15 interesting facts about Buddha you may not know

His statues are very popular decorations. And maybe you have one of these statues at home. We are talking about Buddha, the founder of Buddhist teachings. But who was he and how did he come to enlightenment? You may not even know these interesting facts about him.

Interesting facts about Buddha

• The word "buddha" in Sanskrit means "enlightened one".
• Buddha with a capital B refers to the founder of Buddhism, while buddha is the term for an enlightened person.
• The Buddha's birth name is Siddhartha Gautama. He was born in Lumbini in what is now Nepal.
• Buddha was the son of royalty. However, he gave up a life of wealth and luxury to find a path without suffering and impermanence.
• Before Siddhartha Gautama embarked on the path to enlightenment, he married. On the very day he left home, a son was born to Siddhartha Gautama and his wife.
• On his journey, the Buddha often meditated. He attained enlightenment or awakening while sitting under a bodhi tree, which has become one of the Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India.
• The Buddha founded an order of monks and nuns called the Sangha, which has preserved and passed on the Buddha's teachings from the beginning to this day.
• For Buddhists, Buddha is not a god and Buddhism is not a religion. It is a philosophy and a way of life.

  

• Unlike many religions and spiritual movements, the teachings of the Buddha were spread non-violently only by oral communication or by carving in stone buildings.
• The Chinese monk Budai (or Hotei) is sometimes incorrectly referred to as Buddha. The confusion may stem from the fact that Budai is also known by the nickname "Laughing Buddha".
• One depiction of the Buddha is in a lotus sitting position with one hand touching the ground. This position is based on the legend when the Buddha, in the face of death incarnate, declared, "Let this wide earth be my witness by trembling in six times seven gusts." The Buddha was thus referring to his good deeds in a past life. According to legend, an earthquake rang out after the Buddha shouted this sentence.
• Hindus believe that Vishnu, one of the three main gods of Hinduism, was reincarnated into the body of the Buddha.
• In Islam, the Buddha is associated with the Prophet of Islam; in the Qur'an, this figure is known as Dhu al-Kifl.
• The tallest statue of Buddha is 128 metres tall, and including the pedestals and bases, its total height is 208 metres. It is also the second tallest statue in the world. To see it up close, you would have to go to China.
• China has the highest number of Buddhists.