Legend of the Buddha, “Siddhartha Gautama”

A Hindu prince named Siddhartha Gautama lived wealthily upon a kingdom with his father. After Siddharatha’s mother had passed, his father took it upon himself to shield Siddharatha from the world and its dangers. When he started experiencing spiritual adversities, Siddharatha led out and decided to see the uncertainty that lived behind the walls of the palace. In his journey, he encountered the Four Noble Sights and began to discover the true understanding of human suffering.

How Buddhism Sprouted from Hinduism

Siddharatha became to be what is known as a Sannyasi and started practicing the tactics of Hinduism and its austerities. He strictly fasted and meditated without sleep, which made it impossible for him to achieve his spiritual aspirations. “Two aspects of Hindu practice failed him at the time: one was too philosophical and theoretical, and the other was too austerities. Like fasting from food and drink and going without sleep, especially failed him,” (Carroll, pg.76). Siddharatha began to become restless and malnourished from his extreme efforts. In order to significantly draw a line between self-indulgence and deprivation, he adapted to The Middle Way. “Eat, exercise and rest enough to stay healthy so that you can meditate properly and effectively,” (Carroll, pg.77). The middle way has become the general and ethical practice of Buddhism for avoiding such extremes.

 

Siddharatha finally settled under a Bohdi tree and started meditating until he reached his spiritual desires. After 49 days Siddharatha attained enlightenment and was granted the name Buddha or also being called The Awakened One (Rodman iCollege).

What the difference between these two religions?

 

Similar to Hinduism, Buddhism believes in the ideas of reincarnation and karma. “Reincarnation, for both religions is a cyclical understanding of time in which individuals exist perpetually in a cycle of life, death and rebirth until they escape,” (Carroll, pg.79). And how one’s actions may follow them throughout existence, either good or bad, and how they interpret your future, which can be referred to as Karma. But the two religions can differ from one another by what happens after being released from samsara and how karma can be eliminated. As we remember in Hinduism there is a living soul (Atman) and a divine reality (Brahman). The ultimate concept of Hinduism is to be released from Samsara or the endless life cycle and enter Moksha. But completely contrasting from Buddhist belief, in Buddhism there is not a divine reality or soul. “There is a “self” that is propelled from life to life through the energy of karma, and when that karma is neutralized through spiritual work that results in enlightenment,” (Carroll, pg. 80). In Buddhism the goal is to completely escape samsara, or the cycle of life, death and rebirth and reach Nirvana. Also in Hinduism, there are known deities that are worshiped and are shown devotion through practicing Dharma, although they both believe in this concept, Buddhism does not collectively worship any deities or gods. Therefore, Buddhism is an atheistic religion. 
 

“The Hindu gods bow at his feet, ready to receive his teachings so that they, too, can escape the cycle of life, death and rebirth and enter into nirvana,” (Carroll, pg. 79). 

 

 

Shakyamuni Buddha 

 

In Tibet, China around the 13th and 14th century, the statue of Buddha Shakyamuni was created as a representation of his great awakening. “A teardrop-shaped turquoise inlay depicts the Urna, a swirling hair between the Buddha’s eyes, which represents understanding. The eyes, half closed, look both inward in contemplation and outward, engaged in the world. His smiling face and golden complexion suggest compassion for all beings. Small spheres on his palms and the soles of his feet represent the wheel of Dharma, the Buddha’s teachings,” (Michael C. Carlos Museum n.d.). The Dharma teaches others how to live life accordingly in a beneficial way. It addresses the fundamental phenomena of achieving universal truth. After passing through nirvana, “What he left behind is called the Triple Treasure: the Buddha (his life and example), the dharma (teachings and doctrine), and the sangha (the community of practitioners),” (Carroll, pg.76). The Buddha’s unembellished stretched earlobes stands for his abandonment of his luxurious life. The Shakyamuni Buddha is viewed as a paragon by many, and he is known to help guide others into enlightenment upon his grace and encourage positive intuition amongst all.

 

 

Is Suffering Avoidable? 

Suffering is not avoidable, but it is plausible to appease. Unlike the pain that we feel when we physically hurt ourselves, suffering refers to the attachment to outcomes that are unrealistic or the idea of wanting or craving things to last forever, which can mean materialistically or even immortality. This concept can also be described as an ignorant desire. “It wants permanent happiness to come from the possession of impermanent things, even though it won’t. It grasps and clings to things, trying to control them and never lose them, when it can’t really control anything but itself,” (Carroll, pg. 78). I believe we as humans cannot be honest with ourselves on what we have, or don’t have in life. Meaning that satisfaction in life cannot come from wealth or another person but from within ourselves. Money cannot buy happiness or gratitude in our lives. It takes us to accept reality and let go of the ignorance to introduce enlightenment and end suffering. 

                                         Buddhist Mathematics!  

3 + 4 + 8 = 0      

The Three Marks of Existence + The Four Noble truths + The Eightfold Path = NOTHINGNESS or SUNYATA! 

(Rodman iCollege) 

 

Criticism Surrounding Buddhism 

The criticism about Buddhism can be understandable because of the complexity of the religion. But I do not believe that Buddhism does not help people at large or as a society. Mostly because if it didn’t help, we wouldn’t have contributions from Buddhism that supply psychologist the ways of mental training for patients when it comes to their mental health. An example can be Zen Buddhism. “Because of this special psychological aspect, Zen Buddhist teaching has found a welcome audience in the West among not just those who self-identify as Buddhist but a boarder swath of people who wish to manage their destructive thoughts and achieve more peace and happiness in their lives as well,” (Carroll, pg. 82). This form of meditation is universally used in the field of psychology known today.  

 

References 

Michael C. Carlos Museum, E. n.d. “Shakyamuni Buddha.” Collections.carlos.emory.edu. Accessed September 24, 2022. https://collections.carlos.emory.edu/objects/9012/shakyamuni-buddha. 

Carroll, J. (2021). World religions: A beginner’s guide: Questions and answers for humanity’s 7 oldest and largest faiths. Rockridge Press.