Facts about Buddha
15. Born in Nepal in the 6th century B.C., Buddha was a spiritual leader and teacher whose life serves as the foundation of the Buddhist religion.
14. The 3 major tenants Buddha taught his followers was to not be ignorant, hate others, or get angry.
13. One day out of curiosity he asked a charioteer to take him on a ride through the countryside. There he saw an aged man, then a sick man, a corpse and a wandering ascetic. For the first time in life he realized and felt that what actually the reality was. He was moved by all that he saw and realized the actual reality of the life was outside his palace and not within it.
12. According to legend, Buddha sat under the Bo Tree for 49 days and was tempted by demons. He discovered four noble truths and the Eightfold Path to Nirvana, or ultimate bliss.
11. Buddhists go to temple, not at a special time or day, but when they can.
10. Siddhartha Gautama, who would one day become known as Buddha ("enlightened one" or "the awakened"), lived in Nepal during the 6th to 4th century B.C.
9. Originally born a wealthy prince, he left it all behind to pursue the path of truth when he saw the poverty and sickness beyond his palace walls. This also led him to drop his birth name Siddartha Gautama.
8. When he was born within few days it was predicted that either he would grow up to become a great ruler or he will become a saint. His father preferred the first one and locked him into the palace and was not allowed outside so he didn’t have any idea about the world outside the palace. He was provided with the knowledge that would help him to become a great ruler.
7. The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism: 1) existence is suffering, 2) the cause of suffering is craving and attachment, 3) suffering ceases at some point and turns to Nirvana (liberation or total bliss), and 4) there is a path to Nirvana which is made up of eight steps, sometimes called the Eightfold Path.
6. Buddha is known as a teacher not a god.
5. The word Buddha is both a Sanskrit and Pali word meaning awakened one.
4. Gautama spent a fateful night in deep meditation. During his meditation, all of the answers he had been seeking became clear, and achieved full awareness, thereby becoming Buddha.
3. Buddha was not a chubby as many depictions of him would make it appear- he was mainly portrayed this way because it was symbolic of happiness in the east. He practiced moderation in all things, fasted regularly, and spent most of his time walking hundreds of miles spreading the philosophy of enlightenment.
2. When he left the palace he started looking for teachers who could preach him about different religion and how to meditate. He tried many things but he was not able to attain the answers that he was looking for.
1. The Eightfold Path to Nirvana is to be "right" in all these areas: concentration, views, speech, resolve, action, livelihood, effort, and mindfulness.
Related Content:
