Early Great Philosophers who were already well known during the time of birth of Gautama Buddha

by Cho Lay on Thursday, December 16, 2010 at 3:59pm The history of Israel began about 2000 BC. Saul became their first King in 1020 BC. King David began to reign around 1000 BC. The Kingdom was divided during the reign of Rehoboam in 922 BC. In the year 600 BC, Judah (the southern two tribes) was carried away captive into Babylon. Three groups of Jews returned from Babylon to Judah, the first return was made in 536 BC under the leadership of Zerubabel. 78 years later Ezra led back another group to rebuild the Temple. 14 years later Nehemiah brought back the third group and rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. The time had come to help the Jews not by words but by deeds.

Egyptian Kingdom: 12th Dynasty 2000-1778 BC Kingdom of Mari conquered by Hammurabi 1700 BC About 2000 BC the Indo European Hittites invaded Asia Minor and conquered the aboriginal Khattions. Old Hittite Kingdom after 1700 BC Old Babylonian Empire under Hammurabi c. 1700 BC Canaan as divided among the twelve tribes c. 1200 BC-1020 BC The Kingdom of Saul c.1020-1000 BC The Empire of David and Solomon c. 1000-922 BC The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah c.922-842 BC

Kings of Israel and Judah Judah Rehoboam Abjam Asa Jehoshaphat Jehoram(Joram) Ahaziah Athaliah Jehoash(Joash) Amaziah Uzziah(Azariah) Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah Manaseeh Amon Josiah Jehoahaz Jehoiakim Jehoiachin Zedekiah 922-915 BC 915-913 BC 913-873 BC 873-849 BC 849-842 BC 842 BC 842-837 BC 837-800 BC 800-783 BC 783-742 BC 750-735 BC 735-715 BC 715-687 BC 687-642 BC 642-640 BC 640-609 BC 609 BC 609-598 BC 598-597 BC 597-587 BC Israel Jeroboam I Nadab Baasha Elah Zemi Omri Ahab Ahaziah Jehoram Jehu Jehoahaz Joash Jeroboam II Zechariah Shallum Menahem Pekahiah Pekah Hoshea 922-901 BC 901-900 BC 900-877 BC 877-876 BC 876 BC 876-869 BC 869-850 BC 850-849 BC 849-842 BC 842-815 BC 815-801 BC 801-786 BC 786-746 BC 746-745 BC 745 BC 745-738 BC 738-737 BC 737-732 BC 732-724 BC

Fall of Samaria 722-721 BC

Fall of Jerusalem 587 BC

1. The Syrian conquests c. 840-800 BC 2. The Assyrian empire c. 824-612 BC

Great Empires of the sixth century BC Median Empire Kingdom of Egypt 26th Dynasty Babylonian Empire The Restoration of Judah 612-550 BC 663-525 BC 612-539 BC c. 445 BC

The Empire of Alexander the great 323 BC The time of Gautama Buddha can be estimated to be approximately during 560 BC. During that period, Greek Philosophers and other scientific thinkers were already well established. The history of Israel has been documented since the time of 2000 BC and so this is a very interesting thing to note the vast difference of development between the East and the Western World. The gaps of scientific Development between the East and West can be understood more explicitly by studying the history of the Burmese kings and the Western World. The last king Thibaw days and the French and British Monarchy if compared will definitely show a marked difference in all the sectors of development. The Europeans were well in advanced both scientifically and culturally.

Siddhartha Gautama (567-487 BC): was a spiritual teacher from ancient India who founded Buddhism. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha of our age, Buddha meaning awakened one or the enlightened one. The time of his birth and death are uncertain: most early 20th-century historians dated his lifetime as c. 563 BCE to 483 BCE, but more recent opinion dates his death to between to between 486 and 483 BCE or, according to some, between 411 and 400 BCE. Gautama, also known as Sakyamuni(Sage of the Sakyas),is the primary figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition, and first committed to writing about 400 years later.

He is also regarded as a god or prophet in other religions such as Hinduism, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the Bahai faith. The Buddha, whose personal name was Siddhattha and family name Gautama, lived in North India in the 6th century BC. His father, Suddhodana, was the ruler of the kingdom of the Skyas (in modern Nepal). His mother was queen My. According to the custom of the time, he was married quite young, at the age of sixteen, to a beautiful and devoted young princess named Yasodhar. The young prince lived in his palace with every luxury at his command. But all of a sudden, confronted with the reality of life and the suffering of mankind, he decided to find the solutionthe way out of this universal suffering. At the age of 29, soon after the birth of his only child, Rhula, he left his kingdom and became an ascetic in search of this solution. For six years the ascetic Gautama wandered about the valley of the Ganges, meeting famous religious teachers, studying and following their systems and methods, and submitting himself to rigorous ascetic practices. They did not satisfy him. So he abandoned all traditional religions and their methods and went his own way. It was thus that one evening, seated under a tree (since then known as the Bodhi or Bo-tree,the Tree of Wisdom), on the bank of the river Neranjar at Buddha-Gaya (near Gaya in modern Bihar), at the age of 35, Gautama attained The Enlightenment One. After his Enlightenment, Gautama the Buddha delivered his first sermon to a group of five ascetics, his old colleagues, in the Deer Park at Isipatana (modern Sarnath) near Benares. From that day, for 45 years, he taught all classes of men and womenkings and peasants, Brahmins and outcasts, bankers and baggers, holy men and robberswithout making the slightest distinction between them. He recognized no differences of caste or social groupings, and the Way he preached was open to all men and women who were ready to understand and follow it. At the age of 80, the Buddha passed away at Kusinr (in modern Uttar Pradesh in India). Today Buddhism is found in Ceylon, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Tibet, China, Japan, Mongolia, Korea, Formosa, in some parts of India, Pakistan and Nepal, and also in Russia. The Buddhist population of the world is over 500 million.

The following Early Great Philosophers were already well known during the time of birth of Gautama Buddha.

1. Thales (624-554 BC): Born in Miletus. Noted as a statesman, mathematician and astronomer. He is said to have predicted the eclipse of May 28, 585 BC. He is classified as one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece. Thales according to the comparison of history dates can be said to be 57 years older than Gautama Buddha (567-487 BC). So Gautama Buddha was only 13 years old when Thales expired and was enlightened only 22 years after Thales had expired. Thales had predicted that on May 28,585 BC there will be an eclipse of the Sun and his prediction was correct. Gautama Buddha was born only 18 years later. This highlighted the fact that the Greek Philosopher was well advanced in astrology and science already ever before Gautama Buddha existed.

2. Anaximander (610-546 BC): Famous both as Mathematician and as Philosopher. He taught that the Moon received her light from the Sun and that the Earth was round. He believed in the existence of many worlds. He was 43 years older than Gautama Buddha. Gautama was enlightened only 14 years after Anaximander expired at the age of 54 years. At the time of his death Gautama Buddha was only 11 years old.

3. Pythagoras (580-500 BC): Born in Samos and emigrated to the Greek colonies in southern Italy about 529 BC. He founded the School of Pythagoreans, a semi-religions and Philosophic sect. He was 13 years older than Gautama Buddha. When Gautama Buddha was enlightened, Pythagoras was already 48 years old. When Gautama Buddha was 67 years old, Pythagoras died at the age of 80 years.

4. Anaximines (550-480 BC): He was born when Gautama Buddha was 17 years old. When Gautama Buddha was enlightened he was 18 years old. When Gautama Buddha expired in 487 BC, he was already 63 years old. He died 7 years later at the age of 70 years. (According to the Buddhist history,the whole body of the teachings of the Buddha were recited and given authenticity by an assembly of five hundred Arahats presided over the Venerable Mahakassapa, convened at the city of Rjagaha (India), just three months and four days after Lord Buddha passed away. The venerable Mahakassapa and the venerable nanda who was the devoted attendant of the Buddha were living during this period.)

5. Heraclitus (535-475 BC): Born in Ephesus. He was an aristocrat and had no respect for democracy. He was called The Obscure because his writing was hard to understand. He was born when Gautama Buddha was 32 years old. He was only 3 years old when Gautama Buddha was enlightened. When Gautama Buddha expired, he was 48 years old. When Buddhism flourished in the East, he was already of age. He died at the age of 60 years(12 years after Gautama Buddha expired).

6. Parmenides (515-470 BC): The son of a wealthy Elean Family who developed the philosophy of Xenophanes. He was probably a Pythagorean in his early days. When Gautama Buddha expired, he was 28 years old. Gautama Buddha was 52 years older than him. When Gautama Buddha was enlightened, Parmenides was only 7 years old. Therefore Parmenides was a matured young man during the period between Buddhas enlightened and death.

7. Anaxagoras (500-428 BC): Born at Clazomenac. After traveling widely he settled in Athens and opened a Philosophic School there. Many famous thinkers studied with him. He was condemned to die for all aged impiety, but the sentence was changed to exile. He retired to Lampsacus and taught Philosophy there until his death. When Gautama Buddha expired in 487 BC, Anaxagoras was already 13 years old. He was born 32 years after Gautama Buddha was enlightened. Thus when he was only at the age of 72 years and this means that he was still living many years during the time of Buddhisms popularity.