Did Historical Gautama Buddha exist ?

Question

By proof of science and historical record, rather than buddhism book self.

NH Baritone

Kill buddha if you see on the road is the teaching that to believe yourself than everyone.

It was started from Japan in 17th century and it's consider part of zen ( or something like that )

It's documented by Karen Armstrong in her "Buddha"

As far as I understand, Buddha personally didn't accept praying. He just asked people to believe in self to find truth from his teaching.

Sorry for confusion.

My question should read as

Did Historical Gautama (human being) exist?

Justin C

Thank for your contribution. Yes I am fully aware that Buddhism need no charismatic leader to form the religion however on own self efforts.

I'd gone through so many papers about Gotama's existance ( apart from fairytale ) and there are strong resoan to believe his existance. Currently I am reading 3rd time to
Karan Armstrong's Buddha.


Correction --------------------

"If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha!" was commanded by the Lin-Chi line of Zen Buddhism in ninth-century. However, it was to emphasize important of independence from authority figures. Not violent.

Shehan

Yes , indeed, I asked Did Historical Jesus Exist.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ai6xUF5WQSfZxVAiZyJ9Ok3ty6IX?qid=20070526063221AAnU4o8

And if you check I asked

Is Jesus Son of God, so on.....

If you studied Buddhism, there is no where say, "Your duty......", it's all depended on self , as Gotama said.

Answer 1

Based on existing Buddhist holy sites in India, archeological evidences throughout Asia, and countless literatures, the conclusion is that the historical Buddha whose name was Gautama Siddhartha did exist. There are also purported relics (ashes) of the Buddha. However in the final analysis, it's up to you to decide. All the evidences are there.

On another "footnote", actually it is not very important to confrim whether the Buddha existed or not. The Buddha reminded his followers that his physical body was of no value. Only when one sees his teachings, one sees the Buddha.

Answer 2

It is unclear whether or not Gautama Siddhartha lived or became the Buddha. The actual existence of anyone in that era of history is extremely difficult to document.

However, the story of the Buddha's actual existence is immaterial. Buddha suggested that if you meet the Buddha on the road, you should kill him, because the essence of Buddhism is not the Buddha himself but the path that has grown from it.

Buddhism is nothing if not pragmatic. If a practitioner does not find it useful, they are invited to abandon it and try something else. If on the other hand, a practitioner finds it useful, they are to explore it via their own exploration of the path, not via a dictatorial, dogmatic teaching.

Therefore, nothing is more irrelevant to Buddhism than the actual life of the Buddha.

Answer 3

Yes Buddha existed.

Answer 4

Do you ask "Did Jesus Christ exist?"

Lord Buddha lived about 2500 years ago in India and showed the reality of the life and the path to freedom.

Our duty is to understand Nirvana the cessation of suffering by following Buddhist philosophy and not to questioning about Lord Buddha.

Answer 5

I guess it depends on what you mean -- was he "the Buddha"?

I'd say no.

Was there a teacher with more or less his life, who became influential?

My guess, yes.

Have you tried any Searches for this?

"historical Buddha" might yield results; or at least let you know whether it's generally accepted or controversial, or what the evidence might be.

Answer 6

i was wondering, based on your question, that if higher beings and god had not graced earth earlier on.... would we humans still choose to do good today?

or would we be like any other animals in the wild who would just do whatever we feel like doing?

Answer 7

He existed just as much as Jesus if you use that criteria.

Answer 8

not that i have read, but there werent exactly birth certificates


muslim texts reference the historic jesus