Siddhartha Research Paper

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Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, in Northeastern India in the sixth century BC, after he attained enlightenment and assumed the title of Lord Buddha, meaning “one who has awakened”. While the life span of Gautama is uncertain, many historians date his lifetime circa 563 BCE to 483 BCE, with alternative chronologies that are not yet accepted by all historians. Siddhartha Gautama was a prince of the Sakya Tribe who lived an extravagant life and was destined for great things, prophesized shortly after his birth. The prophecy stated that Siddhartha would either become a great king or a holy man, and fearing that Siddhartha would embrace the spiritual path, his father did all he could to make sure Siddhartha lived a luxurious …show more content…

Siddhartha was twenty-nine when he confronted the truth of reality, and the next day, he left his kingdom and family to lead an ascetic life, determined to find a way to relieve universal suffering. He then spent six years dedicated to rigorous ascetic practices, studying and practicing under numerous teachers to no avail. The solution to his problem came in the form of a young girl who offered him a bowl of rice, which he accepted; Siddhartha realized that physical austerities weren’t the means to liberation. After the realization, he encouraged people to follow a path of balance rather than extremism, calling it The Middle Way. That night, he sat and meditated under the Bodhi tree, purifying himself of all defilements, attaining enlightenment at thirty-five, earning the title of Buddha. For several weeks, Siddhartha quietly meditated under the Bodhi and its surrounding neighborhood, rejecting all worldly temptations to contemplate the truth he

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