Around
563 B.C.,
a prince
named
Siddhartha
Gautama
was born in
India.
E. Napp
Siddhartha was a Hindu prince,
born into a life of luxury.
Sheltered and protected, he knew
no suffering.
E. Napp
But when Siddhartha was a man,
he longed to see the city.
His father allowed him to visit the
city but tried to limit the suffering
the prince saw.
E. Napp
But life has
suffering and
the father could
not prevent his
son from seeing
the sights of
suffering.
E. Napp
Siddhartha saw a sick man and
realized that sickness comes
to all men, even kings.
E. Napp
Siddhartha saw an old man and
realized that old age comes to
every man, even kings.
E. Napp
Siddhartha saw a corpse, a dead man
knowing that death comes to
every man, even kings.
E. Napp
Yes, upon leaving
the palace,
Siddhartha
discovered the
existence of
suffering.
He discovered
that life has
suffering.
E. Napp
Siddhartha left his wife
and child.
He left the palace and
its luxury.
He joined the ascetics
or holy men
to find the cause and
then
the cessation of
suffering.
E. Napp
The ascetics fasted and meditated
for hours and days. They tried to
conquer the body to conquer the
illusion. Yes, the Hindu ascetics
believed that this life was an illusion
and that by conquering the illusion,
the god self could be realized.
E. Napp
But Siddhartha did not find his
answers among the Hindu ascetics.
He became increasingly thin and weak.
He decided to eat some rice.
The ascetics were angry and told
Siddhartha to leave.
E. Napp
Siddhartha decided to meditate
until he realized the cause and
cessation of suffering.
E. Napp
Under the Bodhi
tree, Siddhartha
found his
answer. He
became the
Buddha or the
Enlightened
One.
E. Napp
Buddha formulated his answer
in the Four Noble Truths.
E. Napp
The First Truth: Life has suffering.
The Second Truth: Desire is the cause
of suffering.
The Third Truth: Suffering can end.
The Fourth Truth: Follow the
Noble Eightfold Path.
E. Napp
E. Napp
Nirvana is the end of suffering.
E. Napp
Buddha did not accept the caste
system. His religion was not popular
in India but spread to other lands.
E. Napp