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Sarnath Varanasi – the second Online , Aktha Sarnath

Sarnath, located just 12 km from the Hindu holy city of Varanasi, is the site of the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma after his enlightenment. Sarnath is one of the four holy Buddhist sites sanctioned by Lord Buddha himself for pilgrimage. The other three sites are Lumbini(birth, Bodh Gaya (enlightenment), and Kushinagar(death).

Sarnath has previously been known as Mrigadava, "deer park," and Isipatana, meaning the place where holy men (Pali: ISI) fell to earth. The last name is based on the legend that devas came down to announce it to 500 holy men when the Buddha was born. The holy men all rose into the air and disappeared, and their relics fell to the ground.

The current name Sarnath, from Saranganath, means "Lord of the Deer" and relates to another old Buddhist story in which the Bodhisattva is a deer and offers his life to a king instead of the doe he is planning to kill. The king is so moved that he creates the park as a sanctuary for deer.

History

After his enlightenment in Bodhgaya, the Buddha went to Sarnath seeking his five former companions. He found them, taught them what he had learned, and they also became enlightened. This

event is referred to as "the turning of the wheel of the Dharma" and also marks the founding of the Sangha or the community of monks.

Buddha's first discourse, delivered here at Sarnath, is known in Pali as the Dhammacakkhapavathana Sutta. Other Suttas include the Anattalakhana Sutta and the Saccavibhanga Sutta. After his enlightenment, the Buddha's central teaching centered around the Four Noble Truths (concerning the meaning of life) and the Noble Eightfold Path (concerning the right way to live).
The Buddha spent the next rainy season in Sarnath at the Mulagandhakuti vihara. The Sangha, having grown to 60 in number, the Buddha sent them out to teach the Dharma to others.

Buddhism flourished in Sarnath partly because of the support of kings and wealthy merchants based in nearby Varanasi. By the 3rd century, Sarnath had become an important center for the arts, which reached its zenith during the Gupta period (4th-6th century AD). When Hsuan Tsang visited China in the 7th century, he found 30 monasteries and 3000 monks living at Sarnath.

Sarnath became a major center of the Sammatiya school of Buddhism, one of the Nikaya or Hinayana schools. The presence of images of Heruka and Tara indicates that Vajrayana Buddhism is also practiced here.
At the end of the 12th century, Sarnath was sacked by Turkish Muslims. The site was subsequently plundered for building materials and has remained in ruins until the present day. The site was entirely deserted until 1836 when the British began excavations and restoration.

Conclusion

So, that's all about Sarnath Varanasi!We hope our readers shall surely be able to get the complete knowledge about Sarnath if they go through the above post till the end.

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Ramesh Verma, Cmd, the second online Travel Aktha, Sarnath Varanasi