The Buddha

The man we call the Buddha -the one who’s teachings we base Buddhism on-was born                                                                                                                                                    Siddhartha Gautama around 500BCE (or BC if you prefer).

He was born to a wealthy family and his father expected him to grow to be a ruler. A Holy man (whose name I can’t remember) had predicted that Siddartha would either be a ruler or a religious teacher. His father set about to insure that Siddartha would become a ruler and not religious teacher. His father isolated him from the world and gave him all of the pleasures that power and money could buy. He made sure that Siddartha saw nothing unpleasant….ever.

Siddartha became bored with this life and wished to see more of the world. He went out into the world with servants that had been instructed by his father to remove anything unpleasant from Siddartha’s sight.
The servants were not successful in this and for the first time Siddartha saw the realities of the world. He saw an old man, he saw a sick and he saw a corpse.

The sudden realization that he would sicken, age and die made him understand the  pointlessness of the life he had been living. He then saw a wandering holy man, and saw that he was at peace..
This made him decide to embark on a life of spiritual study.

He ran fro the palace one night, leaving all behind, including his wife and children..
He studied, he fasted almost unto death, he tried to learn to find peace, but it wasn’t coming to him. He lived a live of severe asceticism trying to find the way

One day he realized that this extreme was no more the way to enlightenment than was the life of riches and indulgences. He decided that the middle course was the best. No extremes one way or another.

He sat beneath the Bodhi tree and meditated-vowing to do so until he reached enlightenment. He wrestled with the “demons” of  ignorance and desire until he became free of them and saw the world in a new way.
He was free of the duality of life and deal. He became free of the cyclist existence of birth, death and rebirth (known as Samsara).
He was now the Buddha.

He spent the rest of his life teaching how to find peace and to free oneself.

The word Buddha means : “awakened one”.

Anyone can become a Buddha. We all posses the ability to be as he .

The Buddha is not worshiped as a God (though many people seem to think he is). The use of an image of the Buddha is simply a reminder of his teachings, To honor him as a great teacher.

In fact, he once said that if one is cold they would do better to burn the statue of him to keep warm, than to pray to it.


If you wish to read  more detained information here is a good beginning:
http://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm

There is also an excellent book:
the Illustrated Guide Encyclopedia of Buddhist Wisdom by Gill Farrer-Halls

I will post more links as I go along, or maybe actually have one thread that is only a list of links and references.

*hugs*

I would love to read and learn more Poppy!

I have always heard about Buddha, seen the statues and know people who have them, but never knew the true meaning behind it. And yes, I was under the impression he was worshiped as a god. I also didn't know the meaning of the word Buddha. Very interesting!!!!!!

*hugs Bobby too*

Ok. Can do.
I thought I'd also do a bit on Lukumi/Santeria sometime.