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Buddhism Temple Visit

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Submitted By Jenny1984
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Pages 9
Jennifer Villalobos
Professor Miles
REL 2011- Analysis and Interpretation of Religion
October 17, 2011
Buddhism A Whole New World
History and Origin When we speak of Buddhism we visualize a monk in an orange robe but there is so much more than that. Buddhism in my opinion is a way of life and not just a religion. The founder of Buddhism was a man named Siddhartha Gautama. Siddhartha said that there were four noble truths and that the only way to save ourselves from suffering was to follow the eightfold path. Siddhartha’s teaching was to help us reach the ultimate goal “enlightment (nirvana), freedom from the cycle of conditioned existence”. It all started with the birth of a child named Siddhartha Gautama who later on is known as the Buddha. Siddhartha was born around present day Lumbini, Nepal around 563 BCE he was born into a wealthy family and was a prince of the Sakya Clan. Siddhartha was raised by his aunt who was his father’s second wife because his mother died when he was seven days old. It is believed that when Siddhartha was a baby a holy man said that he would be either a great politician and unite India or he would be a great religious leader.
Siddhartha lived a life of luxury and his father was very careful as to block all negative things from Siddhartha’s sight. His father did not want him to see old age, sickness, death, and a monk. The holy man had warned him that if Siddhartha say all these signs he would become a religious leader. When Siddhartha was 16 he married Yosadora and they had a baby whom they named Rahula. Siddhartha was discontent with his life and it is believed that when he went out of the palace four times and saw the four sights his father was trying to prevent him from seeing he decided to leave his family and find out how to overcome suffering. Now the prince who had had all the luxuries anyone could ever want became a

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