The Buddha’s Deeds (佛本行經) — The Classic Life of the Buddha in 8 Minutes

About this text

The Buddha’s Deeds Sutra (佛本行經) is one of the earliest and most influential biographies of the Buddha, offering a clear, continuous account of his path from past-life vow to final awakening. With simple yet powerful narrative arcs, this sutra reveals the moral beauty that shaped the Bodhisattva across countless lives — and the compassion that guided every step of his final birth as Prince Siddhartha.

The text opens with stories of earlier existences, where the Bodhisattva cultivated generosity, restraint, patience, diligence, and wisdom. These tales show how virtues accumulate across lifetimes, each act planting a seed that later blossoms into the capacity for awakening. Through these scenes, the sutra teaches that enlightenment is not an accident of fate, but the ripening of long, intentional goodness.

The narrative then moves into the Buddha’s last life: the auspicious omens preceding his birth, his astonishing early abilities, and the profound sensitivity that awakened in him when he encountered sickness, aging, and death. The Four Sights become the turning point, bringing into focus the universal suffering of beings and stirring his vow to seek a path beyond it.

From there, the sutra traces his renunciation, years of ascetic struggle, and the final night of awakening beneath the Bodhi tree — a night marked by Māra’s challenge, deep meditation, and the dawning of liberating insight. After attaining Buddhahood, he teaches the Dharma out of boundless compassion, guiding disciples, uplifting the oppressed, and transforming the world through wisdom and kindness.

The 佛本行經 presents the Buddha’s life not only as sacred history, but as a mirror: showing how clarity, compassion, and courage can be cultivated by anyone who walks the path with sincerity.

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Credits

Dedication:
May kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity pervade all worlds;
May we cherish and build affinities to benefit all beings;
May Chan, Pure Land, and Precepts inspire equality and patience;
May our humility and gratitude give rise to great vows.

Narration, Script & Research: Created entirely through NotebookLM and supporting AI tools
Source: CBETA Taishō Canon T0193 — 佛本行經
Produced by: The Dharma × Tech Foundation