The illustrated life of the Lord Buddha!

The Devās request the Bodhisatta in Tusita Heaven to descend and become a Buddha.


Queen Mahāmāyā dreams a white elephant enters her side during the conception.


King Suddhodana and the Brahmin soothsayers examines the newborn Bodhisatta.


The Seer Kāladevala also called Asita explains that the Bodhisatta will become Buddha.

The Bodhisatta meditates during his father's plowing festival.


The Bodhisatta uses his arching skills to win his future wife Yasodharā Rāhulamātā.

The Bodhisatta sees the 4 signs: An old, sick & dead man and a calm wandering recluse.

The Bodhisatta observes his dancing girls & realizes the vanity and depravity of luxury.


He decides to leave his wife and newborn son Rāhula and become a wandering recluse.

He leaves his palace at night on his horse Kanthaka followed by his driver Channa.


He crosses the river Anomā, cuts his topknot, throws it up, where Sakka catches it.

Gotama then strives and starves himself for six years without result. The 5 leaves him.


The maiden Sujātā offers the last milk-rice meal on the morning of his Enlightenment.


The Buddha throws the plate into the river Nerañjarā, where Nāga Mahākāla hears it.

Gaining the 6 higher powers he sees the rebirth of beings and recalls all his prior lives.


He is indifferent to the temptations of Māra's 3 daughters: Rāga, Tanhā and Aratī.

Under the Ajapala-nigrodha banyan tree Buddha spent a week cross-legged in Jhāna .

The Mahābrahmā Sahampati requests the Buddha to open the doors to Deathlessness...

The Nāga King Mucalinda protects the fasting Buddha in 3rd week after enlightenment.


Descending in Sankassa after having spoken the Abhidhamma to the assembled Devās.

The Buddha explains the true Dhamma to the many beings for their long-term welfare.


The Buddha compassionately attends to the sick and dying to guide them through it.

The Buddha visits his home and his former wife Yasodharā in the city of Kapilavatthu.


He meets his father the Sākyan King Suddhodana.


There he brings his son Rāhula to the Sangha, who ordains him. Rāhula later awakens.


He shows his half brother Nanda the beauty of the divine nymphs & ordains him as monk.


The Buddha dispels the manifold doubts of many of the elder Brahmin chiefs.


The Buddha explains Breathing Meditation Ānāpāna-sati on the full-moon of November
 

He realizes that his long prepared mission has finally been completed & renounces life.

He deliberately accepts some accidentally poisoned food from Cunda & gets very sick.


Soon after the Lord Buddha dies and attains Parinibbāna in the small town of Kusinārā.

See also:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/g/gotama.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/b/buddha.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/b/bodhisatta.htm

BBC Video series on the Life of Buddha:
The Life of Buddha Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WiswuYO1cE
The Life of Buddha Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlZmbjqLPCU
The Life of Buddha Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcD9O_E-xec
The Life of Buddha Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xuE53jhlXk
The Life of Buddha Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ypFmNfPLng

More on the Buddha:
Sammá-sambodhi, SammaSamBuddho!!!, The_10_Future_Buddhas, Metteyya,
Next Buddha, How-2-Meet_Buddha_Metteyya?, Buddha_Contemplation,
Sumedhas_Similes, Well_Gone, Master_Presence, The_Blessed_One.

The 2 Best Book sources on the life of the Buddha are:
1: The story of Gotama Buddha. Tr. by N.A. Jayawickrama, Pali Text Society 1990.
http://www.pariyatti.org/Bookstore/productdetails.cfm?sku=132935
2: Life of the Buddha according to the Pali Canon. Translated by: Bhikkhu Nanamoli
http://www.pariyatti.org/Bookstore/productdetails.cfm?PC=555

Thanx for the nice pictures kindly forwarded by our friend Rohitha Samarakoon.

The Life of the Buddha!