Everyone has a story. Whether they’re funny, sad, memorable, or teach a lesson we all have a history which makes us who we are today. This is also true for many religions. More specifically, Buddhist stories are usually widely known and applicable to anyone, regardless of their religion. Not only do they provide entertainment but sacred stories and myths teach follows what to strive for in life and provide historical information to aid them with their journey. (Massoudi para. 24). These parables and early accounts of Buddha teach lessons, instruct followers, and encompass the basic precepts which helps Buddhists follow the Eightfold Path toward eternal bliss, also known as nirvana.
Buddhism traces back to northern India about 2,500 year ago located near present-day Nepal. Founded by a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, he eventually became known as Buddha who traveled to teach and guide people to the path of nirvana. His teachings, called the dharma, revolve around the self-discovery of faith. The heart of these teachings include the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path (Ganeri 8). Like many other religions, the founder is considered one of the greatest teachers; however, Buddha does not consider himself a supernatural being or god of any sort. Siddhartha claims to be an extraordinary man who underwent a religious awaken which lead to his label as Buddha, derived from budh meaning "to awaken” (Brodd 69).
Giving up wealth and comfort, the Indian prince sought to find the answer to suffering. Buddhists belief in three basic truths: everything changes, everyone and everything in this world are interconnected, and human life is full of greed, hatred, and ignorance. Buddhism, although considered a non theistic reli...
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...igions)/Judaism. (World Religions)/Sikhism. (World Religions)." CM : an Electronic Reviewing Journal of Canadian Materials for Young People 16.3 (2009): n. pag. ProQuest Central K12. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. .
Massoudi, Mehrdad. "Learning and Teaching Ethics through Stories: A Few Examples from the Buddhist Tradition." Creative Education 1.1 (2010): 18-24. ProQuest Central K12. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. .
Oo, Zigmund Sun, trans. "Archive for ‘Life of the Buddha (Version 1)’." BuddhistMythology.Net. WordPress, 2 Apr. 2009. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. .
Wanghu, Madhu Bazaz. Buddhism. Fourth ed. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. Print.
Buddhism’s approach to ethics and practices are centred upon the principal beliefs of; the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Five Precepts. By adhering to these guidelines, Buddhists are ensured that they are taking a step closer to escaping Samsara, and attaining the revered state of Nirvana,
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.
Buddhism was founded by one man, Siddhartha Guatama. He was born into royalty around 563 B.C.E. in a Kingdom near the border of India and Nepal. He was raised in wealth and luxury, and at the age of 16, he married a wealth woman and they had a child together. Around the age of 29, he began to realize that all humans were in a cycle of suffering, dying, and then being reincarnated only to suffer and die over and over again. It was then that he decided to leave his wife and child to find a way out of this repeating cycle of life and death. First he studied with teachers, but found he was coming to no conclusions, so he turned to more extreme things such as self-mortification, but he was still left unsatisfied.
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.
Armstrong, Karen. Buddha. New York: Lipper/Penguin, 2004. 66-98. Print.
Buddhism 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)
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 .
Smart, Ninian. "Blackboard, Religion 100." 6 March 2014. Seven Dimensions of Religion. Electronic Document. 6 March 2014.
The study of Buddhism over the past century or so has resembled the encounter of the blind men and the elephant in many ways. Students of Buddhism have tended to fasten onto a small part of the tradition and assume their conclusions held true about the whole. Often the parts they have seized on have been a little like the elephant's tusks a striking, but unrepresentative, part of the whole animal. As a result, many erroneous and sweeping generalizations about Buddhism have been made, such as that it is 'negative', 'world-denying', 'pessimistic', and so forth.
"What is Buddhism? | The Buddhist Centre." What is Buddhism? | The Buddhist Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. .
Buddhism is one of the most renowned religions and philosophies in the world. Over 6% of the world’s population are Buddhist. Buddhism was born about 2500 years ago through a man named Siddhartha Gotama, he belonged to a royal family that live in Lumbini. When Siddhartha Gotama turned 29 he had a realization that money and royalty were what everyone in the world wanted but he felt that even though he had them he was not happy. After his epiphany Siddhartha Gotama decided he would go forth on a long journey to discover the true meaning to being happy. Siddhartha Gotama traveled the world and learned things about many different religions around the world. After six years he finally reached “the middle path” in other words, enlightening. He earned the name Buddha and continued his life teaching others the way to enlightenment using The Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths encompass the principles of Buddha 's teachings.
Story, Francis. "Buddhist Meditation." Access to Insight: Readings in Theravada Buddhism. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
Buddhism was founded around 520 BC by Siddharta Gautama, who was an Indian Prince. Buddhism emphasizes practice over belief. In reality, however, Buddhism centers on correct understanding of human nature and ultimate reality. The Buddha was, after all, called the "Enlightened One." He taught that the way to eliminate suffering began with understanding the true nature of the world. In Buddhism, the purpose of life is to end suffering. The Buddha taught that humans suffer because we continually strive after things that do not give lasting happiness.
There are approximately 360 million Buddhists worldwide, and over one million American Buddhists currently. Buddhism is based mostly on the teachings of an Indian prince named Siddharta Gautama who lived around 500 BCE (Before Common Era). According to Buddhist tradition, the sheltered young prince was shocked by the suffering he saw outside the palace walls, so he left his luxurious life to seek answers. He eventually did succeed and became known as Buddha, or “Enlightened One.” Buddhists believe in gods, ancestors, and the afterlife, but their most important belief is based on suffering and how to escape and end it. One general doctrine agreed upon by Buddhists is the following: “We do not believe that this world is created and ruled by a God.” However, disbelief in a creator God does not mean that Buddhism is atheistic. They do not consider themselves atheistic. (“Buddhism – ReligionFacts,”
In Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha, a classic novel about enlightenment, the main character, Siddhartha, goes on a lifelong journey of self-discovery. Along the way, Siddhartha encounters many who try to teach him enlightenment, undoubtedly the most important being the illustrious Buddha himself. Although Siddhartha rejects the Buddha's teachings, saying that wisdom cannot be taught, we can see, nevertheless, that along his journey for understanding Siddhartha encounters the Four Noble Truths that are a central theme in Buddhism: suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the middle path.