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Today's Western religions revolve around a central God that is one and the same for all of the followers of that religion. For instance, a Catholic goes to Church and prays to the same God as the person sitting beside them. There are many Eastern religions where that is not the case. Buddhism, one of the world's oldest religions, is one such instance. Buddhism, in fact, stresses a more individual approach to spirituality.

In 563 B.C., in India, a man named Siddartha Guatama was born into the ruling family of the Sakya people. Because of his elevated position in society he was forced to live a life of seclusion. When he was twenty-nine years old, he ventured out into the world and was confronted with the reality of suffering and death in the world. The next day he left his wife and son to search for a way to put an end to human suffering. After six years of living ascetically, he realized that the path to success and enlightenment was neither of the extremes of vast material possessions or the lack thereof , but a balance between the two. He called this the Middle Way. By the time he was thirty-five, Siddartha had achieved true enlightenment and earned the title Buddha(awakened one). He was the fourth man recorded t

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They are, trade in deadly weapons, trade in animals for slaughter, trade in slavery, trade in intoxicants and trade in poisons. That atonement can even come in another life. He has had indirect influence over the lives of millions and is not soon to be forgotten. They are right understanding, right thoughts, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. Right thoughts are the proper motives of our actions, that is to think only good thoughts that can benefit others. By clearing oneself of desire, one can reach a state of mind known as Nirvana.

The Middle Way has come to be known as the Noble Eightfold Path. Desires for things such as sex, wealth and power are what blind us to the true nature of reality. Through meditation one can develop a calm and concentrated mind and help to prepare one for the attainment of wisdom

and enlightenment. The First Noble Truth as related by Buddha is that suffering is unavoidable and universal to all beings. The fame brought to Buddha would mean absolutely nothing to him compared to the accomplishment of helping and giving direction to countless numbers of people; exactly what he set out to do in the first place. Success and happiness in the West is most often measured by accumulated wealth, power and fame. Buddhists often claim that the feeling we call déjà vu is really recollections from past lives. It is also one of the most misunderstood. Meditation is an inner stillness and focus that transcends ordinary consciousness.

Approximate Word count = 1210
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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