Buddhism
i. According to the traditions, Siddhartha was the son of a chief of the Sakya clan. He had a sheltered upbringing within the palace, insulated from the harsh realities of life.
ii. One day he persuaded his charioteer to take him into the city. His first journey into the world outside was traumatic.
iii. He was deeply anguished when he saw an old man, a man and a corpse ( body). He realized in that moment that the decay and destruction of the human body was inevitable.
iv. He also saw a homeless mendicant, who had come to terms with old age, ** and ****, and found peace. Siddhartha decided that he too would adopt the same path.
v. Soon after, he left the palace and set out in search of his own truth. Siddhartha explored several paths including bodily mortification which led him to a situation of near *****. He meditated for several days and finally attained enlightenment. After this he came to be known as the Buddha or the Enlightened One.
The Teachings of the Buddha
i. The Buddha’* teachings have been reconstructed from stories, found mainly in the SuttaPitaka.
ii. According to Buddhist philosophy, the world is transient (anicca) and constantly changing;it is also soulless (anatta) as there is nothing permanent or eternal in it.
iii. Within this transient world, sorrow (dukkha) is intrinsic to human existence.
iv. By following the path of moderation between severe penance and self-indulgence that human beings can come out of these worldly troubles.
v. The Buddha regarded the social world as the creation of humans rather than of divine origin. Therefore, he advised kings and gahapatis to be humane and ethical towards common people.
vi. Individual effort was expected to transform social relations.
vii. The Buddha emphasized individual agency and righteous action as the means to escape from the cycle of rebirth and attain self-realization.
