I recently heard a story contradictory to the story about Buddha and how his religion came about. Could someone please tell me what they know about the origins of Buddha? I heard he was a rich prince who gave up all his wealth for suffering ect…
Thank you.
2007-07-13
10:40:02
·
6 answers
·
asked by
Miss 6
7
in
Society & Culture
➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes, the prince story is the one I am familar with. Someone told me a story about him being born to a virgin. I'm sorry if I didn't make myself clear. I was wondering if anyone heard that story too? It's kinda similar to the Jesus story. Thanks.
2007-07-14
00:52:34 ·
update #1
Hi ^^
This was taken from my book.. I am sure you can find it online too.. Here is a page out of my book about Budda.
Buddhism is a philosophy / religion based upon the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (566 - 486 B.C.). He was an Indian prince born in Lumbini (a town situated in what is now Nepal), destined for a privileged life.
According to legend for his life, before his birth, Gautama had visited his mother during a vision, taking the form of a white elephant. During the birth celebrations, a seer announced that this baby would either become a great king or a great holy man. His father, wishing for Gautama to be a great king, shielded his son from religious teachings or knowledge of human suffering.
At age 16, his father arranged his marriage to Yashodhara, a cousin of the same age. She gave birth to a son, Rahula. Although his father ensured that Gautama was provided with everything he could want or need, Gautama was troubled and dissatisfied. At the age of 29, Gautama was escorted on four subsequent visits outside of the palace. Here Siddhartha came across an old crippled man, a sick man, a dead body and an ascetic. This is known as the Four Passing Sights which lead Siddhartha to recognise the reality of death and suffering and the cyclical nature of human existence (samsara). He then left the palace, abandoned his inheritance and became a wandering monk, seeking a solution to an end of suffering. He began with the Yogic path and although he reached high levels of meditative consciousness, he was not satisfied.
He abandoned asceticism and realised the power of the Middle Way. This is an important idea in Buddhist thought and practice. To seek moderation and avoid the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. At the age of 35, meditating under a Bodhi tree, Siddhartha reached Enlightenment, awakening to the true nature of reality, which is Nirvana (Absolute Truth)
Blessings to you,
As always seek,learn,discover,
Your Sister In Christ
2007-07-13 10:45:53
·
answer #1
·
answered by Anonymous
·
5⤊
1⤋
Buddha was born in India and yes, he was a prince.
An astrologer told his father the king, that Buddha would either be a great ruler or a great renunciate.
His father was afraid for this and so he protected the prince, inside the palace grounds. The father didnt want his son to meet with any holy man or have any outside influence. He kept him from seeing the miseries of the world, in hopes that his son would not renounce, (as the astrologer predicted) and that he be the heir to the throne.
One day the young prince decided to go out of the palace grounds against the wishes of everyone. So the father made an anouncement to the people to hide everything bad, so that Buddha.
But the prince saw an old man scurrying away and asked his driver, "Hey why was that man bent and wrinkled and walking with a cane" His charioteer replied, "That man is old"....
Buddha saw all the faults of this temperary world inspite of the efforts of his father to hide it from him.
The princes heart was deeply affected, so He left home to seek enlightenment.
Buddha is the emblem of compassion. He rejected the Vedas because cheating priests were killing animals in sacrifices and eating them, all in the name of the Vedas.
He felt sorry for the poor animals and taught the philosophy of ahimsa.
Buddha is the 11th incarnation of Krishna. The das avatar sloka of Jayadev Goswami glorifies Buddha, "Keshava drta buddha sarira , jaya jagadisha hare.
There are temples of Buddha all over India. I have been to some of them myself.
2007-07-13 12:58:25
·
answer #2
·
answered by Anonymous
·
0⤊
0⤋
Gautama Siddhartha was a Hindu Prince in a region of India. The legends say that he had led a sheltered life, had married, and had a son, when one day he asked one of the king's servants to take him on a drive through the city. On their way, they saw a very old person, a very sick person, a corpse, and a monk.
Siddhartha was confused by these odd sights, and he asked about them. From the combination, he determined that all life and all pleasure were temporary, suffering was inevitable, and we would all die. Because of that, he left his father's house and his wife & son and traveled as a monk seeking the release from suffering.
After about 5 years (?) of study he achieved enlightenment that allowed him to bring about the end of his own suffering. He said others could do so, too, by following the Eight-Fold Path.
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-fold_path )
^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^
2007-07-13 10:49:10
·
answer #3
·
answered by NHBaritone 7
·
1⤊
0⤋
Yes, he was a rich prince who gave it all up. But Buddhist don't consider Buddhism a religion. The Buddha did not want to be worshiped.
Like Jesus, Buddha said Heaven (Nirvana) is within each of us, and we need to seek it ourselves.
2007-07-13 10:48:11
·
answer #4
·
answered by Honest Opinion 5
·
3⤊
0⤋
He was a rich Indian prince, he had always lived in the palace. Until one day, he came out and saw so much sufferring. He did not understand...so he seeked enlightment and peace.
2007-07-13 10:50:05
·
answer #5
·
answered by Harlequin 6
·
0⤊
0⤋
Yes, he was a rich prince, and yes, he gave up his material possessions.
2007-07-13 10:43:25
·
answer #6
·
answered by Anonymous
·
4⤊
0⤋