Shakyamuni: Difference between revisions
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{{Era|Individuals}} | {{Era|Individuals}}{{WP-REAL|The Buddha}} | ||
{{WP-REAL}} | {{Character Infobox | ||
|image=Buddha closeup.png | |||
'''Siddhārtha Gautama''' ( | |birth= | ||
|death=c. 483 BCE or 400 BCE<ref name="Wikipedia">{{WP|Gautama Buddha}}</ref><br> | |||
{{Wiki|Kushinagar}}, {{Wiki|Malla (tribe)|Malla Republic}}<ref name="Wikipedia" /> | |||
|species= [[Isu]]<ref name="Dynasty 7">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[The Flower Banquet (Part 7)]]</ref> | |||
}} | |||
'''Siddhārtha Gautama''' (died c. 483/400 BCE),<ref name="Wikipedia" /> popularly known as '''Shakyamuni''' or simply the '''Buddha''',<ref name="Dynasty 7" /> was a philosopher and spiritual leader on whose teachings [[Buddhism]] was founded. Those few who knew of his true nature called him a [[Isu|Precursor]],<ref name="Dynasty 7" /> and he spent decades of his life teaching in [[India]] a path to {{wiki|Moksha|liberation}} from {{wiki|Duḥkha|suffering}} which involved attaining {{wiki|Nirvana (Buddhism)|nirvana}}, an enlightened state which ceases the cycle of rebirth.<ref name="Wikipedia" /> | |||
==Legacy and influence== | ==Biography== | ||
In | In remote antiquity, Shakyamuni educated the masses of people living in the {{Wiki|Indian subcontinent}} on the Buddhadharma. His guidance earned him innumerable disciples and the profound admiration of everyday people. Eventually, he chose to "relinquish his flesh" and passed away to the overwhelming grief of his followers. His body was cremated, but his disciples recovered among his ashes pearl-like stones of a rainbow of colours which were referred to as [[śarīra]].<ref name="Dynasty 7" /> | ||
Consecrated as sacred relics, the śarīra were actually reservoirs of Shakyamuni's [[Genetic memory|genetic memories]], thereby offering invaluable insights on the world of eons past—what the [[Japan]]ese scholar [[Abe no Nakamaro]] later called "the truth of the world" in his [[Abe no Nakamaro's letters to Li Bai|letters]] to the poet [[Li Bai]].<ref name="Dynasty 7" /> | |||
==Legacy== | |||
Following Shakyamuni's death, the Buddhadharma continued to be taught throughout India by the disciples he had left behind. His teachings became the basis of Buddhism, and over the centuries, this religion spread throughout [[Asia]] along the [[Silk Road]]. By the latter [[Han dynasty]], it had reached [[China]] via the [[Western Regions]].<ref name="Dynasty 7" /> There, its influence became paramount during the [[Tang dynasty]],<ref name="Dynasty 7" /> from which it was further disseminated into [[Japan]].<ref name="Buddhism">{{WP|Buddhism}}</ref> | |||
The śarīra that had been drawn from Shakyamuni's remains became the first of many of these memory receptacles collected by Buddhist monks. Their spiritual masters protected them fiercely, enshrining them in their temples, and passing them on from generation to generation.<ref name="Dynasty 7" /> | |||
[[File:ACFT - Buddha statue.png|thumb|200px|left|A statue of Shakyamuni in Yangon, Myanmar]] | |||
The proliferation of Buddhism also inspired the creation of numerous works of art based on the life of the Buddha, alongside statues of the many successors that came after him. These sculptures sometimes reached colossal heights, with one example being the [[Mengshan Giant Buddha]] built under the {{wiki|Northern Qi}} in [[Taiyuan]].<ref name="Dynasty 32">''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' – [[The Last Stand of Justice (Part 8)]]</ref> | |||
The [[Shwedagon Pagoda]], a sacred Buddhist temple in [[Yangon]], [[Myanmar]], is another site adorned with statues of Shakyamuni, where visitors can pray and make their offerings to the Buddha. In 1725, while visiting Yangon to retrieve a [[Lantern (Piece of Eden)|Piece of Eden]] housed within the pagoda, [[Shimazu Saito]] went to pray to a statue of Shakyamuni alongside a Buddhist monk, where they briefly discussed the Buddha's teachings.<ref name="ACFT 97">''[[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple]]'' – [[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple Episode 97|Episode 97]]</ref> | |||
The province of {{wiki|Gansu}} in the {{wiki|People's Republic of China}} today is home to labyrinthine caves filled with thousands of Buddhist statues and murals, among the most famous being the [[Maijishan Grottoes]].<ref name="Maijishan Grottoes">''[[Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China]]'' – [[Database: Maijishan Grottoes]]</ref> One of the murals in {{wiki|Dunhuang}}, Gansu, appears to depict the legend of the Buddha resisting the temptation of {{wiki|Mara (demon)|Mara}} to sway him from his meditative quest for Enlightenment.<ref name="Dunhuang mural">[[commons:User:World Imaging|World Imaging]]. "[[commons:File:FireLanceAndGrenade10thCenturyDunhuang.jpg|Fire Lance and Grenade, 10th Century Dunhuang]]". ''{{Wiki|Wikimedia Commons}}''. Uploaded 6 August 2007.</ref> Replete with images of demons assaulting the Buddha, it is also purportedly the earliest known illustration of [[firearm]]s and [[Bomb|explosives]]: one demon wields a fire lance and another a flaming ball.<ref name="Song science">{{WP|Science and technology of the Song dynasty}}</ref> | |||
In 2012, this very section of the mural was included within one of the [[Glyph]] puzzles the [[Assassins|Assassin]] [[Clay Kaczmarek]] had hidden in the [[Animus]] for his successor [[Desmond Miles]] to solve. Prompting Desmond to locate [[Piece of Eden|Pieces of Eden]] among various works of art, Clay indicated that the flaming ball in the demon's hand was actually a depiction of an [[Apples of Eden|Apple of Eden]], not a bomb.<ref name="Glyph 4">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' – [[Glyphs|Glyph]] #4: "Infinite Knowledge"</ref> In this way, he suggested that an Apple was involved in the Buddha's life or at the very least one had surfaced in the [[Song dynasty]] when the painting was drawn.<ref name="Dunhuang mural" /><ref name="Glyph 4" /> Apart from this, Clay also hid a {{Wiki|binary code}} reading "{{Wiki|Me (mythology)|Sumerian, Me 23}}" within the painting.<ref name="Glyph 4" /> | |||
==Gallery== | |||
<gallery widths="180" position="center" captionalign="center"> | |||
ACSH Statue of seated Buddha.jpg|Statue of a seated Shakyamuni in Japan | |||
</gallery> | |||
==Appearances== | ==Appearances== | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' {{ | *''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' {{1st}} {{Io|painting}} | ||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Dynasty]]'' {{Io|Sculpture}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: The Imperial Jade Seal]] – [[Cike Xintiao: Chang'an Wang|Chang'an Wang]]'' {{Io|sculpture}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Mirage]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple]]'' {{Io|sculpture}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice]] – [[Apocalypse]]'' {{Mo}} | |||
*''[[Assassin's Creed: Shadows]]'' {{Io|sculpture}} | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
[ | {{Isu}} | ||
[[Category: | <!--[fr:Siddhartha Gautama]--> | ||
[[Category:5th century BCE deaths]] | |||
[[Category:Individuals]] | [[Category:Individuals]] | ||
[[Category:Isu]] | |||
[[Category:Monks]] | [[Category:Monks]] | ||
[[Category:Philosophers]] | [[Category:Philosophers]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Educators]] | ||
[[Category:Buddhism]] | |||
Latest revision as of 01:51, 25 May 2026
Siddhārtha Gautama (died c. 483/400 BCE),[1] popularly known as Shakyamuni or simply the Buddha,[2] was a philosopher and spiritual leader on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. Those few who knew of his true nature called him a Precursor,[2] and he spent decades of his life teaching in India a path to liberation from suffering which involved attaining nirvana, an enlightened state which ceases the cycle of rebirth.[1]
Biography[edit | edit source]
In remote antiquity, Shakyamuni educated the masses of people living in the Indian subcontinent on the Buddhadharma. His guidance earned him innumerable disciples and the profound admiration of everyday people. Eventually, he chose to "relinquish his flesh" and passed away to the overwhelming grief of his followers. His body was cremated, but his disciples recovered among his ashes pearl-like stones of a rainbow of colours which were referred to as śarīra.[2]
Consecrated as sacred relics, the śarīra were actually reservoirs of Shakyamuni's genetic memories, thereby offering invaluable insights on the world of eons past—what the Japanese scholar Abe no Nakamaro later called "the truth of the world" in his letters to the poet Li Bai.[2]
Legacy[edit | edit source]
Following Shakyamuni's death, the Buddhadharma continued to be taught throughout India by the disciples he had left behind. His teachings became the basis of Buddhism, and over the centuries, this religion spread throughout Asia along the Silk Road. By the latter Han dynasty, it had reached China via the Western Regions.[2] There, its influence became paramount during the Tang dynasty,[2] from which it was further disseminated into Japan.[3]
The śarīra that had been drawn from Shakyamuni's remains became the first of many of these memory receptacles collected by Buddhist monks. Their spiritual masters protected them fiercely, enshrining them in their temples, and passing them on from generation to generation.[2]
The proliferation of Buddhism also inspired the creation of numerous works of art based on the life of the Buddha, alongside statues of the many successors that came after him. These sculptures sometimes reached colossal heights, with one example being the Mengshan Giant Buddha built under the Northern Qi in Taiyuan.[4]
The Shwedagon Pagoda, a sacred Buddhist temple in Yangon, Myanmar, is another site adorned with statues of Shakyamuni, where visitors can pray and make their offerings to the Buddha. In 1725, while visiting Yangon to retrieve a Piece of Eden housed within the pagoda, Shimazu Saito went to pray to a statue of Shakyamuni alongside a Buddhist monk, where they briefly discussed the Buddha's teachings.[5]
The province of Gansu in the People's Republic of China today is home to labyrinthine caves filled with thousands of Buddhist statues and murals, among the most famous being the Maijishan Grottoes.[6] One of the murals in Dunhuang, Gansu, appears to depict the legend of the Buddha resisting the temptation of Mara to sway him from his meditative quest for Enlightenment.[7] Replete with images of demons assaulting the Buddha, it is also purportedly the earliest known illustration of firearms and explosives: one demon wields a fire lance and another a flaming ball.[8]
In 2012, this very section of the mural was included within one of the Glyph puzzles the Assassin Clay Kaczmarek had hidden in the Animus for his successor Desmond Miles to solve. Prompting Desmond to locate Pieces of Eden among various works of art, Clay indicated that the flaming ball in the demon's hand was actually a depiction of an Apple of Eden, not a bomb.[9] In this way, he suggested that an Apple was involved in the Buddha's life or at the very least one had surfaced in the Song dynasty when the painting was drawn.[7][9] Apart from this, Clay also hid a binary code reading "Sumerian, Me 23" within the painting.[9]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
Statue of a seated Shakyamuni in Japan
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed II (first appearance) (painting only)
- Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Dynasty (sculpture only)
- Assassin's Creed: The Imperial Jade Seal – Chang'an Wang (sculpture only)
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple (sculpture only)
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice – Apocalypse (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Shadows (sculpture only)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3
Gautama Buddha on Wikipedia
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – The Flower Banquet (Part 7)
- ↑ Buddhism on Wikipedia
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Dynasty – The Last Stand of Justice (Part 8)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple – Episode 97
- ↑ Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China – Database: Maijishan Grottoes
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 World Imaging. "Fire Lance and Grenade, 10th Century Dunhuang". Wikimedia Commons. Uploaded 6 August 2007.
- ↑ Science and technology of the Song dynasty on Wikipedia
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Assassin's Creed II – Glyph #4: "Infinite Knowledge"
