Prince Siddhartha Gautama

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Prince Siddhartha Gautama The Buddha
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The Prince
Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who would one day be
known as the Buddha, was born in ancient India in
563 BCE. He was born around the same time that
Confucius was born in ancient China.
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The Prince
The prince had parents who loved him, servants to
wait on him, the finest clothes, and a different
palace for each season. Still he found his world
full of suffering. It upset him that old age,
sickness, and death were all parts of life in
this world.
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The Monk
One day, he met a monk. He was amazed that this
monk could find calm and peace in a world filled
with such suffering. That day, he made a very
difficult decision. He decided to leave his
wealth, his comfort, his wife, and his newborn
son to become a monk.
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The Buddha
For the next six years, he traveled throughout
India. One day while sitting under a fig tree,
an understanding came to him. This understanding
was a way to end suffering. That was the day the
prince began to earn a new title, the Buddha,
which means the "Awakened One."
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Four Noble Truths
The Buddha realized that life is ruled by Four
Noble Truths

1. All life is suffering.
2. Suffering is caused by selfish desires.
3. This suffering can be ended.
4. There is an Eightfold Path to end the suffering.

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Eightfold Path
In brief, these are the eight laws of the
Eightfold Path
1. Right viewpoint 2. Right intention 3. Right
speech 4. Right action 5. Right work 6. Right
Effort 7. Right mindfulness 8. Right meditation
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The Middle Way
The Eightfold Path was designed to guide people
without making life too strict or too easy. The
Middle Way is the name Buddhists give to lives
guided by the laws of the Eightfold Path.
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Silk Road
The Buddha spent the rest of his life traveling
around India and sharing his message. He had many
followers, some of whom became Buddhist monks.
After his death in 483 BCE, the teachings of
Buddhism spread into China as ideas and stories
told by travelers along the Silk Road.

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Proverbs
Buddhists everywhere live by the Buddha's
teachings, which were written down as proverbs.
Here is one of the Buddha's proverbs, written
over 2000 years ago Hatreds never cease by
hatred in this world by love alone they cease.
This is an ancient law.
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Laughing Buddha
Have you ever wondered why many statues of Buddha
have a laughing face? The laughing Buddha reminds
us that to be happy, we need to have a loving
heart. By not being resentful, by not bearing
grudges, only then are we able to smile like the
Buddha, and be truly happy.
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Growth of Buddhism
Buddhism values love, wisdom, goodness, calm, and
self-control. SummaryBuddhists believe that the
Buddha and his teachings should be honored, that
people should try to end suffering, and that they
should follow the Eightfold Path.
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Growth of Buddhism
In Tang times, people thought of Buddhism as a
chart of behavior that they could follow to lead
them toward a state of enlightenment. Today,
Buddhism is a major religion. There are over 330
million Buddhists in the world.
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Quick Quiz

• Why did the Buddha leave his comfortable home?
• 2. What is the Eightfold Path?
• 3. What is the Middle Way?
• 4. Why is the Buddha pictured as laughing?