Buddhism By Raymond Neistat and Peter Lund

Gautama: The First Buddha  Buddhism was founded by Siddartha Gautama  Gautama was born in about 566 B.C.  When Gautama was born, a prophet predicted that he would be a “wandering holy man”  His father didn’t like this idea, and surrounded him with everything he wanted so he didn’t leave home  His father made sure that wouldn’t happen  One day, he was strolling through his estate’s gardens and witnessed a diseased person, an elderly person, and a cadaver.  Gautama found this disturbing because he had never seen human suffering before  After this occurrence, he left his wife and set out to find “the realm of life where there is neither suffering nor death  Gautama went to meditate under a tree for 48 days  When he thought he understood human suffering, he came out  When Gautama came out, he was no longer Gautama. He was then to be known as The Buddha The Buddha

The Main Principles of Buddhism  In Buddhism, there are 4 main truths, called the “Four Noble Truths” 1.All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. 2.The cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions, such as riches, power, and long life. 3.The only cure for suffering is to overcome desire 4.The way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path  The Eightfold Path is as follows:  “right views, right aspirations, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right contemplation (all Ellis 78-79)  People of the Buddhist religion seek spiritual enlightenment that surpasses all others.  Humans must live through numerous lives to attain “nirvana” through many stages, some listed above  Nirvana is a “union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth” (Ellis 79)  As well as self enlightenment, The Buddha believed in giving charity and being kind to others

Holidays of the Buddhists  Buddhists observe the life of The Buddha in many ways  His life being mostly his birth, his enlightenment, and his death  In Japan, the Buddhists celebrate his life by decorating their temples  They adorn flowers and pour tea on the statue of the baby Buddha People celebrating a Buddhist Holiday

Buddhism Today  After its founding in 500 B.C., there are 350,000,000 people whose religion is Buddhism.  Buddhism has spread mostly to places like Tibet, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and the United States This is where Buddhism is practiced today.

Works Cited "Buddhism." Exploring the Middle Ages. Marshall Cavendish Digital, Web. 14 December Ellis, Elisabeth Gaynor, and Anthony Esler. World History: Connections to Today. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, Print. Myers, Robert J. "Feasts and Festivals." World Book Student. World Book, Web. 16 Dec Schober, Juliane. "Buddhism." World Book Student. World Book, Web. 12 Dec