terms used in Zen traditions. Kensho means "seeing into one's true nature". Ken means "seeing", sho means "nature", "essence", c.q Buddha-nature. Satori (Japanese)
1734-561: Is modest yet deeply revered, attracting pilgrims and tourists alike who seek to honor the compassion of Sujata and the profound moment that it represents in Buddhist history. The surrounding village and the serene landscape add to the temple's spiritual ambiance, making it a place of contemplation and homage. An 80-foot (24 m) statue of the Buddha, known as The Great Buddha Statue is located in Bodhgaya. The unveiling and consecration of
1836-535: Is my last birth, now there is no rebirth." Schmithausen notes that the mention of the four noble truths as constituting "liberating insight", which is attained after mastering the Rupa Jhanas, is a later addition to texts such as Majjhima Nikaya 36. Bronkhorst notices that ...the accounts which include the Four Noble Truths had a completely different conception of the process of liberation than
1938-519: Is often used interchangeably with kensho, but refers to the experience of kensho. The Rinzai tradition sees kensho as essential to the attainment of Buddhahood , but considers further practice essential to attain Buddhahood. East-Asian (Chinese) Buddhism emphasizes insight into Buddha-nature. This term is derived from Indian tathagata-garbha thought, "the womb of the thus-gone" (the Buddha),
2040-501: Is often used to distinguish the enlightenment of a Buddha from that of an Arhat. The term Buddha and the way to Buddhahood is understood somewhat differently in the various Buddhist traditions. An equivalent term for Buddha is Tathāgata , "the thus-gone". In the suttapitaka , the Buddhist canon as preserved in the Theravada tradition, a couple of texts can be found in which the Buddha's attainment of liberation forms part of
2142-454: Is process-oriented. The western use of the term "enlighten" has Christian roots, as in Calvin's "It is God alone who enlightens our minds to perceive his truths". Early 19th-century bodhi was translated as "intelligence". The term "enlighten" was first being used in 1835, in an English translation of a French article, while the first recorded use of the term 'enlightenment' is credited (by
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#17327650641182244-399: Is realized that observer and observed are not distinct entities, but mutually co-dependent. The term vidhya is being used in contrast to avidhya , ignorance or the lack of knowledge, which binds us to samsara . The Mahasaccaka Sutta describes the three knowledges which the Buddha attained: According to Bronkhorst, the first two knowledges are later additions, while insight into
2346-552: Is situated 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) northeast of Benares . The disciples of Gautama began to visit the place during the full moon in the month of Vaisakh (April–May), as per the Hindu calendar . Over time, the place became known as Bodh Gayā, the day of enlightenment as Buddha Purnima , and the tree as the Bodhi Tree. The history of Bodh Gayā is documented by many inscriptions and pilgrimage accounts. Foremost among these are
2448-514: Is the actualisation of insight, leading to an awakened awareness which is "non-reactive and lucid". In Mahayana-thought, bodhi is the realisation of the inseparability of samsara and nirvana , and the unity of subject and object. Similar to prajna , the realizing of the Buddha-nature , bodhi realizes sunyata and suchness . In time, the Buddha's awakening came to be understood as an immediate full awakening and liberation, instead of
2550-609: Is the same as liberation. The usage of the term "enlightenment" to translate "nirvana" was popularized in the 19th century, in part, due to the efforts of Max Müller, who used the term consistently in his translations. There are three recognized types of Buddha: Siddhartha Gautama , known as the Buddha, is said to have achieved full awakening, known as samyaksaṃbodhi (Sanskrit; Pāli: sammāsaṃbodhi ), "perfect Buddhahood", or anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi , "highest perfect awakening". Specifically, anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi , literally meaning unsurpassed, complete and perfect enlightenment,
2652-550: Is under active worship in the sanctum. Mahabodhi Temple is constructed of brick and is one of the oldest brick structures to have survived in eastern India. It is considered to be a fine example of Indian brickwork , and was highly influential in the development of later architectural traditions. According to UNESCO, "the present temple is one of the earliest and most imposing structures built entirely in brick from Gupta period " (300–600 CE). Mahabodhi Temple's central tower rises 55 metres (180 ft), and were heavily renovated in
2754-463: The Bodhisattva is the ideal. The ultimate goal is not only of one's own liberation in Buddhahood, but the liberation of all living beings. The cosmology of Mahayana Buddhism regards a wide range of buddhas and bodhisattvas, who assist humans on their way to liberation. Nichiren Buddhism , a branch of Mahayana Buddhism, regards Buddhahood as a state of perfect freedom, in which one is awakened to
2856-540: The Enlightenment as the free, unimpeded use of reason. Müller's translation echoed this idea, portraying Buddhism as a rational and enlightened religion that aligns with the natural religious truths inherent to human beings. By the mid-1870s it had become commonplace to call the Buddha "enlightened", and by the end of the 1880s the terms "enlightened" and "enlightenment" dominated the English literature. While
2958-472: The Four Noble Truths is here called awakening. The monk ( bhikkhu ) has "...attained the unattained supreme security from bondage." Awakening is also described as synonymous with Nirvana , the extinction of the passions whereby suffering is ended and no more rebirths take place. The insight arises that this liberation is certain: "Knowledge arose in me, and insight: my freedom is certain, this
3060-516: The Jatakas , the navel of the earth lies at this spot, and no other place can support the weight of the Buddha's attainment. Another Buddhist tradition claims that when the world is destroyed at the end of a kalpa , the Bodhimanda is the last spot to disappear, and will be the first to appear when the world emerges into existence again. Tradition also claims that a lotus will bloom there, and if
3162-600: The Middle Way . The stupa was built in the 2nd century BCE, as confirmed by finds of black polished wares and punch-marked coins in the attending monastery. The Sujata Temple, located in Sujata Village in Bakrour near Bodhgaya , India, is a significant historical and religious site associated with the life of Siddhartha Gautama, who later became the Buddha. This temple commemorates the pivotal moment when Sujata,
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3264-733: The Pala Empire in the northeast of the subcontinent (where the temple is situated). Mahayana Buddhism flourished under the Palas between the 8th and the 12th century. However, after the defeat of the Palas by the Sena dynasty , Buddhism's position again began to erode and became nearly extinct in India . During the 12th century CE, Bodh Gaya and the nearby regions were invaded and destroyed by Muslim Turk armies, led by Delhi Sultanate 's Qutb al-Din Aibak and Bakhtiyar Khilji . During this period,
3366-527: The Phalgu river, near the city of Gaya , India. There he sat in meditation under a peepul tree ( Ficus religiosa or Sacred Fig ) which later became known as the Bodhi tree. According to Buddhist scriptures, after three days and three nights, Siddharta attained enlightenment and freedom from suffering. In that location, Mahabodhi Temple was built by Emperor Ashoka in around 260 BCE. The Buddha then spent
3468-542: The Sunga period. There are carved panels as well as medallions, with many scenes similar to those of the contemporary Sunga railings at Bharhut (150 BCE) and Sanchi (115 BCE), although the reliefs at Sanchi Stupa No.2 are often considered the oldest of all. The railing was extended during the following century, down to the end of Gupta period (7th century), with coarse granite decorated with elaborate foliate ornaments and small figures as well as stupas. Many parts of
3570-454: The "blowing out" ( nirvana ) of disturbing emotions and desires; and the attainment of supreme Buddhahood ( samyak sam bodhi ), as exemplified by Gautama Buddha . What exactly constituted the Buddha's awakening is unknown. It may have involved the knowledge that liberation was attained by the combination of mindfulness and dhyāna , applied to the understanding of the arising and ceasing of craving. The relation between dhyana and insight
3672-430: The 19th century. The central tower is surrounded by four smaller towers, constructed in the same style. The Mahabodhi Temple is surrounded on all four sides by stone railings, about two metres high. The railings reveal two distinct types, both in style as well as the materials used. The older ones, made of sandstone , date to about 150 BCE, and the others, constructed from unpolished coarse granite , are believed to be of
3774-514: The 19th century. The structure, however, also potentially incorporates large parts of earlier work, possibly from the 2nd or 3rd-century CE. Archaeological finds from the site indicate that the place was a site of veneration for Buddhists since at least the Mauryan period . In particular, the Vajrasana , which is located within the temple itself has been dated to the third-century BCE. Many of
3876-541: The Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949. The committee has nine members, a majority of whom, including the chairman, must by law be Hindus. Mahabodhi's first head monk under the management committee was Anagarika Munindra , a Bengali man who had been an active member of the Maha Bodhi Society . In 2013, the Bihar government amended the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, allowing for a non-Hindu to head
3978-478: The Buddha was abandoned by the five men who had been his companions in his earlier austerities, as all they saw was an ordinary man; mocking his well-nourished appearance, they said "Here comes the mendicant Gautama, who has turned away from asceticism. He is certainly not worth our respect." When they reminded him of his former vows, the Buddha replied, "Austerities only confuse the mind. In the exhaustion and mental stupor to which they lead, one can no longer understand
4080-559: The Buddha) or Mahabodhi ('Great Enlightenment'). The main monastery of Bodh Gayā used to be called the Bodhimanda-vihāra ( Pali ); it is now known as the Mahabodhi Temple . During the period from the 11th to 13th centuries, Bodh Gayā was under the control of local chieftains known as the Pithipatis of Bodh Gaya who were responsible for the management of the region. One of their rulers, Acarya Buddhasena, has been recorded as making
4182-556: The Buddhist canon: "that the five Skandhas are impermanent, disagreeable, and neither the Self nor belonging to oneself"; "the contemplation of the arising and disappearance ( udayabbaya ) of the five Skandhas"; "the realisation of the Skandhas as empty ( rittaka ), vain ( tucchaka ) and without any pith or substance ( asaraka ). An example of this substitution, and its consequences, is Majjhima Nikaya 36:42–43, which gives an account of
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4284-408: The Buddhist tradition regards bodhi as referring to full and complete liberation ( samyaksambudh ), it also has the more modest meaning of knowing that the path that is being followed leads to the desired goal. According to Johannes Bronkhorst , Tillman Vetter, and K.R. Norman, bodhi was at first not specified. K.R. Norman: It is not at all clear what gaining bodhi means. We are accustomed to
4386-615: The Diamond throne. These columns are thought to date to the 1st century BCE, towards the end of the Sungas. These columns, which were found through archaeological research at the Buddha's Walk in the Mahabodhi Temple, quite precisely match the columns described on the reliefs found on the gateway pillars. The railings around the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya are ancient. They are old sandstone posts dating about 150 BCE, during
4488-547: The Great Buddha Statue took place on 18 November 1989. The consecration ceremony was attended by the 14th Dalai Lama, who blessed the statue, the first great Buddha ever built in the history of India. Under the slogan "Spread Buddha's rays to the Whole World," Daijokyo spent seven years on construction of the Great Buddha Statue, mobilizing 120,000 masons in total. On 7 July 2013, at around 5:15 a.m.,
4590-649: The Gupta period. The older railings have scenes such as Lakshmi , the Hindu / Buddhist goddess of wealth, being bathed by elephants; and Surya , the Hindu sun god, riding a chariot drawn by four horses. The newer railings have figures of stupas (reliquary shrines) and garudas (eagles). Images of lotus flowers also appear commonly. Images of the site include Avalokiteśvara (Padmapani, Khasarpana), Vajrapani , Tara , Marichi , Yamantaka , Jambhala and Vajravārāhī . For centuries before its re-"discovery" by Europeans,
4692-503: The Mahabodhi Temple became a UNESCO World Heritage Site . All finds of religious artefacts in the area are legally protected under the Treasure Trove Act of 1878. The temple's head monk, Bhikkhu Bodhipala, resigned in 2007 after he was charged with cutting the branches of Holy Bodhi Tree on a regular basis and selling them to foreigners for significant amounts of money. A newspaper alleged that wealthy Thai buyers bought
4794-411: The Mahabodhi Temple fell into disrepair and was largely abandoned. The last abbot of the Mahabodhi temple was Sariputra , who left India and travelled to Nepal in the 15th century. Over the following centuries, the monastery's abbot or mahant position became occupied by the area's primary landholder, who claimed ownership of the Mahabodhi Temple grounds. In the 13th century, Burmese Buddhists built
4896-534: The Mahabodhi Temple with the Vajrasana or "diamond throne" and the holy Bodhi tree . This tree was originally a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Sri Lanka , itself grown from a what is claimed to be a sapling of the original Bodhi tree. In approximately 250 BCE, about 200 years after the Buddha attained Enlightenment, Emperor Asoka visited Bodh Gayā in order to establish a monastery and shrine on
4998-470: The Mahabodhi temple complex are testament to this. A sixth-century donative record of a Sri Lankan monk named Mahānāman states that a temple was built at the Bodhimaṇḍa and attests to ties between the Mahabodhi temple and Sri Lanka . From the eleventh-century onwards, patronage increased from countries like Tibet , China , Sri Lanka and Burma . King Kyansittha sent the first Burmese expedition to
5100-427: The Mahabodhi temple during this period. Three additional missions also took place up to the fourteenth century. The purpose of these missions seems to have been to carry out repairs on the temple structure while also sending gifts among which were musical instruments . Donations also came from non-royal sources. So far, five Chinese inscriptions have been found at the temple complex which records gifts by Chinese monks in
5202-736: The Oxford English Dictionary) to the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (February 1836). In 1857 The Times used the term "the Enlightened" for the Buddha in a short article, which was reprinted the following year by Max Müller . Thereafter, the use of the term subsided, but reappeared with the publication of Max Müller's Chips from a german Workshop , which included a reprint from the Times article. The book
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#17327650641185304-406: The abandonment of the ten fetters and the cessation of dukkha or suffering. Full awakening is reached in four stages. According to Nyanatiloka, (Through Bodhi) one awakens from the slumber or stupor (inflicted upon the mind) by the defilements ( kilesa , q.v.) and comprehends the Four Noble Truths ( sacca , q.v.). Since the 1980s, western Theravada-oriented teachers have started to question
5406-604: The accounts of the Chinese pilgrims Faxian in the 5th century and Xuanzang in the 7th century. The area was at the heart of a Buddhist civilization for centuries, until it was conquered by Turkic armies in the 13th century. The placename, Bodh Gayā, did not come into use until the 18th century CE. Historically, it was known as Uruvela, Sambodhi ( [REDACTED] , Saṃ + bodhi , meaning 'Complete Enlightenment' in Ashoka's Major Rock Edict No.8 ), Vajrasana (the ' Diamond Throne ' of
5508-555: The age of 29 in 534 BCE, and travelled and meditated in search of truth. After practicing self-mortification for six years at Urubela (Buddhagaya) in Gaya, he gave up that practice because it did not give him liberation. Then he discovered the Noble Eightfold Path of his own and practiced it, finally reaching enlightenment: a state of being completely free from lust (raga), hatred (dvesha) and delusion (moha). At this point,
5610-548: The approval of the Archaeological Survey of India. On 7 July 2013, ten low-intensity bombs exploded in the temple complex, injuring 5 people. One bomb was near the statue of Buddha and another was near the Mahabodhi tree. Three unexploded bombs were also found and defused. The blasts took place between 5.30 a.m. and 6.00 a.m. The main temple was undamaged. The Intelligence Bureau of India may have alerted state officials of possible threats around 15 days prior to
5712-441: The awakening of the Buddha. The term bodhi acquired a variety of meanings and connotations during the development of Buddhist thoughts in the various schools. In early Buddhism, bodhi carried a meaning synonymous to nirvana , using only a few different metaphors to describe the insight, which implied the extinction of lobha (greed), dosa (hate) and moha (delusion). In Theravada Buddhism , bodhi and nirvana carry
5814-717: The bombing. On 4 November 2013, the National Investigation Agency announced that the Islamic terrorist group Indian Mujahideen was responsible for the bombings. Mahabodhi Temple is one of the most replicated Buddhist structures, both as temples and miniature replicas. Bodhi The English term enlightenment is the Western translation of various Buddhist terms, most notably bodhi and vimutti . The abstract noun bodhi ( / ˈ b oʊ d i / ; Sanskrit : बोधि ; Pali : bodhi ) means
5916-482: The conception of what exactly this "liberating insight" was developed throughout time. Whereas originally it may not have been specified, later on the four truths served as such, to be superseded by pratityasamutpada , and still later, in the Hinayana schools, by the doctrine of the non-existence of a substantial self or person. And Schmithausen notices that still other descriptions of this "liberating insight" exist in
6018-532: The eleventh century. One of these monks stated in their inscription that they were sent on behalf of the Song Emperor . Local polities like the Pithipatis of Bodh Gaya also played a role in patronising the temple. Buddhism declined when the dynasties patronizing it declined, following Huna invasions and the early Arab Islamic invasions such as that of Muhammad bin Qasim . A strong revival occurred under
6120-502: The four truths represents a later development, in response to concurring religious traditions, in which "liberating insight" came to be stressed over the practice of dhyana . Vimukthi, also called moksha , means "freedom", "release", "deliverance". Sometimes a distinction is being made between ceto-vimukthi , "liberation of the mind", and panna-vimukthi , "liberation by understanding". The Buddhist tradition recognises two kinds of ceto-vimukthi , one temporarily and one permanent,
6222-629: The holy site, which has today disappeared. There remains however the Diamond throne , which he had established at the foot of the Bodhi tree . The Diamond throne, or Vajrasana , is thought to have been built by Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire between 250 and 233 BCE, at the location where the Buddha reached enlightenment. It is worshipped today, and is the centre of many festivities at
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#17327650641186324-418: The holy site. Representations of this early temple are found at Sanchi , on the toraṇas of Stūpa I, dating from around 25 BCE, and on a relief carving from the stupa railing at Bhārhut , from the early Shunga period ( c. 185 – c. 73 BCE ). Kittisirimegha of Sri Lanka , a contemporary of Samudragupta , erected with his permission a Sanghārāma near the Mahabodhi Temple, chiefly for
6426-539: The inherent potential of every sentient being to become a Buddha . This idea was integrated with the Yogacara-idea of the ālaya vijñāna , and further developed in Chinese Buddhism , which integrated Indian Buddhism with native Chinese thought. Buddha-nature came to mean both the potential of awakening and the whole of reality, a dynamic interpenetration of absolute and relative. In this awakening it
6528-599: The initial railing have been dismantled and are now in museums, such as the Indian Museum in Kolkata , and have been replaced by plaster copies. While Asoka is considered the Mahabodhi temple's founder, the current pyramidal structure dates from the Gupta Empire , in the 5th–6th century CE. It's identical to the architectural styles of Hindu temples still being constructed in India. However, this may represent
6630-430: The insight into and certainty about the way to follow to reach enlightenment. In some Zen traditions, however, this perfection came to be relativized again; according to one contemporary Zen master, "Shakyamuni buddha and Bodhidharma are still practicing." Mahayana discerns three forms of awakened beings: Within the various Mahayana-schools exist various further explanations and interpretations. In Mahāyāna Buddhism,
6732-403: The jungle, and the attainment of awakening. The Mahasaccaka Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 36) describes his ascetic practices, which he abandoned. Thereafter he remembered a spontaneous state of jhana, and set out for jhana-practice. Both suttas narrate how, after destroying the disturbances of the mind , and attaining concentration of the mind , he attained three knowledges (vidhya): Insight into
6834-402: The knowledge or wisdom , or awakened intellect, of a Buddha. The verbal root budh- means "to awaken", and its literal meaning is closer to awakening . Although the term buddhi is also used in other Indian philosophies and traditions, its most common usage is in the context of Buddhism . Vimutti is the freedom from or release of the fetters and hindrances . The term enlightenment
6936-454: The largest over 55 metres (180 feet) high. This is a stylistic feature that has continued in Jain and Hindu temples to the present day, and influenced Buddhist architecture in other countries, in forms like the pagoda . Traditional accounts say that, around 589 BCE, Siddhartha Gautama , a young prince who saw the suffering of the world and wanted to end it, reached the forested banks of
7038-451: The last being equivalent to panna-vimukthi . Yogacara uses the term āśraya parāvŗtti , "revolution of the basis", ... a sudden revulsion, turning, or re-turning of the ālaya vijñāna back into its original state of purity [...] the Mind returns to its original condition of non-attachment, non-discrimination and non-duality". Nirvana is the "blowing out" of disturbing emotions, which
7140-415: The majority of English books on Buddhism use the term "enlightenment" to translate the term bodhi . The root budh , from which both bodhi and Buddha are derived, means "to wake up" or "to recover consciousness". Cohen notes that bodhi is not the result of an illumination, but of a path of realization, or coming to understanding. The term "enlightenment" is event-oriented, whereas the term "awakening"
7242-529: The most well-known leaders of this campaign to free the temple from Hindu control. The Bihar state government assumed responsibility for the protection, management, and monitoring of the temple and its properties when India gained its independence. Pursuant to the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949, such responsibilities are shared with the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee, and an advisory board. The committee, which serves for
7344-484: The narrative. The Ariyapariyesana Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 26) describes how the Buddha was dissatisfied with the teachings of Āḷāra Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta , wandered further through Magadhan country, and then found "an agreeable piece of ground" which served for striving. The sutta then only says that he attained Nibbana. In the Vanapattha Sutta (Majjhima Nikaya 17) the Buddha describes life in
7446-517: The oldest sculptural elements have been moved to the museum beside the temple, and some, such as the carved stone railing wall around the main structure, have been replaced by replicas. The main temple's survival is especially impressive, as it was mostly made of brick covered with stucco , materials that are much less durable than stone. However, it is understood that very little of the original sculptural decoration has survived. The temple complex includes two large straight-sided shikhara towers,
7548-503: The one which includes the Four Dhyanas and the destruction of the intoxicants. It calls in question the reliability of these accounts, and the relation between dhyana and insight, which is a core problem in the study of early Buddhism. Originally the term prajna may have been used, which came to be replaced by the four truths in those texts where "liberating insight" was preceded by the four jhanas. Bronkhorst also notices that
7650-537: The ordinary things of life, still less the truth that lies beyond the senses. I have given up extremes of either luxury or asceticism. I have discovered the Middle Way." This is explained as the path which is neither easy (his former life as a rich prince) nor hard (living in austere conditions, practicing self-denial). Hearing this, the five ascetics became the Buddha's first disciples in Deer Park, Sarnath , which
7752-479: The partial restoration of the site to the management of the Maha Bodhi Society in 1949. It was then the temple management of Bodh Gaya was entrusted to a committee composed of equal numbers of Hindus and Buddhists. The campaign was partially successful in 1949 when control passed from the Hindu mahant to the state government of Bihar, which established a Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) under
7854-423: The police. On 1 June 2018, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court of Patna sentenced five suspects in the case to life imprisonment. As per the 2001 census , Bodh Gaya had a population of 30,883. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Bodh Gaya has an average literacy rate of 51%, lower than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 63% and female literacy of 38%. 8% of
7956-471: The population is under 6 years of age. Bodh Gaya has one official sister city : Mahabodhi Temple The Mahabodhi Temple (literally: "Great Awakening Temple") or the Mahābodhi Mahāvihāra , a UNESCO World Heritage Site , is an ancient, but restored Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya , Bihar , India , marking the location where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment . Bodh Gaya
8058-426: The primacy of insight. According to Thanissaro Bhikkhu , jhana and vipassana (insight) form an integrated practice. Polak and Arbel, following scholars like Vetter and Bronkhorst, argue that right effort , c.q. the four right efforts (sense restraint, preventing the arising of unwholesome states , and the generation of wholesome states ), mindfulness, and dhyana form an integrated practice, in which dhyana
8160-495: The realisation of the four noble truths, which leads to deliverance. According to Nyanatiloka, (Through Bodhi) one awakens from the slumber or stupor (inflicted upon the mind) by the defilements ( kilesa , q.v.) and comprehends the Four Noble Truths ( sacca , q.v.). This equation of bodhi with the four noble truths is a later development, in response to developments within Indian religious thought, where "liberating insight"
8262-454: The same meaning: that of being freed from greed, hate and delusion. Bodhi , specifically, refers to the realisation of the four stages of enlightenment and becoming an Arahant . It is equal to supreme insight, the realisation of the four noble truths, which leads to deliverance. Reaching full awakening is equivalent in meaning to reaching Nirvāṇa . Attaining Nirvāṇa is the ultimate goal of Theravada and other śrāvaka traditions. It involves
8364-599: The serpent king assumed his human form, bowed before the Buddha, and returned in joy to his palace. The subject of Buddha meditating under the protection of Mucalinda is very common in Iconography of Gautama Buddha in Laos and Thailand . One modern rendition is present in Bunleua Sulilat 's sculpture park Sala Keoku . During the 13th century and again in the 19th century, Burmese rulers undertook restoration of
8466-537: The site was in use by Buddhists since the Mauryan period. Bodh Gayā and the nearby regions were invaded and destroyed in the 12th century CE by Muslim Turk armies, led by Delhi Sultanate 's Qutb al-Din Aibak and Bakhtiyar Khilji . For Buddhists, Bodh Gayā is the most important of the four main pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar , Lumbini , and Sarnath . In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodh Gayā, became
8568-428: The succeeding seven weeks at seven different spots in the vicinity meditating and considering his experience. Several specific places at the current Mahabodhi Temple relate to the traditions surrounding these seven weeks: The Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya is directly connected to the life of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama , who attained enlightenment or omniscient wisdom when he was meditating under it. The temple
8670-674: The temple committee. Also in 2013, one thousand Indian Buddhists protested at the Mahabodhi Temple site to demand that control over it be given to Buddhists. These Buddhists included such leaders as Bhante Anand (president of the Akhil Bharatiya Bhikkhu Mahasangh, an influential body of monks), as well as the president of the Bodh Gaya Mukti Andolan Samiti. Additionally, Japanese-born Surai Sasai emerged as an important Buddhist leader in India as both he and Bhante Anand became two of
8772-509: The temple complex and surrounding wall. In the 1880s, the then-British colonial government of India began to restore Mahabodhi Temple under the direction of Sir Alexander Cunningham and Joseph David Beglar . In 1884, a large Buddha image of the Pāla period, likely removed at an earlier stage to the Mahant's residence from the temple sanctum, was reinstated. The plith of the image was reconstructed at
8874-616: The temple holds a massive bronze statue of the Buddha. Next to the Thai temple is a 25-metre (82 ft) statue of the Buddha within a garden which has existed for over 100 years. Across the Phalgu river is the Sujata Stupa , in the village of Bakraur . The stupa was dedicated to the milkmaid Sujata , who is said to have fed the Buddha milk and rice as he was sitting under a Banyan tree , ending his seven years of fasting and asceticism , and allowing him to attain illumination through
8976-549: The temple in the shape of a truncated pyramid was derived from the design of the stepped stupas which had developed in Gandhara . The Mahabodhi Temple adapted the Gandharan design of a succession of steps with niches containing Buddha images, alternating with Greco-Roman pillars, and top by a stupa, as seen in the stupas of Jaulian . The structure is crowned by the shape of a hemispherical stupa topped by finials , forming
9078-505: The temple was an active place of worship by Shaivite and Vaishnavas. In 1891, a campaign was initiated, seeking the return of control of the temple to Buddhists, over the objections of the Hindu mahant. Sir Edwin Arnold , author of The Light of Asia , started advocating for the renovation of the site and its return to Buddhist care. Arnold was directed towards this endeavour by Weligama Sri Sumangala Thera. In 1891, Anagarika Dharmapala
9180-455: The temple. Representations of the early temple structure meant to protect the Bodhi tree are found at Sanchi , on the toraṇas of Stūpa I, dating from around 25 BCE, and on a relief carving from the stupa railing at Bhārhut , from the early Shunga period (c. 185–c. 73 BCE). Additional structures were brought in by the Sungas . In particular, columns with pot-shaped bases were found around
9282-514: The time and parts of the dedicatory inscription inserted in their current position. The inscription records the rededication of the image by Pīṭhīpati Jayasena in the 13th century. In 1886, Sir Edwin Arnold visited the site and under guidance from Ven. Weligama Sri Sumangala published several articles drawing the attention of the Buddhists to the deplorable conditions of Buddhagaya. The sculpture has since been repaired, painted and gilded and
9384-419: The translation "enlightenment" for bodhi , but this is misleading ... It is not clear what the buddha was awakened to, or at what particular point the awakening came. According to Norman, bodhi may basically have meant the knowledge that nibbana was attained, due to the practice of dhyana . Originally only "prajna" may have been mentioned, and Tillman Vetter even concludes that originally dhyana itself
9486-700: The use of the Singhalese monks who went to worship the Bodhi tree. The circumstances in connection with the Sanghārāma are given by Xuanzang who gives a description of it as seen by himself. It was probably here that Buddhaghosa met the Elder Revata who persuaded him to come to Ceylon. Several Buddhist temples and monasteries have been built by the people of Tibet , Mongolia , Nepal , Japan , Korea , Cambodia , Laos , Myanmar , Vietnam , Sikkim , Sri Lanka , Taiwan , Thailand , Bhutan and China in
9588-488: The verbal root *budh- , Sanskrit बुध , "to awaken, to know", "to wake, wake up, be awake", "to recover consciousness (after a swoon)", "to observe, heed, attend to". It corresponds to the verbs bujjhati (Pāli) and bodhati , बोदति, "become or be aware of, perceive, learn, know, understand, awake" or budhyate (Sanskrit). The feminine Sanskrit noun of *budh- is बुद्धि , buddhi , "prescience, intuition, perception, point of view". Robert S. Cohen notes that
9690-414: Was built directly to the east of the Bodhi tree, which is believed to be a direct descendant of the original Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha sat. According to Buddhist mythology, if no Bodhi tree grows at the site, the ground around the Bodhi tree is devoid of all plants for a distance of one royal karīsa. Through the ground around the Bodhi tree no being, not even an elephant, can travel. According to
9792-596: Was deemed essential for Liberation . The four noble truths as the liberating insight of the Buddha eventually were superseded by Pratītyasamutpāda , the twelvefold chain of causation, and still later by anatta, the emptiness of the self. In Mahayana Buddhism, bodhi is equal to prajna , insight into the Buddha-nature , sunyata and tathatā . This is equal to the realisation of the non-duality of absolute and relative . In Theravada Buddhism pannā (Pali) means "understanding", "wisdom", "insight". "Insight"
9894-399: Was deemed liberating, with the stilling of pleasure or pain in the fourth jhana, not the gaining of some perfect wisdom or insight. Gombrich also argues that the emphasis on insight is a later development. In Theravada Buddhism, bodhi refers to the realisation of the four stages of enlightenment and becoming an Arahant . In Theravada Buddhism, bodhi is equal to supreme insight, and
9996-436: Was on a pilgrimage to the recently restored Mahabodhi Temple. Here he experienced a shock to find the temple in the hands of a Saivite priest, the Buddha image transformed into a Hindu icon and Buddhists barred from worship. As a result, he began an agitation movement. The Maha Bodhi Society at Colombo was founded in 1891 but its offices were soon moved to Calcutta the following year in 1892. One of its primary aims
10098-432: Was popularised in the Western world through the 19th-century translations of British philologist Max Müller . It has the Western connotation of general insight into transcendental truth or reality. The term is also being used to translate several other Buddhist terms and concepts, which are used to denote (initial) insight ( prajna (Sanskrit), wu (Chinese), kensho and satori (Japanese)); knowledge ( vidya );
10200-574: Was restored by the British and India post-independence. Throughout its history, the Mahabodhi temple has been the sight of patronage from various sources. Faxian in the 5th century, stated that there were three monasteries built around the temple complex with monks residing in them. These monks were supported by local people who provided them with food and other necessities. The patronage came from both within and outside of India. The vast number of votive stupas and sculptures that have been found within
10302-464: Was the restoration to Buddhist control of the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya , the chief of the four ancient Buddhist holy sites. To accomplish this, Dharmapala initiated a lawsuit against the Brahmin priests who had held control of the site for centuries. After a protracted struggle, this was successful only after Indian independence (1947) and sixteen years after Dharmapala's own death (1933), with
10404-399: Was translated in 1969 into German, using the term " der Erleuchtete ". Max Müller was an essentialist , who believed in a natural religion , and saw religion as an inherent capacity of human beings. "Enlightenment" was a means to capture natural religious truths, as distinguished from mere mythology. This perspective was influenced by Kantian thought, particularly Kant's definition of
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