Buddha Biography

https://www.bps.lk/olib/bp/bp101s_Nyanamoli_Life-Of-The-Buddha.pdf

Bhikkhu Nanamoli has a more recent one:

In this 1992 Third Edition of the Venerable Ñanamoli’s now classic Life of the Buddha a few minor inconsistencies of rendering in the earlier editions have been corrected, and again, a very few minor awkward syntactical formations have been straightened out. In addition, several standard Pali doctrinal terms that the author had translated have been retained in the Pali, as they have already become sufficiently familiar to readers of Buddhist literature and are now integral to English-language Dhamma terminology. These terms are“Buddha” (almost always rendered by the author as “the Enlightened One,” which occasionally has been kept here for special effect);“Dhamma” (rendered by him as “Law”); “Sangha” (rendered by him as “Community”); and “Nibbana” (often rendered in the original edition as “extinction”).All notes to the text appear in the form of back-notes. Those notes followed by “Nyp” in parenthesis are by Nyanaponika Thera, those followed by “BB” are by myself. All others are the author’s. New to this edition, too, is the List of Sources, which should enable students of the Pali suttas to easily locate texts familiar to them from other readings. The original nucleus of this directory was compiled years ago by Bhikkhu Ñanajivako, but it has been expanded to make it as inclusive as possible.

BHIKKHU BODHI
 
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Analayo focuses on Buddha's own meditative path and provides many examples to use or think about using:

https://www.buddhismuskunde.uni-hamburg.de/pdf/5-personen/analayo/meditatorslifebuddha.pdf

MEDITATIVE EXERCISES RECOMMENDED IN EACH CHAPTER

Chapter 1 Reflecting on old age, disease, and death [page] 12
Chapter 2 Recollecting one’s wholesome conduct 21
Chapter 3 Distinguishing between wholesome and unwholesome thoughts 30
Chapter 4 Noting the divine quality of a concentrated mind 40
Chapter 5 Contemplating emptiness 50
Chapter 6 Working with five methods to remove distraction 59
Chapter 7 Mindfulness of breathing in sixteen steps 67
Chapter 8 Cultivating contentment 76
Chapter 9 Rejoicing in wholesome states of mind 85
Chapter 10 Contemplating feelings 94
Chapter 11 Contemplating dharmas 104
Chapter 12 Contemplating consciousness and name-and-form 113
Chapter 13 Cultivating dispassion, cessation, and letting go 123
Chapter 14 Arousing compassion 132
Chapter 15 Balancing the awakening factors 141
Chapter 16 Applying the four truths to daily practice 151
Chapter 17 Inclining the mind towards Nirvāṇa 160
Chapter 18 Recollecting the Dharma 169
Chapter 19 Cultivating equanimity 178
Chapter 20 Non-attachment to views 187
Chapter 21 Perception of space as a mode of dwelling in emptiness 196
Chapter 22 Clear comprehension in daily activities 206
Chapter 23 Mindfulness of death 214
Chapter 24 Recollecting the community 224
Conclusion Recollecting the Buddha 231
 
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From Preface to The Splendour Of Asia by L. Adams Beck:

Of the Founder himself, I may quote a great Buddhist scholar’s opinion,
one which none who have studied the subject impartially will controvert.
“Perhaps never while the world has lasted has there been a personality who
has wielded such a tremendous influence over the thinking of humanity.
And whoso recognizes this will also recognize that almost two and a half
millenniums ago the supreme summit of spiritual development was reached,
and that at that distant time in the quiet hermit groves along the Ganges
already had been thought the highest man can think.”
Of the august beauty of the Life those who read will form their own
judgment. It has been the mainspring of the highest art of Asia. It has
brought peace to myriads. It will bring it to many more.
 
Buddhist Art
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If knowing the Sublime Buddhas life, one would know that the the Sublime Buddha did never appove delight in forms, because beings are much to attached to it, drive good topics to useless. So disapproving seeing useful in form, refuge in form, that not even allowed to make such as Buddha images, so to don't seek where liberation and Dhamma for it can't be found. Attached to it, is why people get in conflict over it, yes, even lead wars...
 
Aupmanyav said:
Where? Buddha images are everywhere.
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If I remember, in Afghanistan the Taliban destroyed many.
Including two very prominent ones
1:16 is where they start directly addressing the destruction of the statues.

This could also go in the thread about blasphemy. I think I will add it there.
 
The Prince, bending his great brows upon life and death, sat beneath the jambu tree, feet folded, hands laid upon his knees in perfect immobility. And he thought:

“Hollow compliance and a protesting heart! Is this life? Is there a better? Great are the concerns of life and death. So great, so awful that the poor race of mankind struggles only to forget for a brief moment what it can never comprehend. For all about us are seen injustices that were a King to commit his miserable people would rise and hurl him from his bloody throne. And we are told of the priests that the Gods have committed these crimes and yet are worthy of worship and honour. No—rather is it the propitiation of fiends who will torture us if they have not the servility of our praises while we die for their pleasure. And the good suffer and the evil flourish, and to the rich man is given more riches and to the poor more toil even exceeding their strength. Now indeed all that was hidden from me bursts upon my mind as when a flash of lightning tears the dark, and things I put aside for want of comprehension shriek aloud in my ears. Why am I clothed in jewels, why is my father generous and good, and my wife the fairest and most loving of women, when at this moment were my eyes opened they would behold men dying for bread that the least of my jewels would buy, with none to tend or pity them. And what are my deserts more than theirs? And why are some evil and some good as it were by nature? O cruel Gods who, lapt in far-off pleasures, care nothing for our agonies, and let fall your good things on the wicked and evil things on the good—yourselves perhaps the sport of chance, if indeed you are at all!”

And these thoughts and many like them, black and miserable, stormed about him in the wreckage of the world.

From Chapter V of Beck's Splendour of Asia
 
Aupmanyav said:
Where? Buddha images are everywhere.
Click to expand...
What's the use of speaking to a faithless and deceitful Nigantha who's steady slandering the Sublime Buddha and the Juwels, using all to cherish his defilments. Ask you scientific or cultural side... Stupidy is everywhere either, but that's non of the topics glorification, either.
 
Nicholas Weeks said:
The Prince, bending his great brows upon life and death, sat beneath the jambu tree, feet folded, hands laid upon his knees in perfect immobility. And he thought:

“Hollow compliance and a protesting heart! Is this life? Is there a better? Great are the concerns of life and death. So great, so awful that the poor race of mankind struggles only to forget for a brief moment what it can never comprehend. For all about us are seen injustices that were a King to commit his miserable people would rise and hurl him from his bloody throne. And we are told of the priests that the Gods have committed these crimes and yet are worthy of worship and honour. No—rather is it the propitiation of fiends who will torture us if they have not the servility of our praises while we die for their pleasure. And the good suffer and the evil flourish, and to the rich man is given more riches and to the poor more toil even exceeding their strength. Now indeed all that was hidden from me bursts upon my mind as when a flash of lightning tears the dark, and things I put aside for want of comprehension shriek aloud in my ears. Why am I clothed in jewels, why is my father generous and good, and my wife the fairest and most loving of women, when at this moment were my eyes opened they would behold men dying for bread that the least of my jewels would buy, with none to tend or pity them. And what are my deserts more than theirs? And why are some evil and some good as it were by nature? O cruel Gods who, lapt in far-off pleasures, care nothing for our agonies, and let fall your good things on the wicked and evil things on the good—yourselves perhaps the sport of chance, if indeed you are at all!”

And these thoughts and many like them, black and miserable, stormed about him in the wreckage of the world.

From Chapter V of Beck's Splendour of Asia
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Householder Nicolaus has to ask himself how much faith and shame and fear of wrongdoing he has himself to constantly bring this "Jesus" colored marxist propaganda and fary-tales for hopless cases and cheap politic, in relation with the Sublime Buddha.

It's not "Jesus" here, who fake promises to take away effects of bad Kamma (effects of deeds), and such kamma like slander the Sublime Buddha and misinterpret, is such a strong bad kamma that not even if meeting a Sublime Buddha in person, by the best teachings possible to give, whould it be possible to grow toward the Dhamma.

Not knowing, not proved, not investigated... one praising bad, or blaming good, on telling told by the Buddha, but wasn't told, done, but wasn't... is destinated downwardly. For the most, no way to help someone fallen into wrong view, no way to help one, who's in relation with bad and foolish people.

Once the still Bodhisattva gained the offering by Sakka the Deva-King, that he will fulfill him any wish, the Buddha to be requested: "May I never gain relation and association with fools, where ever I might be arise."

All the way toward liberation and good starts with non-association with fools, by being in relation with wise.
 

The young prince grows disenchanted with his life of luxury​


“Monks, I lived in refinement, utmost refinement, total refinement. My father even had lotus ponds made in our palace: one where red-lotuses bloomed, one where white lotuses bloomed, one where blue lotuses bloomed, all for my sake. I used no sandalwood that was not from Varanasi. My turban was from Varanasi, as were my tunic, my lower garments, & my outer cloak. A white sunshade was held over me day & night to protect me from cold, heat, dust, dirt, & dew.

“I had three palaces: one for the cold season, one for the hot season, one for the rainy season. During the four months of the rainy season I was entertained in the rainy-season palace by minstrels without a single man among them, and I did not once come down from the palace. Whereas the servants, workers, & retainers in other people's homes are fed meals of lentil soup & broken rice, in my father's home the servants, workers, & retainers were fed wheat, rice, and meat.

“Even though I was endowed with such fortune, such total refinement, the thought occurred to me: 'When an untaught, run-of-the-mill person, himself subject to aging, not beyond aging, sees another who is aged, he is horrified, humiliated, & disgusted, oblivious to himself that he too is subject to aging, not beyond aging. If I — who am subject to aging, not beyond aging — were to be horrified, humiliated, & disgusted on seeing another person who is aged, that would not be fitting for me.' As I noticed this, the [typical] young person's intoxication with youth entirely dropped away.

“Even though I was endowed with such fortune, such total refinement, the thought occurred to me: 'When an untaught, run-of-the-mill person, himself subject to illness, not beyond illness, sees another who is ill, he is horrified, humiliated, & disgusted, oblivious to himself that he too is subject to illness, not beyond illness. And if I — who am subject to illness, not beyond illness — were to be horrified, humiliated, & disgusted on seeing another person who is ill, that would not be fitting for me.' As I noticed this, the healthy person's intoxication with health entirely dropped away.

“Even though I was endowed with such fortune, such total refinement, the thought occurred to me: 'When an untaught, run-of-the-mill person, himself subject to death, not beyond death, sees another who is dead, he is horrified, humiliated, & disgusted, oblivious to himself that he too is subject to death, not beyond death. And if I — who am subject to death, not beyond death — were to be horrified, humiliated, & disgusted on seeing another person who is dead, that would not be fitting for me.' As I noticed this, the living person's intoxication with life entirely dropped away.” AN 3.38
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Only a small A Sketch of the Buddha's Life.

Sure, the Noble Truth don't fit well for agendas in the world and political propaganda for those misusing the Juwels for their worldly interests and common folks cheats.
 
Dhammañāṇa Bhikkhu said:
What's the use of speaking to a faithless and deceitful Nigantha who's steady slandering the Sublime Buddha and the Juwels, using all to cherish his defilments. Ask you scientific or cultural side... Stupidy is everywhere either, but that's non of the topics glorification, either.
Click to expand...
Anussava (Kesamutti Sutta). Buddha did not have much use of faith. He said 'check for yourselves'.
Niggantha Natiputta had his own philosophy. Why belittle him? He had his own five jewels.
Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya Aparigraha. Not bad. Not much different from what Buddha said.
 
Aupmanyav said:
Anussava (Kesamutti Sutta). Buddha did not have much use of faith. He said 'check for yourselves'.
Niggantha Natiputta had his own philosophy. Why belittle him? He had his own five jewels.
Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya Aparigraha. Not bad. Not much different from what Buddha said.
Click to expand...
Nigathas are like that, faithless, without moral, deceitful, lack of discernment, far off to ever understand anything of even the basics. Again, no use to argue with them, yours.
 
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