Biography of Siddhartha Gautama

Siddhartha Gautama the great Buddha was born in Nepal 583 BCE. His father Suddhodana, was king of a large tribe called the Shakya. His mother was Queen Maya; she passed after Siddhartha’s birth. When Siddhartha just was a few days old, a prophet prophesied he would be either a great conqueror or a great spiritual teacher. The King Suddhodana wanted the first outcome of his son as a conqueror and prepared him to be a conqueror. King Suddhodana raised Siddartha in luxury and isolated him from the knowledge of religion and human suffering. When Siddhartha reached the age of 29 with very little experience of the real world outside the walls of palaces; one day, Siddhartha wanted to overcome his curiosity about what is outside the walls of the palaces; he asked one of his charioteer to take him on a series of rides through the countryside. While taking the ride on the countryside he was surprised by the sight of an very aged man, then again he saw sight a sick man, and even worse he saw a died corpse laying on the ground. The painful realities of old age, disease, and death over warmed and shocked the Prince. When the Prince returned to palace life, he took no pleasure in his ways life again. Even the news that his wife Yasodhara had given birth to a son did not make him happy.
One night Siddhartha wandered the palace alone. The riches that had once pleased him now seemed wreathless. When the Musicians and dancing girls had fallen in deep sleep, snoring and sputtering. Siddhartha started to reflect on the old age, disease, and death that would overtake them all and turn their bodies to dust. He realized that he could no longer be satisfied living the life of a prince. That night he left the palace, shaved his head, ...

... middle of paper ...

... old age, and death; separation from those we love; craving on things we cannot have; and hating which we cannot avoid. Siddhartha believed that all suffering is caused by desire and the effort to satisfy our desires. Therefore, Siddhartha believed suffering can be overcome by stopping to desire things. The way to end desire is by following the Eightfold Path. This path is a series of eight stages that leads to the end of desire. The Eightfold was about Wisdom and Discernment, Wise or Right Intention and Resolve, Wise or Right Speech, Wise or Right Action, Concentration and Meditation Wise or Right Effort, Wise or Right Mindfulness and Wise or Right It'. The main thing that the Buddha introduced to the spiritual practices of his day was the practice of Vipassana meditation (to see things as they really are and knowing yourself) in order to bring about enlightenment.