Was the poverty and sacrifice Buddha subjected himself to necessary to help others or obtain enlightenm?

Answer 1

In the beginning, Prince Siddhartha lived in luxury and wealth in his father's palace. After he renounced his privileged life and became a wandering monk, he experienced the hardship and difficulty of a life with nothing. He spent years torturing his mind with hard thoughts and solitude and starved his body, enjoyed no comforts and suffered all the experiences of a life without belongings.

Not long before he achieved his insights and attained enlightenment, he realised both these extreme ways of life were as fruitless as each other. He realised that the true way to happiness was to avoid these extremes, to follow a moderate a way of life. He called this way of living the Middle Path.

Buddhists describe the three ways of life by comparing them to strings of a lute. The loose string is like a life of careless indulgence and makes a poor note when played. The tight string is like a life of extreme hardship and denial, producing another bad sound when played and, worse, likely to snap at any moment. Only the middle string, which is neither slack nor tense, produces a harmonious note — it has the same qualities as the Middle Path. Those who follow this way, avoid the extremes of indulgence and denial. They do not seek endless pleasures, and they do not torment themselves with pain, lacking and self-torment. The Fourth Noble Truth is that the Middle Path leads to the end of suffering.

Answer 2

The answer is NO.In his very first sermon after gaining enlightenment,the Buddha cautioned against following the two extremes.What are the two extremes?
1.Indulgence in desirable sense pleasure,which is base,vulgar,unprofitable,practised by worldings but not by noble persons.

2.Self-mortification,which is painful,ignoble and unprofitable.

By avoiding these two extremes,the Buddha realised the MIDDLE PATH.......path that produces vision,knowledge,leads to calm,to higher knowledge,to Enlightenment,to NIBBANA.

Answer 3

I believe the story says that Buddha found out, when he got enlightenment that all the penance he did was not the true path.

I think we can conclude from that that is wasn't necessary. However, let's also consider the fact that he needed to do this to find out that it wasn't necessary.

Answer 4

Yes. Possessions and comfort get in the way of clear vision. Buddha was very rich before he went out on his search.

Answer 5

to give up material wants is often accompanied naturally with spiritual enlightenment without even trying to do so

so it wasnt necessary ... just a normal progression

Answer 6

no, not for others but it helped him in enlightening himself. he chose to come back to tell others of enlightenment.