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Siddhartha Gautama, known to the rest of the world with the popular name of Buddha, is one of the most influential figures in the world. Buddha, who didn’t worry himself with matters and entities beyond human experience, focused his life on analyzing the concepts of happiness, and virtue. On his journey of seeking answers, Buddha discovered the Four Noble Truths by walking on the Eightfold Path which in turn led him into ultimate nirvana. Rather than staying in a nirvana state, where Buddha finally overcame any type of ego he had and found a way to live a life free of suffering, Buddha chose to share his findings with society.
In this paper, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path written out by Buddha will be analyzed in depth by first understanding why Buddha set out on this journey by examining his childhood and beginnings, by describing in depth the symbols of the Four Noble Truths, and by evaluating how one can reach those four noble truths.
Siddhartha Gautama was a man of luxury and worldly pleasures.
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According to the myth, Buddha was raised in a house where everything was provided for him with a whim of his finger. His parents were so worried about the horrors of the world that they did everything in their power to shield Buddha from those realities. However, Siddhartha wasn’t truly happy with any of these materialistic things, and over time he got bored. One day when he sneaked out of his house, Buddha came across three scenes that will stick with him for the rest of his life as three of the symbols in the Four Noble Truths.
The three scenes Buddha came across were a homeless man begging, a handicapped man, and a cadaver being moved to a cremation site. Siddhartha, who has never come across such tragedy-filled scenes and who only knows of the good side of life, didn’t understand what he saw. He didn’t understand why people fought to survive in a world full of such suffering and sadness. Thus, Buddha made it his mission to find the answers to his set of general questions by strictly following the Middle Way. “Suffering he realized, is universal. It’s an integral part of existence, and the root cause of our suffering is the frustration of our desires and expectations. These desires he calls ‘attachments’, and they include not only our sensual desires and worldly ambitions, but our most basic instinct for self-preservation. Satisfying these attachments, he argues, may bring about short-term gratification, but not happiness in the sense of contentment and peace of mind” (Buckingham, Will et al., pg. 30-33)
By following the Middle Way, which meant leaving behind all of his materialistic belongings as well as desires and expectations, Buddha set out to find the answers to his questions. From his collective experiences as well as from the scenes he had initially experienced when he sneaked out his house, Buddha understood that there Four Noble Truths to life, and this is what he rested his basic teachings upon. The Four Noble Truths are “(1) no one can deny that suffering is the condition of all existence, (2) suffering and general dissatisfaction come to human beings because they’re possessive, greedy, and above all, self-centered, (3) egocentrism, possessiveness, and greed, can, however, be understood, overcome, rooted out, (4) this rooting out, this vanquishing, can be brought about by following a simple, reasonable Eightfold Path of behavior in thought, word, and deed. Change of view-point will manifest itself in a new outlook and new patterns of behavior” (Soccio, pg. 48). These Four Noble Truths are what ultimately led Buddha to the Eightfold Path and nirvana.
The Eightfold Path compares to a value system of ethics – the very remedy to the happiness that Buddha first set out to find. “This eightfold path, as laid down by Buddha, helps an individual attain the state of Nirvana by freeing him from attachments and delusions and thereby helping him understand the innate truth of all things. This path, therefore, helps a person with his ethical and mental growth and development” (“The Eightfold Path”). Buddha believed that the primary objective of life on Earth to be ending the endless cycle of suffering and pain. By following the Eightfold Path offered by Buddha, a person can conquer his or her ego and self-indulgence, and lead a life free of turmoil. When one follows the Eightfold Path, one will ultimately reach the state of nirvana where they’re one with eternity itself.
The Eightfold Path is a reasonable system of values to live by; “right understanding, right thought, right speech, right conduct, right means of making a living, right mental attitude or effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration” (Gellman & Hartman) are all the components of the Eightfold Path. From these components one can see that the path focuses on a life that is founded upon initially understanding the Four Noble Truths to be in the correct mindset to follow the path. From there on, one must focus on not just leaving behind their desires and expectations but being an ethically correct person.
As can be seen, Siddhartha Gautama led an insightful life where although he was born into riches, he decided to leave it all behind in the hopes of understanding the suffering in this world. Not only did Buddha gain an understanding to the suffering in this world, but he also found the Eightfold Path to live by to eliminate the suffering and pain from one’s world. To be on this path, one must understand the Four Noble Truths of life which are the concepts Buddha’s teachings are founded upon. By successfully following the Eightfold Path, one will be able to reach a state of nirvana where all their ego is overcome and they are on with eternity.
Depth Of The Symbols By Siddhartha Gautama. (2024, Feb 28). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/depth-of-the-symbols-by-siddhartha-gautama-essay
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