Siddhattha Gotama On the full moon day of May, in the year 623 B.C. in the district of Nepal an Indian Sakya Prince named Siddhattha Gotama was born. He was the son of queen Maya and king Suddhodana of Kapilavastu - a small Himalayan kingdom. He was destined to be the greatest religious teacher in the world. Brought up in the lap of luxury, receiving an education befitting a prince, human as he was, he married and had a son. His contemplative nature and boundless compassion did not permit him to enjoy the fleeting material pleasures of a royal household. He knew no woe, but he felt a deep pity for sorrowing humanity. admidst comfort and prosperity, he realized the universality of sorrow. The palace, with all its worldly amusements, was no longer a congenial place for the compassionate prince. The time was ripe for him to depart. Realizing the vanity of sensual enjoyments, in his twenty ninth year, he renounced all worldly pleasures and donning the simple yellow garb of an ascetic, alone, penniless, wandered forth in search of Truth and Peace. It was an unprecedented historic renunciation for he renounced not in his old age but the prime of manhood, not in poverty but in plenty. As it was the belief in the ancient days that no deliverance could be gained unless one leads a life of strict asceticism, he strenuously practiced all forms of severe austerities. "Adding vigil after vigil, and penance after penance," he made a superhuman effort for six long years. His body was reduced to almost a skeleton. The more he tormented his body, the farther his goal receded from him. The painful unsuccessful austerities which he strenuously practiced proved absolutely futile. He was now fully convinced, through personal experience, of th... ... middle of paper ... ..., perfect purity, magnetic personality, exemplary methods employed to propagate the Teachings, and His final success - all these factors have compelled about one-fifth of the population of the world today to hail the Buddha as their supreme religious Teacher. Playing a glowing tribute to the Buddha Sri Radhakrishna states: "In Gautama the Buddha we have a mastermind from the East second to none so far as the influence on the thought and life of the human race is concerned, and sacred to all as the founder of a religious tradition whose hold is hardly less wide and deep than any other. He belongs to the history of the world's thought, to the general inheritance of all cultivated men, for, judged by intellectual integrity, moral earnestness, and spiritual insight, He is undoubtedly one of the greatest figures in history." Bibliography: www.buddism.com
The second Noble Truth is, the cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions, such as riches, power, and long life. Siddhartha had all of these things, however, no matter how rich, how powerful, how old, one can not reach nirvana by materialistic matters. In Siddhartha’s life, while a merchant, he played dice. However, when he lost he did not get mad, due to the fact that riches were not greatly important to him.
Yu, Han. “Memorial on Buddhism”. Making of the Modern World 12: Classical & Medieval Tradition. Trans. Richard F. Burton. Ed. Janet Smarr. La Jolla: University Readers, 2012. 111-112. Print.
Siddhartha grew up near a river as a Brahmin, though he gives his offerings spiritually, he becomes unsatisfied with the life that he is living. His life is too simple for him. “He brought joy to all,...But Siddhartha did not bring joy to himself.”
We aspire to live a life where there is no scarcity of food, disease, dearth of housing, and no conflicts. There are two sides of everything, peace and conflict, happiness or sadness, and poverty or wealth. Siddhartha lived on the privileged and auspicious side where he was blinded by the realisms of life. Siddhartha was amongst the fortunate few to be advantaged and privileged enough to live in a small flourishing community. “They all loved Siddhartha, he brought joy to all, he delighted them.” (Page 4: lines 20-21) In that community Siddhartha was an charismatic and striking individual, who all aspired to meet. Times were tranquil and wholesome for Siddhartha. “Someday when Siddhartha joined the Gods, the people will follow,” (page 5: line 16) although this does not reference specifically to the action of peace, I sense as if this quote posses a deeper meaning. Siddhartha not only had coinage and noble looks but he had a disposition and reputation that lead others to desire being like him. This status of his leads me to concur that he had a life of extravagance and reconciliation, which are the assets of peace. “Siddhartha grew up the --- the beautiful son of the Brahmin, the young falcon.” (Page 1: Line 14-15) No insecurities were consumed in him, and he had t...
The Buddha started the movement for all different peoples and denied that a person's spiritual worth is a matter of birth. The Buddha left no written word. His ideas have been put into writings though...
When Siddhartha was about 29 he saw a series of images that opened his eyes to the preciousness of human life. He saw an ill man, an elderly man, a dead body and a holy man. These images inspired him to try and reach enlightenment (“Buddha” Reynolds). Siddhartha had many questions about life outside the palace, which led him on many explorations. His journeys led him to leave the palace to live a life of abstinence (Editors of Biography.com). For six years Siddhartha lived a life of fasting, meditation. Five religious people followed him in his ways of life (Editors of Biography.com). When none of these things helped him reach enlightenment, he fasted more vigorously. One day, a bowl of rice was offered to him by a little girl, he soon realized that none of his previous attempts were working so he ate the rice and abandoned that way of life (Editors of
Ashvaghosha’s Buddhacarita: The Life of the Buddha serves as one of the most relevant and profound texts regarding the Buddhist religion and it’s foundations. However, unlike other popular religious texts, this one does not serve as a historical document but rather a vessel for explaining the teachings of the Buddha, serving as a guide for the followers of the Enlightened One. Ashvaghosha’s descriptions of the Buddha, his life, and his actions provide an example of the Buddha’s disciplines and truths, giving his followers a detailed and structured idea of his way of life. The Buddhacarita’s descriptions in particular focus on the teaching of pervasive suffering, it’s causes, and the paths (both right and wrong) to breaking free from it.
Govinda and Siddhartha were in search to find a well spoken about Buddha named Gotama known as the “the one”. Govinda soon joins the ...
...at the key to happiness is an equality of self, knowledge and love. Without these key ingredients the path for harmony becomes twisted and unmanageable. With Siddhartha's wise findings and example, it is much easier to reach the destination of balance. From Siddhartha's philosophies, the most consequential lesson I acquired is not to draw boundaries or label. In Siddhartha's progression, he falters twice, and then attains his goal. He overcame all obstacles, with perseverance, and his life can truly be defined as a legacy. Siddhartha's journey broke a cultural barrier for me and taught me a valuable lesson in acceptance. Not only did Siddhartha's determination cause metamorphoses in his own part, but gave me hope for progress and the achievement of my goals, through implementing his fundamental principles and all that I have previously acquired.
Siddhartha, after realizing that the Brahmins will not aid him in achieving his ultimate goal, joins the Samanas. This brief stay wit...
Buddhism originated from India, and was founded by Prince Siddharta Gautama, who later came to be known as Buddha, or the enlightened one. Born of a princely caste, he later renounced his comfortable life in search for nirvana. In order to do that, he joined a band of ascetic, who was a group of Hindu priests. In his teaching, the Buddha taught his followers to follow "the middle way", that is, not the way of extreme asceticism. He attained full understanding of the nature of being by meditation and after his success, decided to impart his knowledge to those who follow him .
Hooker, Richard. "Siddhartha Gautama." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. 1996. Web. 23 Feb. 2011. .
Siddhartha Gautama experimented with a number of methods to find the cause of suffering, which led him to what he called the Middle Way – a path between “licentiousness and extreme mortification” (Bloom). Once he achieved enlightenment, he turned into ‘the Buddha – the enlightened or awakened one’. Christianity is one of the largest and most prevalent religions in the world and is largely based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians trust that Jesus was sent by God to save humanity. Therefore, the faith of the followers of the Christian belief is primarily based on the preaching of Jesus and later the spreading of those by his disciples.
Siddhartha 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.
"The Dhammapada: Socrates & Buddha Vs. Desire — The League of Ordinary Gentlemen." The League of Ordinary Gentlemen. Web. 05 July 2011. .