After witnessing old age, sickness, and death, Siddhartha Gautama became deeply disillusioned with the material world and the suffering that is inherent in it. He realized that these aspects were central to human existence and that everyone, regardless of their wealth or status, would experience them.
Motivated by this understanding, Siddhartha decided to renounce his luxurious lifestyle as a prince and embarked on a spiritual quest to seek true knowledge and liberation from suffering. He left his palace, abandoned his royal title, and became a wandering ascetic, searching for enlightenment.
For several years, Siddhartha Gautama studied various religious and philosophical teachings under renowned teachers of the time. However, he soon realized that neither extreme indulgence nor severe self-mortification could lead to liberation from suffering.
Eventually, Siddhartha settled under a Bodhi tree in Bodh a, India, and engaged in deep meditation. It was there, after spending days and nights in intense contemplation, that he attained enlightenment and became the Buddha, which means "the awakened one" or "the enlightened one."
After his enlightenment, Siddhartha Gautama began teaching the principles of Buddhism to others. He spent the rest of his life traveling throughout Northern India, preaching his teachings, and gathering disciples. The Buddha's teachings laid the foundation for what would become Buddhism, one of the world's major religions.
The central teachings of the Buddha revolve around the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, which outline a way to overcome suffering and attain enlightenment. Through his teachings, Siddhartha Gautama offered guidance on ethical conduct, mindfulness, meditation, and the nature of reality, aiming to help sentient beings break free from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara) and achieve liberation (nirvana).
What did Siddhartha Gautama do after seeing old age sickness death and finally a holy man in the city streets?
1 answer