What Is Buddhism

Another way we would benefit from Buddhism is the possibility to free ourselves from pain and suffering, we would be able to eliminate any attachments to "worldly goods." Only then would we be able to gain a kind of peace and happiness that is exempt of greed, hatred, and lust. From this, keep an open mind, while I explain more in depth about Buddha, why we should rid ourselves from this so called pain and suffereing, and how exactly this aspect of life can be achieved.

Buddha was actually born into a confined life where there was no suffering or death. His father made sure that he never got exposed to what was actually out there in the world. Well, against the will of his father, and like I once did, Buddha began to sneak out and began observing the world. Buddha however saw four signs that made him determine that happiness was basically just an illusion. The first sign was a homeless man, starving and begging for food. The second was a dead man with mourners surrounding his body. The third sign was a diseased man and the fourth sign was that of a wondering monk. This is how Buddha came to the realization that all life is in fact suffering. After having a son, and he knew his bloodline would live on, he left his family to go seek the actuall truth to life and its sufferings. I know this may sound cowardly of him to leave his family, but at the time it was an accepted practice for men to leave their home and lead the life as an ascetic, which an ascetic is one who limits themselves from food and turns their back on all pleasures.

Buddha then kept trucking thoughout India trying to free himself of the sufferings that life bestows upon all of us. During this time of wondering, Buddha first tried meditation, which he learned from two teachers he met along the way. He felt that meditation was a valuable practice, but eventually he realized he had to face problems, such as sickness, old age, and death. He then joined a group in the forest where he practiced breath control, and limited his eating intensly for six years. Buddha was said to have brought himself to the brink of death by only eating a little bit of rice and soup each day. This may seem outlandish to you right now, but this technique produced a series of discomforts that Buddha later found didnt provide enlightenment. He determined that the best path to achieve Nirvana, and to be liberated from suffering was to pursue a middle path, that consited of monderation and meditation.

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