The Path of Liberation: Nirvana

Abstract

The prince of Kapilvatthu and son of the King Suddhodhan and Queen Mahamaya, Siddhartha Gautama studiously meditated variously to get the solutions of the problems of sufferings faced by human beings under the kind guidance of Acarya Alarkalama and Acarya Ramputta Udaraka for a long period of about six years and there after he came to village Senani near Uruvella, presently Bodhagaya where Sujata, a villager’s daughter served him with milk rice (Payas) in a golden bowl. After having taken milk rice he sat under the ficus religiosa (PEEPAL Tree) on bank of the river Niranjana with strong determination and he vowed that unless and until he has not achieved the supreme knowledge, he will not leave this place whether his blood, skin, sinew, flesh and bones may dry up    in his body . After all on Veshaka’s full moon day he achieved perfect supreme enlightenment. He spends his first week under the Bodhi tree in deep meditation. The second week at Animeshlochana Chaitya on   looking the Bodhi Tree in great gratitude without closing his eyes. Third week was spent at Ratnācakramana or Jewelled Ambulatory in walking eighteen steps to and fro. This event is marked there with a high platform where eighteen feet marks were raised over there as of lotus flowers. The fourth week was spend at Ratnāgarha Cetyā in meditation where he seen the vision of future. The fifth week was spent under Ajpala Nigrodh Tree and he preached the law of equality to the Brāhmana. Sixth week was spend in meditation at Mucalinda Pond where the pond serpent king give protection to him from a violent storm by coiling himself around the body of the Buddha seven times and kept his hood over the head of the Buddha and the last and seventh week was spend by him at Rajyaratna tree where two merchants namely Bhallika and Tapassu of Utkal Pardesh met and served him with honey made food. This was his first meal, after achieving perfect enlightenment and the Sujata’s milk-rice. Buddha spent seven weeks at different places wondering and meditating at Bodh Gaya.