Siddhartha the Life of a Prophet
analytical Essay
1390 words
Buddhism was brought to light about 500 BC by Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism has not been described as a religion as such but rather as philosophy. The story of Siddhartha Gautama and how he brought Buddhism to limelight is quite moving. In this essay the thoughts of Siddhartha Gautama are explained and how the society reacted to his arguments. Generally this essay will briefly describe the achievements of Siddhartha Gautama in his quest to attain enlightenment and how that impacted the society of his time and to some extent the current society.
It is reported that Buddha was born in 563 B.C.E. It is also reported that Buddha was born with an ability to walk and talk; he walked about and cried, “I am supreme in the world. This is my last birth: henceforth there shall be no more birth for me!” (Warren 105). His father who was a king was informed that Siddhartha would end up being a monk but if he could be prevented then he could make a powerful king. His father determined to make Siddhartha a great king tried all means to prevent him from becoming a monk. The king ensured that Siddhartha was contained within the palace walls far from the view of suffering in the society which could have moved his heart into being a monk. After marrying at the age of 19 and having a son, he wished to leave the palace and tour the area outside it. It is from this tour that he saw people suffering. It is reported that what he encountered on this tour changed his mind into wanting to be a monk (Warren 106). Siddhartha decided to change his life from the princely privileges to being a monk. After seeing the kind of suffering that people went through a strong desire grew within him to find a solution for human suffering. He did not believe the answer wa...
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...n countries and claims that this is so because Buddhism offers “answers to many of the problems in modern materialistic societies” (1). Buddhism has also been claimed to offer a good understanding of the human mind with prominent psychologists agreeing that the understanding offered is very effective and advanced (White 1).
Buddhism is a philosophy which advocates for mankind living happily by avoiding suffering. The philosophy advocates for people coexisting peacefully by avoiding hurting each other through wrong use of words or actions. The philosophy also teaches on forming weak attachment to things around us in order to avoid being hurt when these things are lost as they are not permanent. Buddhism has found a general acceptance among those who have listened and read about its principles as they are morally upright and worth to instil peace in a society.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that buddhism was brought to light about 500 bc by siddhartha gautama and how the society reacted to his arguments.
- Explains that buddha was born in 563 b.c.e. his father, who was a king, was informed that siddhartha would end up being monk, but if he could be prevented, could make him powerful.
- Describes the three truths that have been described as central to the philosophy of buddhism: suffering, selfish desires, and a state above all suffering.
- Explains the eightfold path, which advocates for attainment of self control. it is a strike of balance between the two extremes of excessive self-indulgence and excessive automortification.
- Analyzes how siddhartha's experience of being enlightened was described as such: his mind was cleansed, he engaged in meditation that had less bodily harm and succeeded in becoming buddha.
- Explains that the teachings of buddha had a great effect on the society. the philosophy teaches mankind how to live happily.
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- Buddhism : Buddhism And Buddhismexplanatory essaySiddhartha Gautama is famously known as Gautama Buddha and was the founder of the idea of Buddhism. The Buddha was known to possess supernatural powers and abilities. He was born in the holy land of Nepal and his journey began in India when he decided to travel and teach himself about life. In the midst of his journey, he discovered Buddhism after he experienced a profound realization of the nature of life, death and existence. Buddhism became a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama and since then Buddhism has been popular throughout many civilizations. Buddhism is now one of the most ancient religions in the world, where people follow Buddha, which stand for “awakened one,” and Buddhism which has gained popularity because of the teachings of the Buddha.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that siddhartha gautama was the founder of buddhism. he was born in nepal and discovered buddhism after he experienced a profound realization of the nature of life, death and existence.
- Explains that buddhism prevailed as a religion indigenous to west india and comprises of varieties of traditions, beliefs, and practices based on the teachings of buddha.
- Opines that institutionalized buddhism can be adapted to american society. americans are materialistic, love to live by the latest trends, and want to have the best of everything.
- Opines that americans need more than trends and material goods to be happy, and that is where buddhism comes in.
- Explains that people who realize there is something missing in their life tend to resource the buddhist. they seek for happiness and answer their questions as to why they have not already found it.
- Explains that meditation is a means of transforming the mind, and as powerful as the human mind is, we can do just that. buddhism teaches certain meditation practices that are more so techniques.
- Opines that meditation helps cultivate new and more positive ways of being. mantras can help develop concentration and aid with stress.
- Explains that buddhism transcends its status as a religion and presents itself as free-floating spiritual resource, not tied to an institution, community, or ritual.
- Explains that some buddhists adopt a vegetarian diet, yoga, and mediational sessions, but most people do not do it. the most important lesson it teaches is to know yourself wherever you may find yourself.
- Explains that lay buddhists are followers of buddhism who are not members of the sangha. institutional buddhism can be adapted to american society, depending on resources and commitment.
- Explains that buddhism has practices that can be adopted in our society, like practicing mediation, choosing to change your diet, and adopting the way of life actual buddhists do, in search of happiness, clarity and self realization.
1715 wordsRead More - The Ascension of Buddhism in Americaexplanatory essayThe founder of Buddhism was a man named Siddharta Gautama. He was born as a prince of a small kingdom located near today’s Nepal, around 500 B.C.E. (Gurinder 1). According to the legends, Siddharta was raised in the lap of luxury. He was given the finest clothes, riches, and a mansion for every season (Fisher 136). Despite having anything his imagination could conjure, he was unconvinced of their value (136). As the story continues, he was presented with the four sights that were being kept from him (136). These sights included death, sickness, old age, and a monk seeking lasting happiness rather than material possessions (136). After these sights, Sidhharta began his long path to enlightenment. After six years of searching, he had reached his goal of an ultimate consciousness called Nirvana, or enlightenment that is above ordinary human states of mind (Gurinder, Numrich, Williams 1-2). After his discovery of the ultimate consciousness, he was given the title of Buhhda, which means “Enlighten One” (2).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the ascension of buddhism in american culture is a simple twist of popularity and understanding stemming from its initial breakthrough in 1893 during the world’s parliament of religions, conducted in chicago.
- Describes how siddharta gautama, the founder of buddhism, was raised in the lap of luxury. he was presented with the four sights that were being kept from him, including death, sickness, old age, and a monk seeking lasting happiness.
- Explains that the buddha's teachings spread throughout asia and dominated throughout the 20th century. asian immigrants and non-asian americans found the strangeness of buddhism intellectually stimulating.
- Explains that white americans began to take note of this foreign religion when an influx of buddhist immigrants arrived to the shores of america in the 1840s.
- Explains that the language barrier in buddhist texts was unlike most european doctrines of the day. in 1844, dial published an english interpretation of buddhism's most sacred writtings, favored by intellectual americans interested in eastern religions.
- Explains that the world's parliament of religions was one of the first public displays of buddhism in america that had a receptive audience. the event helped push the buddhist beliefs passed the immigrant population and propelled it to mainstream america.
- Explains that buddhism continued to expand after this event. in atlantic monthly, an author noted that out of all the eastern religions, buddhism was the best known and most popular.
- Explains that buddhism continued its expansion into the 20th century and saw continual bursts of influence throughout the following decades. the world's parliament of religions chose to hold their ceremony in chicago 100 years later.
631 wordsRead More - Religions have been an ever-growing, ever-changing part of peoples lives throughout the history of the world. One of the most dynamic of these religions is the practice of Buddhism. Today nearly 450 million people are influenced by its traditions worldwide. It is this massive influence that makes understanding Buddhism so crucial in today’s world. This paper aims to express its relatively simple history and also how it has evolved today as an influential religion not only in the United States, but throughout the world. Also included will be a comparison and contrast of Buddhism’s past and present, where a deeper insight will be given into the problem of how diluted by other influences Buddhism has become in its great expansion. The conclusion will consist of an insight as to why Buddhism is so difficult to practice in this day and age.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that buddhism is one of the most dynamic religions in the world. it is influenced by nearly 450 million people worldwide.
- Narrates how siddhartha guatama's mother had a dream of an elephant entering her womb through the right side of her body. seven brahmins predicted that if he didn't leave his home, his kingdom would give him everything.
- Narrates how siddhartha, a twenty-nine-year-old monk, fell under the tutelage of several different teachers to reach enlightenment.
- Explains that the buddha's first sermon was given in the deer park to five ascetics. these four teachings became the central idea to buddhism.
- Explains that the buddha's teachings were the right way to achieve enlightenment, and he continued to preach them for forty-five years.
- Explains that buddhism has spread its influence all over the world, from tibet, sri lanka, and thailand to china, korea and japan.
- Explains that tibet has been one of the most recognizable faces of buddhism, especially in this century. it was severely repressed by china’s communist rule forcing tibetan exiles to remain aloof while maintaining their religion.
- Opines that buddhism is becoming more and more popular in america, with celebrities such as phil jackson, courtney love, adam yauch, and tina turner practicing it.
- Explains that buddhism has changed dramatically throughout its lifetime, from its humble beginning as the teachings of one man to its development as a multinational religion.
- Analyzes the impact of the diffusion of buddhism on the culture, stating that mainstream buddhists have succumbed to the everyday rigors of modern society.
- Opines that it is tragic to see society give up on a faith or incorporate other aspects of it to make it more convenient.
1949 wordsRead More - Buddhism Essaycomparative essayBuddhism as a religion began in India between the 5th and 6th centuries (Dehejia, 2007). A young prince by the name of Siddhartha Gotama, born in Lumbini, which is the modern day Nepal, came to the conclusion that worldly positions and monetary riches would not ultimately bring him true happiness. Siddhartha spent the next six years meditating and studying different philosophies in search of enlightenment. In his studies, Siddhartha came to what he called “the middle path”( Lowenstein and Bently,2006). According to, Lowenstein and Bently, after his enlightenment Siddhartha was then known as the Buddha, which is derived from the word budhi that means to awaken. The Buddha then spent the rest of his life, until his death at age 80, teaching his principles. He called these principles the Dhamma, or Truth. Even though today it is known as Buddhism, it’s founder referred to it as Dhamma-Vinaya, which means “the doctrine and discipline”.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that religions have a lot of similarities, such as beliefs or practices, art, statuary, and architecture.
- Explains that buddhism began in india between the 5th and 6th centuries. siddhartha gotama, a young prince, came to the conclusion that worldly positions and monetary riches would not ultimately bring him true happiness.
- Explains that buddhism uses art in the form of statues to pay homage and symbolize its religious traditions and beliefs.
- Explains that buddhist temples are marvels of design and awe inspiring structures that showcase the people's love and respect for their chosen religion.
- Concludes that buddhism is a religion steeped in traditions and emphasized through art and structure.
- Introduces aibl and lokesh in buddhist art: in praise of the divine.
660 wordsRead More - Siddharthaexplanatory essaySIDDARTHA’S FOLLOWING OF THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS In this paper, I will be explaining how Siddhartha had arrived at the Four Noble Truths. The first paragraph contains how Siddhartha’s life was full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. The second paragraph will be the cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions in Siddhartha’s life. Following, in the third paragraph I will be explaining how the only way to cure suffering is to overcome desire.
In this essay, the author
- Explains how siddhartha's life was full of suffering, pain, and sorrow, followed by the only way to cure suffering is to overcome desire.
- Explains that siddhartha had related to suffering, pain, and sorrow due to his riches, but he lacked knowledge that his wealth was superficial.
- Explains that the cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions, such as riches, power, and long life.
- Explains siddhartha's third noble truth: the only cure for suffering is to overcome desire. he meditates in the river and loses all sorrows.
- Explains siddhartha followed the eightfold path, which consisted of right views, aspirations, speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and contemplation.
- Explains that siddhartha reached nirvana through the four noble truths, which led to the eightfold path.
459 wordsRead More - Siddhartha's Journey To Enlightenmentexplanatory essayReaching Enlightenment “Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.” (“Quotes by Buddha”) The Buddha went through many trials and tribulations to reach enlightenment. But, he persevered and once he reached this state, he shared his spiritual knowledge with countless others (Editors of Biography.com).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the buddha went through many trials and tribulations to reach enlightenment, but he persevered and shared his spiritual knowledge with countless others.
- Explains that siddhartha lived a sheltered childhood and was ignorant about the outside world. he saw ill people, dead bodies, and holy men, which inspired him to seek enlightenment.
- Explains how siddhartha changed his way of life and encouraged living in balance, not extremes. he meditated in bodh gaya, india, under a tree, while the wicked demon mara tested him.
- Explains that the buddha was generous and taught people how to reach enlightenment. the buddha founded an order of monks after reaching the age of 80.
- Explains that even though it took the buddha until his 30s to reach enlightenment, his troubles paid off and he was able to teach a number of people how to escape suffering.
694 wordsRead More - Religion and Human Experienceanalytical essayAncient Buddhism was founded on the ideas and philosophies of Buddha, a man with the birth name Siddhartha Gautama, who was born into a family that practiced Hinduism. When Buddha was growing up his father, in particular, tried to shelter him from the truth about the world in which he lived. Eventually Buddha, then Siddhartha ventured out, and underwent a “rite of passage” after leaving his family and experiencing the world. What he discovered was that there were many factors that caused great suffering in this life. These circumstances known as The Four...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how charles selengut gives a deeper look into the definition of holy war and the justifications religious leaders and followers use to validate using violence and killing.
- Explains that ancient buddhism was founded on the ideas and philosophies of buddha, who was born into a family that practiced hinduism.
- Explains that a religious experience can be confused with everyday life experiences. the numinous and mystical experiences are affected by the cultural environment in which one lives.
- Explains that the religious apocalyptic theodicy is the volatile mix of myth and doctrine, and that there is one infinite unquestionable truth and direction.
- Cites dubuque, iowa, in ch. 4, p. 31-38, ch 7.
- Explains the four noble truths discussed in the video about buddhism and the belief and believers text.
- Analyzes how dr. simmons describes myth as a way of fleshing out the truth in the context of religious myth. the torah contains the three great myths that are the building blocks for all other stories and rituals within the jewish faith.
- Explains that fundamentalist christians believe in the unbornist teachings of biblical historic christianity and that the bible is the word of god. apocalypticism and theodicy go hand-in-hand.
- Explains that religious doctrine is the answer to the boundary questions for a particular believer. faith is discussed during the video and throughout the text.
1988 wordsRead More - Buddhism Essayexplanatory essayBut Buddhism is a philosophy that describes the true nature of life thus helps us comprehend the meaning of our life and lead a good life. And this why it is significantly crucial to a person’s life.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that buddhism is a voluminous, complex, and learned philosophy of life, which has grown to all parts of asia for over 2500 years.
- Explains that buddhism is a philosophy that describes the true nature of life and helps us comprehend the meaning of our life.
- Explains that the "middle path" is a planned course of inward culture and progress and does not advocate acceptance of verdicts given by someone outside oneself.
- Explains that buddhism's spiritual practices are oriented towards ultimate freedom from suffering and refinement of wisdom and compassion within human beings.
- Explains that buddhism makes you comprehend life in a deeper and spiritual manner. life is suffering from impermanence, infinite continuity and drastic change.
- Explains that the concept of impermanence and continuous becoming is central to early buddhist teachings.
- Explains that buddhism has helped them to live a righteous life, which made them independent from the entire world.
- Explains that buddhism is important to a person's life because it cultivates good, moral conduct. right action entails respect for life, property, and personal relationships.
- Opines that it is better to live one day virtuously and meditatively rather than living a hundred years of life with immorality. however, certain aspects of buddhism are not practicable in an ordinary person's life.
1633 wordsRead More - Misconceptions About Buddhismexplanatory essayBuddhism is a religion with roughly 488 million followers in the world. Buddhism is considered one of the top three world religion even though you may not here much about in western countries. Buddhism focus on the spirtual enlightment of ones self. Although Buddhism is considered a world wide religion many people are still unaware of the history and have many misconceptions about
In this essay, the author
- Explains that buddhism is a religion with roughly 488 million followers in the world and is considered one of the top three world religions.
64 wordsRead More - Asoka and the Buddhist Faithanalytical essayBuddhism is one of the oldest religions in the world, which began in India. The origin of Buddhism is traced back to the experience of single man, Siddhartha Gautama, later known as the Buddha. Born around 563 B.C.E., legend follows that Siddhartha was the son of a prince in a kingdom near the border of what is now India and Nepal. As such, he was sheltered from the world and lived a life of luxury and comfort. (Molloy 124) However, at age 29 Siddhartha left the royal grounds and witnessed the suffering of ordinary life for the first time. What he saw deeply affected him and caused him to question everything in his materialistic life. Siddhartha made the decision to give up his possessions and embark on a search for enlightenment, an event known as the Great Going Forth. (Molloy 125)
In this essay, the author
- Explains that asoka was the third ruler of the mauryan empire and is considered to be india's greatest ruler. he introduced the concept of conquest by moral force over violence.
- Explains that buddhism began in india, and the origin of buddhism is traced back to siddhartha gautama, later known as the buddha.
- Describes siddhartha's path of moderation, known as the middle path, which found ground somewhere in between self-indulgence and asceticism.
- Explains that the buddha devoted the rest of his life traveling around northeast india, teaching others that were receptive to follow the middle path.
- Explains that the mauryan empire was built in the 3rd century b.c.e., the first ruler of which was candragupta marya of magadha. each ruler continued to expand the empire throughout his reign.
- Explains that asoka followed in his father and grandfather’s footsteps and continued to wage war, further expanding the empire until it included most of the indian sub-continent.
- Analyzes how the brutality of the conquest of kalinga had a devastating impact on the people and asoka himself.
- Analyzes how the battle of kalinga influenced asoka's adoption of the policy of dharma, which can be translated as piety in this sense.
- Analyzes how asoka spread his principles throughout india and beyond by erecting stone columns throughout his empire that were inscribed with him. the emperor wants people to know how he had changed, and not simply in relation to remorse.
- Explains that asoka's edicts expressed a wish that all living beings should live together in harmony and without violence. they are the earliest surviving written records of indian history.
- Opines that the sudden transformation of the religious landscape of india must have had a profound impact.
- Analyzes how asoka takes the role of a fatherly figure, promising to care for his people as if they were his own children.
- Opines that the beloved of the gods does not consider gifts of honour to be as important as the advancement of doctrine of all sects.
- Explains how asoka spread buddhist ideals by sending out officers known as ‘superintendents of dharma’ to propagate the religion.
- Explains that asoka's triumph was that he made the ideal of rule by moral force acceptable, a concept that still pervades much of asia.
- Explains that asoka spread the principles in the hope that people would follow them on their own and lead an ethical life.
1774 wordsRead More