Buddhism- Early History
Buddhism is probably the most accepting religion in the world, as its teachings can exist with any other religions. Its followers view their life pessimistically. The emphasis of the religion is on compassion, love, and the hope that if they behaved in the world now that the next world will be even better. Buddhism has a very long existence and history, starting around the 6th and 5th century BC with the birth of Siddhartha Gautama. In about 565 BC, Siddhartha Gautama was born heir to King Suddhodana of the Sakya tribe of Kapilavatthu (Encyclopedia Britannica 273). This was a country at the foot of the Himalayas, near the present Indian-Nepal border (Hopfe). Gautama's father was said to have been told by a prophet that if Gautama saw the sick, aged, dead, or poor he would become a religious leader (Snelling, J. 47). If he didn't see these four things he would become an emperor leader (Snelling, J. 47). Because of this prophecy Gautama's father decided to isolate his son from the outside world, where he might "see how the other half lived", for the good of his empire and his citizens (Snelling, J. 48). Trying to shelter Gautama from all the four sights was impossible, and Gautama ventured out and that is when he eventually saw
"Right Mindfulness", says that what a person is, comes from what he thinks. The easiest one to reach Nirvana in is the human world. These eight are usually divided into three categories that form the basis of Buddhist faith: morality, wisdom, and samadhi, or concentration (Hinnells, J, 60). "Right Effort", is that one must have the will power to overcome barriers. And the last is "Right Meditation", by this meaning the practice of the Raja Yoga. After a while of traveling as a holy man he cleaned his mind of all evil thoughts and achieved Enlightenment at the age of thirty-five, earning the title Buddha, or "Enlightened One" (Mazour & Peoples). One year later they had a child named Rahula. I found it very interesting about how he stayed in a trance-like state for days, and told his teaching to his students. He realized that physical harshness of asceticism was not a means of achieving Enlightenment (Mazour & Peoples). In Buddhism, there are six worlds that one can live in. This means that by improving our thoughts we can become more noble. Buddha didn't exactly believe in a soul, but he did believe that there was something inside people or they could not be born again. Gautama was a teacher and guru until his death in about 483 BC (Encyclopedia Britannica 274). The first two are realms of complete happiness, and the last three are realms of pain and despair (Hinnells, J, 62). He finally realized the essential truth about life and about the path to salvation.
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Acceptance Essays
