Siddhartha Gautama
In the country of India, about 2500 years ago, a prince by the name of Siddhartha Gautama was born. He was raised in a palace, and therefore exposed only to the nicest of lifestyles, not knowing anything of pain, illness, sadness, or death. He lived a happy, easy life through his childhood, but was constantly curious about what lied outside the palace. After much pleading with his king, Siddhartha was granted permission to journey outside the walls of his palace. Siddhartha was excited about his new opportunity, but that excitement quickly turned to surprise and fear when he experienced the suffering of the real world; he encountered people living in poverty, old men who were debilitated from illness, and saw funerals full of mourning. He returned to the palace troubled by what he had seen. He spent the next few years mulling over suffering and its causes. After a few years, he could not resist the question that had been eating at him for so long: How could one overcome suffering? Still a young man, he set off in his journey to find the answer to his question.
As he ventured away from the palace, he gave away what he had, selling his nice clothes and luxuries and cutting his hair. He began to practice self mortification, depriving himself of everything except the bare necessities of life, eating and drinking only enough to keep him alive. As he continued doing this for many years, he found that he was going nowhere. He started eating, drinking, and bathing more to stay healthy, but still tried to stay as humble as possible. After a long period of time without success, Gautama decided he was going to sit under a fig tree and wait until he learned of how to overcome suffering.
Gautama sat under the tree for many days. At first, he kept a strict conscious, determined to somehow figure out the secret to overcoming the pains of the world. After a while, though, he began to meditate and have a more open approach. It was during this time that Siddhartha became open to the truth of suffering and learned how to rise above it. After he reached his Enlightenment, he went out and began preaching sermons on The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. He gathered followers, and the ball kept rolling over thousands of years, until it reached modern-day Buddhism.
Today, Buddhists study the words of Gautama, and follow his teachings. He set a legacy for millions to follow.
As he ventured away from the palace, he gave away what he had, selling his nice clothes and luxuries and cutting his hair. He began to practice self mortification, depriving himself of everything except the bare necessities of life, eating and drinking only enough to keep him alive. As he continued doing this for many years, he found that he was going nowhere. He started eating, drinking, and bathing more to stay healthy, but still tried to stay as humble as possible. After a long period of time without success, Gautama decided he was going to sit under a fig tree and wait until he learned of how to overcome suffering.
Gautama sat under the tree for many days. At first, he kept a strict conscious, determined to somehow figure out the secret to overcoming the pains of the world. After a while, though, he began to meditate and have a more open approach. It was during this time that Siddhartha became open to the truth of suffering and learned how to rise above it. After he reached his Enlightenment, he went out and began preaching sermons on The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. He gathered followers, and the ball kept rolling over thousands of years, until it reached modern-day Buddhism.
Today, Buddhists study the words of Gautama, and follow his teachings. He set a legacy for millions to follow.