World Religions Buddhism Origins, and the life of the Buddha Origins, and the life of the Buddha...

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• Origins, and the life of the BuddhaOrigins, and the life of the Buddha

• Week 13, 4/6/2011Week 13, 4/6/2011• Gene Wright, [email protected] Wright, [email protected]

World Religions - BuddhismWorld Religions - BuddhismWorld Religions - BuddhismWorld Religions - Buddhism

Spring 2011Spring 2011Crieve Hall church of ChristCrieve Hall church of Christ

• When a person encounters Buddhism for the first When a person encounters Buddhism for the first time, it is natural to ask two questions:time, it is natural to ask two questions:

• 1) Who was the Buddha? 1) Who was the Buddha? • 2) How did the story of the Buddha become 2) How did the story of the Buddha become

woven into the lives of the people who call woven into the lives of the people who call themselves Buddhists?themselves Buddhists?

• Siddhartha Gautama was born into a noble family Siddhartha Gautama was born into a noble family in northeastern India around 566 B.C. in northeastern India around 566 B.C.

• His story includes many of the kinds of details His story includes many of the kinds of details that Christians are accustomed to finding in the that Christians are accustomed to finding in the later story of Jesus: a miraculous conception, a later story of Jesus: a miraculous conception, a birth on the road, a childhood marked with birth on the road, a childhood marked with wonders and miracles. wonders and miracles.



• But the critical stage of Siddhartha’s life is rather But the critical stage of Siddhartha’s life is rather straightforward. His father tried to shield him straightforward. His father tried to shield him from all the pain of the real world. from all the pain of the real world.

• Siddhartha was kept inside the palace walls, and Siddhartha was kept inside the palace walls, and given everything he could desire: the best foods, given everything he could desire: the best foods, the best entertainment, the best companionship.the best entertainment, the best companionship.

• As the story is told, his father was trying to As the story is told, his father was trying to assure that Siddhartha would fulfill his destiny assure that Siddhartha would fulfill his destiny and duty as a prince. and duty as a prince.

• But shortly after marrying, Siddhartha demanded But shortly after marrying, Siddhartha demanded to see the world outside the palace walls. His to see the world outside the palace walls. His father relented, or at least, seemed to. father relented, or at least, seemed to.



• In reality, his father tried to “clean up” the In reality, his father tried to “clean up” the outside world. He carefully planned a parade outside world. He carefully planned a parade route, and from that route he had all signs of route, and from that route he had all signs of poverty, suffering and aging removed. poverty, suffering and aging removed.

• It didn’t work. Even on this limited tour, It didn’t work. Even on this limited tour, Siddhartha saw aging, illness and death. Siddhartha saw aging, illness and death.

• Given his previous Hindu background belief in Given his previous Hindu background belief in reincarnation, he realized that all of humanity was reincarnation, he realized that all of humanity was destined to suffer, only to die – and then to have destined to suffer, only to die – and then to have it happen again. it happen again.

• Siddhartha felt driven to find a way to end the Siddhartha felt driven to find a way to end the cycle of life-death-rebirth and win release for all cycle of life-death-rebirth and win release for all living beings from the suffering.living beings from the suffering.



• At first he tried to do so through the standard At first he tried to do so through the standard avenues open to a Hindu. avenues open to a Hindu.

• He renounced the wealth and satisfaction of He renounced the wealth and satisfaction of material life and his own destiny as a prince, and material life and his own destiny as a prince, and instead left the palace to join a company of instead left the palace to join a company of ascetic monks. ascetic monks.

• They wandered, free of possessions, satisfying They wandered, free of possessions, satisfying their bodily desires less and less in hope of their bodily desires less and less in hope of liberation. But when he was near death from liberation. But when he was near death from starvation, Siddhartha realized that nothing had starvation, Siddhartha realized that nothing had changed. changed.

• He would die, only to be born again.He would die, only to be born again.



• He parted ways with the ascetics, nursed his He parted ways with the ascetics, nursed his body back to health, and sought instead a body back to health, and sought instead a “middle way.” “middle way.”

• Not attached to material satisfaction, and not Not attached to material satisfaction, and not attached to the denial of material satisfaction, he attached to the denial of material satisfaction, he instead sought liberation through meditation.instead sought liberation through meditation.

• Meditation had become widespread in Asia, but Meditation had become widespread in Asia, but had not yet been recognized by Hinduism as one had not yet been recognized by Hinduism as one of the paths to liberation from the wheel of of the paths to liberation from the wheel of rebirth, the Hindu world of “Samsara”rebirth, the Hindu world of “Samsara”

• Indeed, in this moment, Siddhartha’s Hinduism Indeed, in this moment, Siddhartha’s Hinduism did not yet teach that such liberation could be did not yet teach that such liberation could be permanent. permanent.



• There was no path offered that led to a final There was no path offered that led to a final escape from this world. escape from this world.

• In other words, one might find liberation and life In other words, one might find liberation and life would make sense on its deepest level, but would make sense on its deepest level, but destiny still dictated that all would be born again.destiny still dictated that all would be born again.

• For Siddhartha, that was unacceptable.For Siddhartha, that was unacceptable.• Under a massive sycamore fig tree, Siddhartha Under a massive sycamore fig tree, Siddhartha

meditated. meditated. • At last he came to enlightenment, to liberation, to At last he came to enlightenment, to liberation, to

nirvana, the blowing out.nirvana, the blowing out.• He then spent the rest of his life – forty-five more He then spent the rest of his life – forty-five more

years – teaching others what he was certain was years – teaching others what he was certain was the insight that ended the suffering.the insight that ended the suffering.



• After his enlightenment, Siddhartha felt free from After his enlightenment, Siddhartha felt free from the chains that held him to this life. the chains that held him to this life.

• His transformation is captured in a story in which His transformation is captured in a story in which a teacher tells a student centuries later,a teacher tells a student centuries later,

• ““I was walking one day, and the ground hurt my I was walking one day, and the ground hurt my feet. feet.

• I thought I would do something to protect them, I thought I would do something to protect them, so I began to buy soft leather to cover the world. so I began to buy soft leather to cover the world.

• But soon I realized I could not afford so much But soon I realized I could not afford so much leather.” leather.”

• The student responded, “So what did you do The student responded, “So what did you do then?” then?”

• The teacher said, “I made shoes.”The teacher said, “I made shoes.”



• Siddhartha had begun with a realization that Siddhartha had begun with a realization that all existence is suffering. all existence is suffering.

• We are not permanent, and thus our bodies We are not permanent, and thus our bodies break down, our memories fade, and break down, our memories fade, and eventually we die. eventually we die.

• All of this breeds a deep discomfort within us. All of this breeds a deep discomfort within us. To ease the discomfort, the suffering, we try To ease the discomfort, the suffering, we try to cover our world with soft leather. to cover our world with soft leather.

• But the problem is not the world itself. But the problem is not the world itself. • Suffering is not pain, but rather the way we Suffering is not pain, but rather the way we

deal with pain – and hunger and aging and deal with pain – and hunger and aging and loss. loss.



• Siddhartha was convinced that suffering Siddhartha was convinced that suffering was caused by our own desire. was caused by our own desire.

• First among our desires is our yearning to First among our desires is our yearning to hold on to our “self.” hold on to our “self.”

• We do not want to die, but we know we We do not want to die, but we know we will, and the dissonance of these two is will, and the dissonance of these two is suffering. suffering.

• Suffering is caused by desire, and the only Suffering is caused by desire, and the only way to stop suffering is to stop desire.way to stop suffering is to stop desire.



• Loneliness is suffering, caused by a desire Loneliness is suffering, caused by a desire for companionship and love. for companionship and love.

• We cannot control how others will be with We cannot control how others will be with us. The person we want to hold onto may us. The person we want to hold onto may well abandon us nonetheless. well abandon us nonetheless.

• But if we valued companionship and the But if we valued companionship and the lack of companionship equally, then lack of companionship equally, then whichever came our way would be equally whichever came our way would be equally acceptable.acceptable.

• Easier said than done. Easier said than done.



• How does one stop wanting to be loved? How does one stop wanting to be loved? • How does one stop wanting to be comfortable? How does one stop wanting to be comfortable? • How does one stop wanting to live without How does one stop wanting to live without

wanting instead to die? wanting instead to die? • To cease desire is almost absurd. To cease desire is almost absurd. • AlmostAlmost• Siddhartha taught that one could extinguish Siddhartha taught that one could extinguish

desire on an eightfold path.desire on an eightfold path.• Next week? The eightfold path. See you then!Next week? The eightfold path. See you then!

World Religions Buddhism Origins, and the life of the Buddha Origins, and the life of the Buddha...

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