8yan Paws

03/23/2014

llsher, Mary. !"#"$% '()"%"*$+ earson ubllshlng Company. 8eLrleved March 23, 2014

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WhaL we know abouL Lhe 8uddha ls noL documenLed ln any way. ?eL sLorles LhaL have
been passed down over Llme from hls followers glves us an ldea of who he ls. SLorles of Lhe
8uddha's llfe are seen LhroughouL 8uddhlsLs LexLs. 1hese LexLs ofLen classlfy Lhe 8uddha as a
hero. 8aLher Lhan hlsLorlans wrlLlng abouL Lhe 8uddha, Lhese LexLs are raLher wrlLLen by poeLs.
1he man who laLer became Lhe 8uddha was born ln whaL we'd classlfy Loday as Lhe
border beLween lndla and nepal. Pls name was SlddharLha CauLama. 1he eplcs descrlbed hls
blrLh as a sLory of concepLlon wlLhouL human lnLercourse, ln whlch a whlLe elephanL carrylng a
loLus flower enLered hls moLher's whom durlng a dream." As a chlld SlddharLha was ralsed ln a
luxurlous llfesLyle. Pe was laLer marrled Lo ?ashodara, who gave blrLh Lo Lhelr son 8ahul. Lven
wlLh Lhe magnlflcenL llfe SlddharLha was llvlng, he was sLlll unconvlnced of lLs value. Accordlng
Lo legend, Lhe gods had arranged for hlm Lo see four slghLs" ln whlch hls faLher Lrled Lo hlde
from hlm. 1hese lncluded, an old man, a slck person, a dead person, and a beggar seeklng
happlness raLher Lhan Lemporary pleasure. 1he flrsL Lhree slghLs had SlddharLha ln dlsmay, Lhe
slghL of Lhe beggar helped grow hls lnLeresL ln a llfe of renunclaLlon. 8ecause of Lhls,
SlddharLha, aL age LwenLy-nlne lefL hls llfe. Pe shaved hls head and began hls [ourney of flndlng
llberaLlon. AL flrsL he Lrled sLudylng wlLh Lwo dlfferenL 8rahmlns' Leachers, one wlLh many
followers, and Lhe oLher helped hlm achleve a hlgher menLal sLaLe. Pe sLlll wasn'L saLlsfled wlLh
Lhls. 1hus he Lrled varlous denlal Lechnlques. Pe Lrled nakedness, exposure Lo greaL heaL and
cold, breaLh reLenLlon, a bed of brambles, and severe fasLlng. 1hese exLreme Lechnlques ln Lhe
end dldn'L lead hlm Lo enllghLenmenL. AfLer Lrylng varlous Lechnlques SlddharLha shlfLed hls
pracLlce Lo a Mlddle Way. 1hls re[ecLed boLh self-lndulgence and self-denlal. WlLh Lhls new
8yan Paws
03/23/2014

llsher, Mary. !"#"$% '()"%"*$+ earson ubllshlng Company. 8eLrleved March 23, 2014

pracLlce ln mlnd, SlddharLha, on Lhe nlghL of Lhe full moon ln Lhe slxLh lunar monLh" saL
beneaLh a Lree ln deep medlLaLlon, and flnally experlenced enllghLenmenL. Pe came Lo a
reallzaLlon of Lwo concepLs, whlch lncluded, a reallzaLlon of repeaLed deaLh and reblrLh, ln
whlch deeds reflecLed ln your fuLure, and whaL caused sufferlng. SlddharLha began Leachlng hls
paLh of enllghLenmenL ln SarnaLh. Pe Lhen spenL decades ln norLhern lndla walklng and
spreadlng hls Leachlngs. Pls followers began Lo lncrease gradually, and he soon became known
as Shakyamunl 8uddha." 8uddha walked across norLhern lndla for forLy-flve years Leachlng
and glvlng advlce Lo people no maLLer Lhelr background. Many young men sLarLed becomlng
monks and adopLed hls Leachlngs Lhey even moved on Lo a llfe of poverLy. CLhers adopLed hls
Leachlngs, buL sLayed home. Accordlng Lo Lhe Sangha, Lhe 8uddha accepLed people of all casLes
and levels of socleLy Lo achleve splrlLual salvaLlon wlLh hlm. Pe had even allowed hls
sLepmoLher Lo enLer Lhe Sangha, as long as she had observed elghL speclal rules.
1he 8uddha dled aL age elghLy. Pe dldn'L deslgnaLe a successor or appolnL a leader. Pe
raLher made lL clear LhaL hls followers shall Lake Lhe uharma and eLhlcal dlsclpllne as Lhelr
supporL. Pe wanLed hls followers Lo sLudy uharma and puL lL lnLo pracLlce.
1he uharma" ls whaL Lhe 8uddha LaughL. 8uddhlsm ls descrlbed as a nonLhelsLlc
rellglon. So Lhere ls no personal god. lL's based on Lhe bellefs of 8uddha hlmself. 1he 8uddha
LaughL wlLh a goal of nlrvana, or llberaLlon ln mlnd. 1eachlngs LhaL he LaughL lnclude, Lhe lour
noble 1ruLhs, Lhe noble LlghLfold aLh, and Lhe Wheel of blrLh and deaLh. l'm golng Lo
lnLroduce each of Lhese Leachlngs.
8yan Paws
03/23/2014

llsher, Mary. !"#"$% '()"%"*$+ earson ubllshlng Company. 8eLrleved March 23, 2014

SLarLlng wlLh Lhe lour noble 1ruLhs. 1hey are as follows, flrsL, Llfe lnevlLably lnvolves
sufferlng, dlssaLlsfacLlon, and dlsLress," Second, sufferlng ls caused by cravlng, rooLed ln
lgnorance," 1hlrd, sufferlng wlll cease when paln ceases," and fourLh, 8eallzlng Lhls sLaLe
would requlre Lhe noble LlghLfold aLh." 1he flrsL LruLh explalns LhaL aL some polnL ln your llfe
you'll experlence paln, old age, grlef, eLc. 1here are no Lwo momenLs LhaL are Lhe same
LhroughouL your llfe. 1he second LruLh means LhaL you'll become lgnoranL lf you aLLach yourself
Lo cravlngs. eople need Lo reallze LhaL everyLhlng changes and we can'L hold onLo llfe as lL ls.
AnoLher aspecL of Lhls LruLh ls LhaL happlness ls unavoldable, you can'L do anyLhlng abouL lL.
8uddha sald LhaL Lhe besL way Lo remedy Lhls was wlLh anaLman. 1hls wlll help reduce Lhe
aLLachmenLs Lo your deslres as well as self by helplng you reallze LhaL Lhere ls no separaLe
lmmorLal self. 1he Lhlrd LruLh explalns LhaL lf you llve ln Lhe presenL Lhan you'll llve happy. 1he
besL way Lo serve oLhers ls wlLhouL Lhe LhoughL of yourself. 1he fourLh, and flnal LruLh says LhaL
lf you follow Lhe noble LlghLfold aLh you'll selze your sufferlng.
1he nexL Leachlng, Lhe noble LlghLfold aLh, was seL by 8uddha so people could reduce
sufferlng and move closer Lo llberaLlon. lollowlng Lhls paLh wlll purlfy Lhe mlnd and help lead Lo
a favorable reblrLh. 1here are elghL aspecLs of Lhe LlghLfold aLh and Lhey are as follows, Lhe
rlghL Lo undersLand reallLy, moLlvaLlon, speech, acLlon, llvellhood, efforL, mlndfulness, and
medlLaLlon. l wlll furLher go lnLo deLall on Lhese aspecLs ln Lhe nexL Loplc.
1he lasL Leachlng, Lhe wheel of blrLh and deaLh, refers Lo Lhe 8uddhlsL Leachlng abouL
reblrLh. 1he 8uddhlsL phllosophy on Lhls dlffers from Lhe Plndu one. ln 8uddhlsm Lhere ls no
eLernal soul. 8uddhlsLs descrlbe karma as Lhe acLlon of body, speech, and mlnd." ?our acLlons
8yan Paws
03/23/2014

llsher, Mary. !"#"$% '()"%"*$+ earson ubllshlng Company. 8eLrleved March 23, 2014

wlll shape your experlences ln llfe. When we dle our karma ls Lhen passed onLo a new llfe. 1he
wheel of deaLh and reblrLh operaLes on Lhree affllcLlons, Lhese are aLLachmenL, averslon, and
deluslon. CpposlLe of Lhese are non-greed, non-haLe, and non-deluslon, Lhese wlll help you
leave Lhe clrcle of blrLh and deaLh. Consclous belngs Lake many dlfferenL forms LhroughouL
varlous re-blrLhs. ln Lhls concepL, lf you llve llfe repeaLedly you'll soon purlfy yourself and
achleve llberaLlon.
now golng back Lo Lhe LlghLfold aLh. l'm golng Lo go more lnLo deLall on each aspecL of
lL. 1he flrsL aspecL, undersLandlng reallLy, whaL Lhls means ls LhaL you need Lo see Lhrough
llluslons LhaL are sald Lo cause happlness. Cur mlnd produces everyLhlng LhaL we do so we need
Lo focus on lL. Accordlng Lo Lhe 8uddha, lf we deflle and don'L keep conLrol of our mlnd LhaL
sufferlng wlll always follow. We need Lo purlfy our mlnds. 1he second aspecL, Lhe rlghL Lo
moLlvaLlon. 1hls refers Lo keeplng yourself free of self-defllemenLs. Cnce your mlnd ls free of
self-lnLeresL you'll feel free. 1he Lhlrd aspecL, rlghL of speech when LaughL by 8uddha meanL
sLop gosslp, speaklng harshly, lylng, eLc. We need Lo Lry and speak ln LruLh and harmony. 1he
fourLh aspecL ls rlghL acLlon. 1hls aspecL beglns wlLh flve precepLs. 1hese precepLs lnclude,
avold desLroylng llfe, sLeallng, sexual mlsconducL, lylng, and lnLoxlcanLs. AcLlons need Lo be
based on wholesome deeds. 1he flfLh aspecL ls rlghL llvellhood. So people need choose a way of
llvlng LhaL doesn'L vlolaLe Lhe flve precepLs. 1he slxLh aspecL ls rlghL efforL, Lhls means LhaL lf
you sLrlve Lowards [oyfulness you won'L be lazy. ?ou also need Lo conLlnually sLop Lhe
lmpurlLles of Lhe mlnd. 8lghL mlndfulness, Lhe sevenLh aspecL, requlres you Lo be aware and
sLay dlsclpllned Lo keep beLLer yourself. And Lhe flnal aspecL, rlghL medlLaLlon, refers Lo quleLlng
8yan Paws
03/23/2014

llsher, Mary. !"#"$% '()"%"*$+ earson ubllshlng Company. 8eLrleved March 23, 2014

Lhe mlnd. Cnce you have full conLrol of your mlnd you'll be able Lo reflecL your surroundlng
much beLLer. now all ln all Lhose are Lhe aspecLs of Lhe LlghLfold aLh Lo LlberaLlon.
ln concluslon, 8uddhlsm would make a fanLasLlc rellglon for anybody who lsn'L
necessarlly seeklng guldance from a parLlcular god or seL of gods. 1he 8uddhlsL keep one
parLlcular goal ln mlnd, and LhaL's keeplng conLrol of your mlnd, Lhus reachlng llberaLlon and
enllghLenmenL. 1he rellglon ls based off of Lhe Leachlngs from SlddharLha, oLherwlse known as
8uddha. Pls Leachlngs are known as 1he uharma" and lnclude, Lhe lour noble 1ruLhs, Lhe
noble LlghLfold aLh, Lhe Wheel of blrLh and deaLh, and nlrvana. 1o sum everyLhlng up, lf you
follow 8uddha's Leachlngs you Loo wlll achleve llberaLlon accordlng Lo 8uddhlsm.

8yan Paws
03/23/2014

llsher, Mary. !"#"$% '()"%"*$+ earson ubllshlng Company. 8eLrleved March 23, 2014

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8S. ,-( ./00-123(0"414"*$25.67 ?ouLube.com. uploaded March 23, 2010. 8eLrleved March
23, 2014
llsher, Mary. !"#"$% '()"%"*$+7 lerson ubllshlng Company. 8eLrleved March 23, 2014