Siddhartha Gautama was a prince who was sheltered from suffering until age 29 when he saw an old man, a sick man, and a dead man. This led him to abandon his life of luxury to seek enlightenment. After years of meditation and ascetic practices, he sat under a bodhi tree and vowed not to rise until he achieved enlightenment. After resisting temptations, he gained insight into rebirth and how to end suffering. He became the Buddha and taught the Four Noble Truths about the nature of suffering and the Eightfold Path to end it through right understanding, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.

1. A presentation by:
Mr. Tsolomitis

2. 
What is Buddhism/ the
Buddha?

3. 
 Buddhism is a religion of ancient India, created by
Siddhartha Gautama
 The Buddha is the title given to Siddhartha Gautama
and it means “Awakened One.”
Simply put…

5. 
 Around 563 B.C.E. in northern India, near the
Himalaya Mountains, to King Suddhodana and
Queen Maya.
 According to legend, before Siddhartha was born,
his mother had a strange dream.
 When she asked the Brahmins to explain the dream,
they interpreted it as showing a split path
 He could be a great king and rule the universe OR, if
he left royal life and saw the suffering of the world, he
would become the Buddha.
Prince Siddhartha’s Birth

6. 
 Wild, fantastical tales about when he was born,
like…
 After his birth, a soft, warm rain of heavenly flowers
fell on the baby and his mother
 The infant prince already looked a few years old,
could walk and speak.
 Apparently his first words were, “I am the leader of
the world and the guide to the world.”

7. 
 Turn to your neighbors and quietly discuss.
What do you think his parents did?

8. 
 His father, the King, wanted his son to be a great and
powerful ruler.
 In order to keep his son from seeing the world’s
suffering, he raised Siddhartha in a world of perfect
health and beauty.
 Always felt curious about the outside world, but was
content with his easy life for quite a while.
 When he was 16, he married a beautiful
noblewoman and they lived happily… well, not ever
after.
 12 years in perfect peace
 When Siddhartha turned 29, they had a son.
The Prince’s Royal Life

9. 
 After Siddhartha became a father, the King gave him
more freedom and so Siddhartha began traveling
outside the palace walls.
 It was at this time that Siddhartha discovered three
forms of suffering… and it deeply troubled him.
The Prince Discovers
Something…

10. 
What suffering do you think
Siddhartha witnessed?

11. 
The First Type of
Suffering
 The prince and his
driver saw a thin man
who walked with the
aid of a stick.
 Siddhartha, never
having seen the effects
of aging, asked why the
man looked so terrible.
 His driver replied that
everyone’s body
weakens as it ages.

12. 
The Second Type of
Suffering
 On the second trip, the
prince and his driver saw a
man crying out in pain.
 The driver informed
Siddhartha about pain and
sickness.
 REAL pain, not like this. Not
a cry for attention. ACTUAL
PHYSICAL PAIN.

13. 
The Third Type of
Suffering
 On the third trip, they
saw a group of people
walking down the road,
carrying a body
wrapped in white cloth.
 The driver informed
Siddhartha that, “Death
came for that man. One
day it will come for
you, too.”

14. 
 Unable to sit in his palace with the thoughts of aging,
sickness and death, Siddhartha went out a fourth time.
 This time, however, he met a man who glowed with inner
peace and calm. The man was an ascetic.
 An ascetic is a person who gives up worldly possessions
and pleasures like fine clothes, money, and even shelter.
 Siddhartha asked him how he could be at peace while
surrounded by so much suffering.
 The ascetic replied, “To be free of suffering, one must give
up the desires, pleasures and comforts of the world. I find
peace by helping others find peace.”
The Prince Meets an Ascetic

15. 
 Royal life seemed empty now and he wanted to find
the happiness and peace the ascetic had found.
 Decided to give up his old life and find
enlightenment (finding deep truth and being free of
suffering).
 One night, he fled the palace with his faithful driver.
He removed his fancy clothes and cut his hair off.
 He kept only a simple robe and a small bowl for
alms (goods given to the poor).
The Prince Becomes an
Ascetic

16. 
(continued)
 Met many other ascetics who
wanted to understand the
nature of the world.
 Frequent meditation was said
to be the path towards
enlightenment.
 Another path was through self-
denial and denying their body
many of its basic needs, like
food, sleep, shelter.
 Siddhartha continued until he
was dangerously thin and was
unhappy with these practices.

17. 
 Siddhartha learned that giving up bodily pleasures did not bring
enlightenment, but neither would self-indulgence.
 Instead, he sought a “middle way” as the path to enlightenment.
 On his 35th birthday, Siddhartha bathed and rested by a river.
When he awoke, he had a strong feeling that he was close to
enlightenment.
 He met a “grass cutter” who gave him eight handfuls of soft
grass to use as a pad to sit upon.
 Walked until he reached a tree that would be known later as the
Bodhi Tree (Tree of Enlightenment).
 He sat on those handfuls of grass and began meditating and
vowed he would not stop until he reached enlightenment.
The Prince Becomes the
Buddha

18. 
 A wicked deity, Mara, tried to frighten him, but Siddhartha
was not swayed.
 Mara then tried to tempt Siddhartha with his three daughters;
Discontent, Delight and Desire.
 Again, Siddhartha resisted.
 Trying to reach nirvana, an ideal state of happiness and peace.
 Saw his past lives and the great cycle of rebirth, as well as the
importance of karma.
 Eventually he saw how to gain freedom from the endless cycle
and so end all suffering.
 By morning, he had become the Buddha and set out to spread
the word on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.
While meditating…

19. 
 Behind the Four Noble Truths is the idea that
everything changes: even when one finds pleasure, it
does not last forever, and one suffers when it is lost.
 To end suffering, people should follow the Buddha’s
“Middle Way,” also known as the Eightfold Path.
 The Buddha spent the rest his life teaching others
about the path he had found.
 In time, his followers would spread his teachings
throughout India, China, and other parts of Asia.
They would even eventually reach Japan!
The Buddha’s Teachings

20. 
 Suffering is present in all things, and nothing lasts
forever.
 Suffering is caused by cravings (our desires and
wants, but not our needs).
 The way to end suffering is to give up all cravings.
 The way to give up all cravings is to live life
according to the Eightfold Path.
The Four Noble Truths

21. 
 Right…
 Understanding
 Purpose
 Speech
 Action
 Way to earn a living
 Effort
 Mindfulness
 Concentration
The Eightfold Path

22. 
Develop a deep understanding of
the Four Noble Truths.
Right Understanding

23. 
Live a life of selflessness, love
and nonviolence
Right Purpose

24. 
Be careful and truthful in what
you say.
Do not lie or gossip.
Right Speech

25. 
Do not kill, steal or lie.
Right Action

26. 
Do not work at a job that causes
harm to people or living
creatures.
Right way to earn a living

27. 
Promote good actions and
prevent evil actions.
Right Effort

28. 
Be aware of, but not attached to,
your emotions, thoughts and
feelings.
Right Mindfulness

29. 
Focus your mind with practices
such as meditation.
Right concentration