Published On:Tuesday 9 September 2014

Posted by Celebrate Life Style information Blog

The vast majority of the Thai populations adheres to Theravada Buddhism. The Thais count their years in the Buddhist Era. At present we are in the year 2549. The Buddhist calendar is 543 years ahead of the Christian calendar, and the Buddhist era started with the passing away of the Buddha. (the Buddhist era starts one year earlier in Sri Lanka and Myanmar)

Scientifically speaking, Gaudama Buddha is a historical figure, though his exact date and year of birth is not clearly established. The Buddha started his life as Prince Siddharta, and was born in Lumbini (presently located in Nepal). Initially he led a well protected life inside the palace grounds, until at the age of 29 while wandering outside he palace, he encountered the sufferings of old age, disease, poverty and human decay in general. He set out on a long solitary journey, and left all his possessions behind. He grew tired and renunciated all worldly pleasures, realizing that all these never lasted long and that life was in fact full of sufferings. By doing so, he intended to discover the Ultimate Truth of the whole existence, so as to find a sure way out of all suffering.

He spent his time meditating in solitude, and doing everything which he believed to lead him to success, for instance, starving and torturing himself until he become weak and thin. After his self-mortifications, he finally found that the best way to success was 'The Middle Way', that is : avoiding the two extremes of indulging oneself in pleasures or torturing oneself to the utmost. He became enlightened in one full-moon night under the Bodhi three on the bank of Nerunjara River, in the state of Magadha, when he was thirty-five years old, after spending six years altogether in search of truth. Source: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Buddhism-in-The-World/120913841341153