Why Is the Story of Buddha’s Birth Described So Mystically?

Apr 29, 2025 – 72nd Day of the 100-Day Dharma Talk, Jungto Dharma School “Human Buddha” Lecture 1

Hello. This is the 72nd day of Venerable Pomnyun Sunim’s 100-Day Dharma Talk. Today is a lecture day for the Jungto Dharma School.

After completing his morning practice and meditation, Sunim headed to the Jungto Social and Cultural Center for his Jungto Dharma School lecture. With Buddha’s Birthday approaching, the Jungto Social and Cultural Center was brightly decorated with colorful lotus lanterns.

At 10:15 AM, Sunim began the morning session of the Jungto Dharma School. About 140 new students were present in the basement auditorium, with approximately 170 people joining via the online live broadcast.

Having completed the “Practical Buddhist Philosophy” course on the fundamental teachings of Buddhism in the previous session, today Sunim began a new course titled “Human Buddha.” After reciting the Three Refuges and Words for Practice together, and requesting the Dharma teaching with three bows, Sunim began his lecture.

Before delving into the life of the Buddha, Sunim explained in detail the natural environment, history, and social background of India during the time of Buddha’s birth.

“Until now, we have studied the fundamental teachings of the Buddha. The core of these teachings addresses the question: ‘Can people live without suffering?’ The Buddha said, ‘Yes, people can live without suffering.’ Then how can we live without suffering? Our suffering does not come from external sources but from our own ignorance. Therefore, if we overcome this ignorance, anyone can live without suffering. We have studied these principles and methods for practicing them over seven sessions.

Why Know About Buddha’s Life?

From now on, we will examine whether there was actually someone who lived without suffering, and if so, who that person was. Historically, the first person to live without suffering and also the first to discover this law was Gautama Siddhartha. He is also called “Buddha,” which means “the enlightened one.”

We study the Buddha’s life because he, like us, lived within human society and historical reality. The Buddha, just like us, faced numerous difficult challenges in his life. When others insulted, criticized, or threatened him, or when someone close to him died, or when unexpected problems arose, how did the Buddha respond and how did he accept these situations? If the Buddha were to appear in our time today, what would he be like? We would get a sense of this by looking back at his life. Perhaps he would not be the mysterious figure we imagine, but someone living inconspicuously among us, yet somehow different. To understand these aspects, we need to study the Buddha’s life in detail.

In this lecture, I will not discuss the Buddha as an abstract or divine being, but rather examine how he, as a human being like us, struggled, faced difficulties, and lived his life. I will remove mythical elements as much as possible and examine the Buddha as a human being. That’s why the title of this lecture is “Human Buddha.”

The Decline of Brahmin Authority and the Birth of a New Order

Let’s examine the historical context of the 6th century BCE, which was the era when the Buddha appeared. First, this period, from 6th century BCE to the 2nd century BCE until King Ashoka unified India, marked the decline of Brahmin civilization. Simultaneously, during this time in India, the authority of Brahmins was gradually weakening. Furthermore, this was a period when a minority of Aryans had conquered the majority indigenous population by force, thereby enslaving the natives. Conquest wars were waged, and consequently, based on highly developed iron civilization, resulting in the establishment of approximately 300 countries. Among these were both large and small nations. Then, just when the wars ended and peace seemed to arrive, a period of chaos began as countries fighting against each other again. Larger countries subjugated smaller ones under the pretext of protection, forming groups centered around larger, stronger nations. This is known as hegemony. Wars continued, and power struggles were endless. Compared to the Chinese history, it was similar to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

Later, larger countries began to forcibly absorb smaller ones. Those who resisted were suppressed by force and enslaved, while those who surrendered were integrated. Through this process, empires began to form. During the time of the Buddha’s appearance, there were absolute monarchies like the Kingdom of Magadha and the Kingdom of Kosala. There were other large countries as well, but until then, they were led by councils of nobles, and although one person was called king, it was not an absolute monarchy. It was more similar to the republics of Greece and Rome. We can see similar political systems in Korean history as well. In the case of Goguryeo, there was a king, but it was not an absolute monarchy. There were five noble forces, each commanding their own armies, known as Oga (五加), who would gather to elect one person as king. The kingdom of Silla had a similar system, where the chiefs of six tribes elected their king at the Hwabaek Council (和白會議), a decision-making body formed through internal consensus among the ruling elite. 

However, in the kingdoms of Magadha and Kosala, the king held absolute power. As royal authority strengthened, competition for power intensified. If a father lived too long, his son might stage a coup to usurp the throne, sometimes killing dozens of brothers to become king. It is said that King Ashoka killed ninety-nine of his brothers to become king. One might wonder how there could be so many brothers, but kings had multiple concubines, which inevitably led to fierce struggles for the throne.

Even as wars continued endlessly, the merchant class accumulated enormous wealth through trade between countries. Compared to today, it was like the emergence of huge conglomerates. While the Kshatriya class formed great kingdoms and the merchant class became wealthy tycoons, the situation was different for the Brahmin class. Although Brahmins were the highest caste in terms of social status, they did not possess actual power or wealth. Therefore, Brahmins mainly performed religious ceremonies for kings and the wealthy.

In this context, the authority of the Brahmins gradually weakened. Why did this happen? The warring nations all believed in the same Brahmin gods, and the same Brahmin class conducted prayers for them. Therefore, when one side won a war, they could no longer claim it was due to divine power or better prayers. People gradually realized that victory in war depended on which country had the stronger army. Previously, people believed that victories in war were attributed to Brahmins performing effective prayers, but as this belief weakened, the absolute authority of Brahmins began to decline. In short, society became increasingly secularized. To win wars, strong armies and advanced weapons were more important than prayers, and these required money. For this reason, political power gradually formed alliances with wealthy merchants.

As traditional social order began to collapse, the slave class continued to grow. People from defeated nations, regardless of their original status, were incorporated into the slave class. The victors would kill all the men of the conquered nation and take the women and children as slaves to be distributed among themselves. Politically, endless conflicts persisted, while economically, as wealthy merchants emerged, those with money and power indulged in luxury and hedonism. Sacred values gradually disappeared, ethics and morality declined, and consequently, society transitioned into an era dominated by money, power, and pleasure. Amid this chaos, traditional religions and philosophies could no longer explain the world. Previously, everything was considered the will of the gods, but seeing kings who killed countless people without punishment made people realize that existing philosophies and beliefs were insufficient to understand the world.

Renunciant Ascetics Opening New Paths in an Era of Chaos

This led to the emergence of new thinkers who offered fresh ways to explain the world. They were called “emerging thinkers.” Unlike Brahmins, who were born into the priestly class, these new thinkers chose to become renunciant practitioners. They left their homes, lived frugally, and walked a path opposite to the materialistic and pleasure-seeking atmosphere of the time. While one current pursued pleasure, another sought liberation through ascetic practices. Countless groups with various claims and practices emerged. These new thinkers were called “samana” (sāmaña). The Chinese translation of ‘samana’ is “shamen” (沙門). They were also called “renunciant ascetics” because they left their homes to practice.

The thinkers in India during the Buddha’s time were divided into two main groups. One was the Brahmin class, who were born into priestly status at birth. They were the traditional mainstream thinkers. The other group consisted of emerging thinkers who offered various ways of understanding the world. These individuals were renunciant ascetics who chose to leave their homes and pursue the path of practice, rather than accepting their preordained status. So which philosophy did the kings and wealthy merchants of that time embrace? The new power holders embraced the philosophies of the emerging thinkers to liberate themselves from the constraints of the existing social order.

Chinese history also followed a similar pattern. As the Spring and Autumn period gave way to the Warring States period, iron culture developed. As a result, the area south of the Yangtze River was pioneered, and amidst the chaos of the Warring States period, larger states began to integrate smaller ones. Eventually, the Chinese realm was organized into seven states, known as the Seven Warring States (戰國七雄). During this chaotic period, numerous thinkers emerged, including Confucianism of Confucius and Mencius, Taoism of Laozi and Zhuangzi, Legalism of Li Si and Shang Yang, Mohism of Mozi, and many other thinkers developed their philosophies, leading to the Hundred Schools of Thought (百家爭鳴). Meanwhile, diplomats like Su Qin and Zhang Yi spearheaded diplomatic strategies of various states through vertical and horizontal alliances. It was common for thinkers to persuade rulers with their eloquence and rise to become prime ministers. They might live like beggars one day and become prime ministers the next, or be expelled from one country only to become a prime minister in another. Thinkers wandered freely from place to place without national allegiance, freely expressing their views. India was similar in this respect.

Amidst this chaos, the Buddha appeared. Without understanding the historical background of that era, it’s difficult for us to grasp why the Buddha renounced his worldly life and what the Four Sights (Samana-yatra or 四門遊觀) signify.” 

After explaining how the scriptures recorded Buddha’s birth, Sunim concluded the lecture.

As Sunim left the stage, the host informed the students about their practice assignments. The students agreed to consistently practice until next week when they would meet again, and then they broke into groups for mindful sharing.

After having lunch with the Sangha in the basement dining hall, Sunim met with guests who visited the Peace Foundation in the afternoon.

Lee Mi-kyung, who had served for many years handling accounting work in the Jungto Society lay Sangha before retiring, came to visit Sunim. After greeting him with three bows, she shared how she had been doing.

“Thanks to my experience living in Jungto Society, I’m doing well outside too. I’m now understanding the meaning of many of your teachings that I heard in the past.”

“You spent 30 years here, so you spent your youth in Jungto Society. How are you managing financially?”

“I recently lost my job and am looking for a new one. I’m receiving unemployment benefits, and next year I’ll start getting a pension for the elderly.”

“You worked without pay in Jungto Society, so what job could be too difficult when they’re actually paying you?” (laughs)

“That’s right. I’m living lightly thanks to the merit of having lived in Jungto Society. You’re getting older now, so you should take care of your health.”

“What do you mean take care of my health? I’ll just work as long as I can and then die.”

“Anyway, thank you. I’m living well thanks to your teachings.”

After their warm greeting, they took a commemorative photo together.

In the afternoon, Sunim took care of office work. In the evening, he took the video team volunteers out for dinner to encourage them for their daily filming work during the 100-Day Dharma Talk period.

As the sun set, at 7:30 PM, Sunim began the 8th class of the evening session of Jungto Dharma School. About 150 students who had come after finishing work filled the basement auditorium, and about 340 people connected to the online live broadcast.

They read the Three Refuges and Words for Practice together, then requested teachings from Sunim with three bows.

As in the morning lecture, Sunim explained in detail the natural conditions, history, and culture of India during Buddha’s time. After explaining Buddha’s birth, he discussed the background and meaning of the Jataka tales (stories of Buddha’s previous lives) as recorded in the scriptures.

“When we look at how the scriptures describe Buddha’s birth, it’s not simply stated as ‘He was born on a certain day in a certain place.’ His birth is described in a very mystical way. However, to be born, one must first be conceived. This conception is also expressed mystically in the scriptures. There are even stories from before conception; these are called the Jataka tales, or stories of his previous lives.

Why Is the Story of Buddha’s Birth Described So Mystically?

Who recorded the Buddha’s life story, and when was it documented? These records were not created during Buddha’s lifetime but nearly 1,000 years after his passing. Since these accounts were written after he had already become the Buddha, his birth and various episodes were described mystically. From today’s perspective, these records might seem far-fetched and unrealistic. If we believe everything literally, we become religious; if we dismiss everything as false, we become atheists. We need to view these accounts from a “Middle way” perspective, between these two extremes. We should examine what these mystical descriptions symbolize. This isn’t simply about determining historical accuracy but understanding the symbolic meaning within. Recording Buddha’s life can be seen as a literary endeavor. Just as poets convey emotions through symbolic language, we should focus on the meaning behind the symbolism in the scriptures. For example, during Buddhist celebrations like Buddha’s Birthday, these mystical stories exert a strong cultural influence as narratives. Stories are crucial for people to find engagement and meaning.

In Buddhism, there are three perspectives on viewing the Buddha. First, seeing him as a human who attained enlightenment through practice and became a Buddha. This is the perspective of early Buddhism. Second, viewing the Buddha as someone who had practiced continuously through many past lives and finally achieved enlightenment in his final life. This is the Theravada Buddhist perspective. Third, believing the Buddha was originally enlightened and appeared in human form in this world to save sentient beings. This is the Mahayana Buddhist perspective.

Korean Buddhism, primarily belonging to the Mahayana tradition, tends to describe the Buddha as divine. Since he is viewed as originally enlightened, the Buddha’s life story itself isn’t considered particularly important. The narrative of his birth and growth as a human isn’t central because he was already a Buddha from the beginning. That’s why many Korean Buddhists aren’t very familiar with the Buddha’s life story. However, the view of the Buddha (Buddhalogy) studied in Jungto Society follows the early Buddhist perspective. It holds that the Buddha wasn’t originally enlightened but was born human and became a Buddha through practice. The view that he was originally enlightened emerged as Buddhism became more religious. However, in Seon Buddhism, the idea that one becomes a Buddha through enlightenment represents a return to the early Buddhist perspective.

Reasons for the Abundance of Storied About Buddha’s Previous Lives

Which perspective guided the writing of the scriptures recording Buddha’s previous lives? They align with the Hinayana Buddhist view of Buddha. In scriptures recorded from the Hinayana perspective, stories of Buddha’s previous lives appear very prominently. The collection of these past life stories is called the Jataka tales (本生譚, stories of the Buddha’s previous lives). It consists of 547 different stories, each with an independent structure. These stories describe the Buddha’s previous lives as an ascetic, an elephant, a monkey, a golden deer, and many other beings.

Why did so many past life stories emerge? As you’ve learned, Buddha’s teachings include many doctrinal systems including the law of dependent origination, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, the Three Marks of Existence, and the Five Aggregates. However, these doctrines were too difficult for ordinary people who were illiterate at that time. Therefore, like Aesop’s fables, these engaging and symbolic stories were created to help people understand easily Buddhist philosophy. This is the reason why so many stories about the Buddha’s previous lives have been passed down.

A Practitioner Offering His Own Flesh to Save a Life

Let me share an example. This is a story from when the Buddha was born as a practitioner in a previous life. One day while he was practicing, a dove flew to him and begged for its life. The practitioner saved it. Then a hawk followed and said, “That dove is my food, please give it to me.” When the practitioner refused, the hawk protested, “Why do you know only one side and not the other? Is the dove’s life important while the hawk’s life is not?” The practitioner was speechless. When he asked, “What should I do then?” the hawk replied, “I need food for tonight’s meal. If you give me flesh equal to the dove’s weight, I will give up the dove.” Hearing this, the practitioner cut his own flesh and offered it to the hawk. In other words, he sacrificed his own body to save another life. There are 547 such stories passed down in the Jataka tales.

How a Deer’s Compassion Changed the World

Another example is the story of the “Golden Deer.” This occurred when the Buddha was born as a golden deer in a previous life. The king at that time enjoyed eating deer meat and went hunting every day, killing one deer daily. The deer would get injured while fleeing arrows, with five or more injured each day, living in constant fear. So, the golden deer, who was the king of the deer herd, went to the human king and said:

“Every day you shoot and kill one deer with your arrow, and many deer get frightened and injured while running away. We will take turns and surrender one deer each day voluntarily. This way, the other deer can live peacefully until their turn comes.”

The king accepted this proposal, and the deer enjoyed some peace for a while. Then one day, a female deer whose turn had come was looking sad. When asked why, she replied:

“I am not afraid of dying. However, I am carrying a baby in my womb, and I wish to die after giving birth to this fawn.”

Upon hearing this, the deer king tried to change the order, but that would mean another deer would die a day earlier. After much contemplation, the deer king decided to die in her place and went to the king’s cook. The cook reported this to the king, who was deeply moved and said:

“Even among humans, such righteous individuals are rare, and yet here is a deer acting this way! Today I will not eat deer meat.” And he spared the golden deer’s life. But the deer king did not leave and said:

“I was fortunate to survive today, but tomorrow another deer will die.”

To this, the king replied, “From now on, I will not hunt deer.” So now all the deer would survive. Yet the deer king still hesitated to leave. When the king asked why, he said:

“If you don’t eat deer meat, you will eat the meat of other animals. What will happen to the other animals then?”

The king answered, “From now on, I will not eat the meat of other animals either.” Then the deer king asked again:

“What about bird meat?”

“From now on, I will not eat birds either.”

“What about fish?”

“Very well, I will not eat fish either.”

And so, the king eventually prohibited all killing and meat-eating.

These stories may appear as simple fables, but they actually provide us with great lessons. They contain wisdom that seeks fundamental solutions to problems through sacrifice for others rather than just living for oneself. These stories have been preserved as murals painted on temple walls and as sculptures. When you visit these historic sites with knowledge of these stories, you can discern the meaning behind the paintings and sculptures. In this way, the Jataka tales also play an significant role in fully understanding the Buddha. So rather than simply viewing these stories from the perspective of whether they are factually accurate or not, I hope you will examine the profound teachings and lessons contained within them.”

Today, before delving into the Buddha’s life in earnest, Sunim taught about the social conditions and historical background of that era. The eighth class concluded with an agreement to learn about young Siddhartha’s anguish next week, focusing on the Buddha’s early life.

Afterward, the facilitator informed the students about their practice assignments, followed by mindful sharing in groups. Sunim returned to the Seoul Jungto Center to conclude his day.

Tomorrow will be the 73rd day of the 100-Day Dharma Talk. In the morning, Sunim will conduct a live broadcast of the Weekly Dharma Assembly for the daytime session. In the afternoon, he will meet with guests visiting The Peace Foundation, and in the evening, he will conduct another live broadcast of the Weekly Dharma Assembly for the evening session.