The Buddha and his Dharma

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The Buddha lived around 2,500 years ago. The story of his life is one in which all of mankind can relate to, the search for truth behind the human condition. His quest for a solution to life’s suffering and freedom from the continuous cycle of rebirth, would be the motivation behind him leaving his life of luxury to devoting himself to the practices of extreme self discipline. It was in his realization of the ‘middle path’ that would lead him to enlightenment, and what would become the foundation of the Buddha’s teachings. “One day he will either conquer the world, or become an enlightened being” (Grubin, 2013) He was named Siddhartha Gautama, and he was of noble blood. Stories say, his mother Maya knew of his importance at conception and it was predicted by sages that he would either become a powerful ruler or a holy man. Maya died when Siddhartha was only seven days old, and for 29 years his father protected him from the harsh realities of life. Eventually the reality of human suffering confronted him. It is said that on a trip outside the palace, Siddhartha saw an old man, a sic...

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