Siddhartha Gautama: Journey towards Enlightenment

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Siddhartha Gautama was born with auspicious marks on his body, which was a sign that he would conquer the world. As result of these markings, his father believed Siddhartha would be drawn to the spiritual world if given the opportunity to witness suffering within the world, so his father made sure Siddhartha did not have any contact with the outside world. His father provided him with a luxury life and indulged comforts. He was married to a princess and then had a son named, Rahula. Despite his fathers attempts, Siddhartha grew restless and traveled outside the palace with his charioteer. He saw four things that could influence his life, which are called the "Four Sights". He realized he wanted to find the truth about suffering and so he left behind the palace, his family, and the luxury life he had to find the truth. He removed his jeweled clothing and cut his hair, removing any traces of his old life. The "Gesture of Calling the Earth to Witness" is a tradition that states a demon tried to harass Buddha with temptations to stop him from accomplishing his quest for enlightenment. However, …show more content…

The Four Noble Truth states that suffering is inherent in life. The cause of suffering is caused by desire and there is a a way to put end to desire and suffering. The way is the Noble Eightfold Path. The Noble Eightfold Path is the way one will reach enlightenment by following the eight virtues, which consist of the right: view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. This believe is based of the Middle Way. By completing the eight virtues, it allows an individual to achieve mental clarity. The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path is significant for Buddhist practice because this is the path that one follows when looking to achieve enlightenment/nirvana. If one follows this path, they are able to put end to desire, not be tempted, and achieve enlightenment just like Buddha

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