Religion Transforming in India
Prince Siddhartha Gautama Born in 563 BCE in Northern India Was the son of King Suddhodana and Queen Maya King and Queen had different expectations for their son
Prince Siddhartha Gautama Before the prince was born, Queen Maya had a dream She was carried over the Himalayas to a silver mountain and placed on a silver couch
Prince Siddhartha Gautama A white elephant with six tusks walked around her and struck her side The Queen asked the Brahmins what this meant. She was told that her son would have two possible paths in his life.
The Two Paths Mightiest ruler in the universe or Achieve enlightenment
Prince Siddhartha Gautama King Suddhodana wanted the prince to be the powerful ruler To be sure this would happen, the king kept the prince inside the palace and gave him all of the finest things. This would make the prince be used to the finer things and want to continue to have them
Prince Siddhartha Gautama The prince was always curious about what was beyond the palace walls At age 16 the prince got married For 12 years, he and his wife continued living the high life in the palace. At age 29, they had a son.
Prince Siddhartha Gautama Once he became a father, the king thought he was ready to see the outside world. The king began releasing the prince to go on trips to handle some of the royal business While on these trips, the prince s eyes were opened.
Trip #1 The prince sees a withered, old man walking with a cane and learns that age weakens the body
Trip #2 The prince sees a man crying out in pain and learns what sickness can do to a body
Trip #3 The prince sees a man completely wrapped in a white cloth and learns that the body dies eventually The prince begins to think about these 3 images he has seen.
Trip #4 The prince meets an ascetic and describes him as a calm man glowing with inner peace
Prince Siddhartha The prince decides to renounce his royalty and become an ascetic himself. On his 35 th birthday, while meditating under a tree, the prince receives enlightenment. The prince now becomes known as Buddha, which means enlightened one
Buddha Lays down the 4 Noble Truths that lead to spiritual nirvana The Noble Truths 1. Suffering Will Happen 2. Suffering Is Caused By Desires And Wants 3. Giving Up Desires and Wants Ends Suffering 4. Give Up Desires and Wants By Following The 8 Fold Path
The 8 Fold Path 1) RIGHT VIEW: Right view consists of an understanding of the Four Noble Truths
The 8 Fold Path (2) RIGHT INTENTION: the development of selfless love for other beings, thought guided by compassion, and the wish that all beings will be free of suffering.
The 8 Fold Path (3) RIGHT SPEECH: Right speech means abstaining from lying, slander, hurtful language, and gossip.
The 8 Fold Path (4) RIGHT ACTION: Right action means abstaining from killing, stealing, and immoral behavior.
The 8 Fold Path (5) RIGHT LIVELIHOOD: Right livelihood means earning making a living honestly, peacefully, and without producing harm and suffering for others.
The 8 Fold Path (6) RIGHT EFFORT: Right effort involves the undertaking of four "great endeavors": -- to always act and think in a proper way
The 8 Fold Path (7) RIGHT MINDFULNESS: keeping your mind and body in the right state
The 8 Fold Path (8) RIGHT CONCENTRATION: meditation