Download 5 reflections

Buddhism: Reflection #1
Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born in Nepal in about 563 BCE. He was the son of a king.
When Siddhartha was born, his father was told that the boy had two possible futures. He would be either a great
king or a great spiritual leader.
Siddhartha’s father wanted him to be a king. He gave Siddhartha every luxury and kept him from any sadness.
Then a series of carriage rides changed Siddhartha’s life. On the first ride, he was an old person for the first time.
He had not known that old age existed. On the next ride, he saw a sick person. He became aware of sickness and
disease. Next he saw a corpse, and became aware of death. Finally he saw a holy man who had given up the
world for the sake of spiritual things. Siddhartha decided that he, too, would give up the life he knew in order to
seek spiritual fulfillment.
REFLECTION QUESTION
Why do you think that seeing old age, sickness, and death prompted Siddhartha to leave his life as a prince?
Buddhism: Reflection #2
When Siddhartha became fully enlightened, he realized that people are not really separate from each other; we
are all interconnected. He also realized that nothing in life is permanent; things change. Suffering is always a part
of life, but there is a path that leads away from suffering.
REFLECTION QUESTION
In Buddhism, enlightenment means reaching a state beyond desire and suffering. But the word also other
meanings. Write half a page about the meaning of the word enlightenment.
Buddhism: Reflection #3
People who listen and accept the teachings of the Buddha are said “take refuge.” This means they go to the
Buddha (the Enlightened One), dharma (the teachings of Buddha), and the sangha (those who follow the Buddha)
for protection.
REFLECTION QUESTION
There are many challenges in life. What do you need refuge from? To whom or what do you go for protection?
Buddhism: Reflection #4
According to Buddhism, things don’t have an essence that defines them. This idea is called sunyata, or emptiness.
For example, you know what a car is, but is it always a car? When it is being assembled in the factory, at what
point does it stop being a set of parts and become a car? One answer is that it becomes a car when it can fulfill the
function of a car – that is, when it can be driven. But does that mean it stops being a car if it won’t start? What if
the car’s wheels are stolen; would it still be a car? What is the essence of this thing we call “car”?
Another aspect of this idea is that things aren’t inherently either good or bad. Things may seem good or bad
depending on the context, but nothing is good or bad in its essence.
REFLECTION QUESTION
Think of something you usually consider either good or bad. Then try to think of contexts where it might seem
different – when something you think of as good seems bad, or vice versa. Write down the thing and the contexts
where it seems different.
Buddhism: Reflection #5
The Buddha was a person and not a god. The lesson of his life is that people can live without suffering in a state of
happiness. What can a person do to stop his or her suffering? Like the Buddha, each person has to experiment to
find a way to enlightenment. The first step is to identify habits that interfere with happiness and habits that can
lead to enlightenment.
REFLECTION QUESTION
List your own bothersome bad habits. Also list some good habits of yours that might lead to profound happiness.