Siddhartha Gautama :: essays research papers

Siddhartha GautamaSiddhartha Gautama was born about 563 BC in what is now modern Nepal. Hisfather, Suddhodana, was the ruler of the Sakya people and Siddhartha grew upliving the extravagant conduct on a young prince. According to custom, he marriedat the young get along of sixteen to a girl named Yasodhara. His father had orderedthat he live a life of total seclusion, but one day Siddhartha ventured out intothe world and was confronted with the reality of the inevitable suffering oflife. The next day, at the age of twenty-nine, he left his kingdom and new-bornson to lead an modest life and determine a way to relieve universal suffering.For six years, Siddhartha meditated under a bodhi tree. But he was never fullysatisfied. One day he was offered a bowl of rice from a young girl and he authentic it. In that moment, he realized that physical hardships were not themeans to freedom. From then on, he encouraged people not to use extremes intheir life. He called this The halfway Way. T hat night Siddhartha sat underthe bodhi tree, and meditated till dawn. He cleared his mind of all worldlythings and claimed to get enlightenment at the age of thirty-five, thus earningthe title of respect Buddha, or "Enlightened One." For the remainder of his eighty years,the Buddha preached the dharma in an effort to help other people reachenlightenment. When Siddhartha is a Brahmin, he believes in the existence of umpteen gods, and performs sacrifices to them. After a while he realizes this ismeaningless and decides to leave his family and community and become a Samana.As a Samana, he tries to destroy himself in may ways. He feels if he killshimself, with its passions and emotions, he will watch the great secret.Siddhartha doesnt spend much time as Buddha, although he has an importantrevelation. He discovers he cant find peace by learning from a master. Hefinds the only way to have peace with the world is by finding it for himself.When Siddhartha leaves Buddha, he is en thralled with the world. He startspaying more attention to the world because he knows he must get experience forhimself. As he walks he comes upon a town. He corset and becomes a merchant.At first he looks at his actions as a game. After a while he becomes moreserious. He starts drinking and looseness and becomes lazy. Siddhartha seesthis and decides to leave the town.He wanders through a forest and comes upon a