Download essay - GEOCITIES.ws

David Coss
History 101
Dr. Bisson
February 25, 2004
In his search for an end to suffering, Siddhartha discovers the nature of suffering
and the path to enlightenment. Siddhartha discovers the Four Noble Truths, truths of the
nature of life. Building on these truths, he creates a path to understand and conquer the
suffering inherent in life. This path is known as the Noble Eightfold Path.
Throughout his youth, Siddhartha remained bored with his life within the palace
walls. In the world his father created for him, Prince Siddhartha excelled at every activity
he attempted, from horse-riding to learning of scripture. Curiosity of the world outside of
his palace walls led Siddhartha to question and to investigate the behavior of the working
class. While touring a village, the prince saw what became known as the Four
Encounters. Decrepitude, illness and death made such an impression on the future
Buddha that he was forced to contemplate how he had to cope with this discovery.
However, the final of the Four Encounters, a meditating monk, gave Siddhartha hope. In
the monk, he saw the ability to remain peaceful and content among suffering. His new
discovery of hope caused Siddhartha to leave his family, wealth and inheritance to
become a homeless wanderer in search of truth.
In his search for truth, the aspiring Buddha followed a long, difficult path that led
to the end of suffering, the Four Noble Truths. In his quest to end suffering, Siddhartha
followed many examples. First, he studied under the instruction of two Brahmanic
masters. He learned their ways very quickly, realizing their ways did not obtain an end to
suffering. Asceticism followed the two Brahmanic teachers on Siddhartha's path. After
practicing asceticism until near-death, Siddhartha realized that this way of life also
created no solution to suffering. In actuality, Siddhartha nearly died, only being saved by
a compassionate woman, who saved his life by giving him food. After this encounter,
Siddhartha realized, the only way to end suffering is to not simply remove possessions,
but to end the craving for possessions. With this idea in mind, Siddhartha formulated the
Four Noble Truths.
The first Noble Truth asserts that life is suffering. People become ill, and people
die. Many great possessions slip out of people possession. Some people feel unsatisfied
or unfulfilled, leading the next Noble Truth.
Craving causes suffering. Craving, according to Siddhartha, never ends. Once the
object of craving is obtained, the cycle repeats, leaving the person craving more.
Siddhartha, now considered Buddha, defines craving as that which leads a person, in one
direction, only to turn the person around in another direction, chasing his object of desire.
However, one is able to end suffering.
Removal of craving ends suffering. This, the third Noble Truth, simply states that
removing the source of the cravings gives the person no reason to suffer. Freedom
relieves the people from suffering, and following Buddha's example frees the person from
craving. Buddha dictates this path to freedom in his final Noble Truth, the Noble
Eightfold Path.
Following the Eightfold Path frees one's mind, leading the person to
enlightenment. The Noble Eightfold Path begins with having the right understanding,
meaning understanding the Four Noble Truths. To end suffering, one must know the
cause of suffering. Understanding the Truths demonstrates both the cause of suffering, as
well as the solution.
Next, one must have the right attitude. Motive and reason are pivotal attributes in
Buddhism. Without the right mindset, one cannot maintain the course on the Eightfold
Path. Right attitude implies giving up distractions and matters unimportant to the goal of
enlightenment. Right Understanding, as well as two other Paths, right effort and right
attentiveness, helps fulfill requirements of right attitude.
Right speech follows right attitude in the Eightfold Path. Right speech extends
beyond simply telling the truth. One must use polite and appealing language. Words must
have meaning and purpose, so other understand and value the position of the person.
Perhaps one of the broadest categories, right conduct requires noble actions from
the follower. Buddha demonstrates a constant respect for the value of life. The person
seeking an end to suffering should not create suffering in their search. Buddhism,
therefore, strictly prohibits killing of people or animals for any reason. Extending beyond
murder, the path of right conduct creates a moral code. Known as the Five Precepts, this
code also includes prohibition of stealing and unlawful intercourse. Above all, right
conduct sustains self-control, a trait Buddha deems necessary for enlightenment.
Buddha introduces another step: right livelihood. One cannot follow the path to
enlightenment with a job that violates one of the steps in the Eightfold Path. Having the
right livelihood simply keeps the person from leaving the path to enlightenment. For
example, the prohibition of killing renders the job of a soldier unobtainable within
Buddhism.
Next, Buddha adds to the Eightfold Path: right efforts. The Four Great Efforts
demonstrate the effort necessary for enlightenment. First, one should make the effort to
avoid evil or destructive activity that has yet to come. Evil that already exists should be
overcome. On the other hand, an effort should be made to develop good deed not yet
started. Final, current good requires and effort to maintain good, including nurturing and
support.
In order to carry out these efforts, Buddha shows that one needs focus. This is the
path of right attentiveness. Right attentiveness gives the person the control over his mind.
With control of mind, one also gains control of the body. Through attentiveness, the
person understands physical cravings, gaining the ability to control them.
At the end of the Eightfold Path lies right meditation. Only after the previous steps
can one begin the experience of enlightenment. Through proper meditation,
enlightenment begins. Enlightenment reached by right meditation allows the person to
contemplate the meaning of his or her senses and the phenomena they exhibit.
According to Buddha, one becomes able to experience enlightenment through the
Eightfold Path, a path that gives the person an understanding of why things happen and
what meaning lies within observation. This newly gained understanding frees the person
from craving, by giving the person the knowledge needed to carry out the Four Great
Efforts, removing the sources of craving. As part of the Four Noble Truths, this brings an
end to suffering.
Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path can be followed either alone or under the
leadership within the Buddhist monastic group, the Sangha. Buddhism strongly
emphasizes the individual's search for their own enlightenment. In fact, Buddha only
suggests his path to enlightenment. Siddhartha conducts his own search for truth and
creates the Eightfold Path. His goal, however, is not to create a new religion; instead, he
aims to end suffering and offer enlightenment to all people.
At the same time, Buddha recognizes the advantage of teachers and learning within
a group. At the beginning of his quest for truth, Siddhartha seeks a teacher to follow.
While he rejects their teachings, he returns to them, to become their teacher in his new
path to enlightenment. In doing so, Buddha gains more disciples along his travels, giving
sermons on his path to enlightenment. This group becomes the Sangha, a group of monks
collectively following the teachings of Buddha. Through the Sangha, Buddhism reaches
those who wish to learn it, passing along the oral tradition and teachings of Buddha. In an
effort the end suffering and show people the way to enlightenment, Buddha teaches those
willing to learn the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.
On his path to Buddhahood, Siddhartha creates a way in which one can be free of
craving, the cause of suffering. In keeping with the Four Noble Truths, the Noble
Eightfold Path allows the follower to attain enlightenment. Following the example of
Buddha and the Sangha order leads the disciple on this path to enlightenment.