The Philosophical Symbolism of Three Major Events in the Life of the Buddha: Birth, Enlightenment, and Final Nirvana

This study explores three major stages in the life of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) symbolically connected to the birth, the enlightenment, and the death of the Buddha and the philosophical meanings of these events. These incidents work as deep and complex symbols that express the main Buddhist teachings such as the impermanence of all things (anicca), the nonexistence of a self (anatta), the satisfactoriness of life (dukkha), and the state of bliss or the goal of the spiritual life (nirvana). By interpreting the original Buddhist texts and the works of leading scholars, this research reveals that these symbolically charged stories present the lofty spiritual truths that they have meaning for people in different Buddhist traditions as well as for those living in the modern world.