The life of the buddha The Buddha’s life provides a model for Buddhists all over the world of how to walk the Buddhist path.

The eight great events in buddha’s life Emperor Asoka had eight stupas built as reminders of the most important actions of the Buddha. This stupa is at Vaishali in India, where the story of the monkey’s gift of honey is said to have happened.

QUEEN MAYA’S DREAM Siddhartha Gautama’s mother dreamed about a white elephant

Birth of the Buddha He was born out of his mother’s side as she gripped a tree branch overhead

taming mara’s armies to claim a witness to his ability to defend himself against mara’s assault, siddhartha touches the earth. this is one way to identify buddha in art--he is touching the earth.

The Four encounters: Poverty, Disease, old age & death

Buddha’s enlightenment The tree the Buddha sat under when he “woke up”--it is called the bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India

The first turning of the wheel of the dharma at sarnath, India

Descent from tusita heaven

Taming the wild elephant, nalagiri

a monkey’s gift of honey Sanchi, India

miracle at sravasti Note the flames coming out of Buddha’s shoulders, and water shooting out of his feet. Indra and Brahma are protecting him by holding a parasol over his head.

Parinirvana: Buddha’s death