World religions. Рахимбергенова М.Х. - 59 стр.

ceived. Brahmins (learned men) came and interpreted the dream. The child              under a fig tree (often refered to as the Bo tree, or Tree of Enlightenment) and
would be either the greatest king in the world or the greatest ascetic (a holy man    resolved to find out an answer to life and suffering. While meditating, Mara (an
who practices self-denial). The future child would be named Siddhartha, which         evil god) sent his three sons and daughters to tempt Siddhartha with thirst, lust,
means “he whose aim is accomplished”.                                                 discontent, and distractions of pleasure. Siddhartha, unswayed, entered a deep
     Later when Queen Maya was going to her father’s home to prepare for the          meditation, and recalled all his previous rebirths, gained knowledge of the cycle
birth, she stepped off her chariot in the Lumbini Gardens and held the branch of      of births and deaths, and with certainty, cast off the ignorance and passion of
a sal tree to rest. In that instant, Siddhartha emerged from her right side without   his ego which bound him to the world. Thereupon, Siddhartha had attained
any help. The infant walked seven steps each in four directions of the compass,       enlightenment and became the Buddha (enlightened one). His own desire and
and lotus flowers sprouted from where his foot touched the earth. Then the in-        suffering were over and, as the Buddha, he experienced Nirvana... “There is a
fant said, “No further births have I to endure, for this is my last body. Now shall   sphere which is neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor air ... which is neither this
I destroy and pluck out by the roots the sorrow that is caused by birth and           world nor the other world, neither sun nor moon. I deny that it is coming or go-
death”. Seven days later Queen Maya died. Mahaprajapati, Maya’s sister,               ing, enduring, death or birth. It is only the end of suffering”. Instead of casting
looked after Siddhartha. King Shuddhodana shielded Siddhartha from all kinds          off his body and his existence, however, Buddha made a great act of self-
of suffering and hardship. When Siddhartha was about 20, he married Yasod-            sacrifice. He turned back, determined to share his enlightement with others so
hara, daughter of one of the King’s ministers, and one year later they had a          that all living souls could end the cycles of their own rebirth and suffering.
child named Rahula (meaning “fetter” or “impediment”). At age 29, Siddhartha               Buddha went to the city of Sarnath and found the previous five holy men
asked his charioteer, Channa, to take him out of the city two times without the       that deserted him earlier at a deer park. When they saw Buddha this time, they
consent of the king. During these two trips, Siddhartha saw “Four Sights” that        realized that he had risen to a higher state of holiness. The Buddha began teach-
changed his life. On the first trip, he saw old age, sickness, and death. The sec-    ing them what he had learned. He drew a circle in the ground with rice grains,
ond trip, he saw a wandering holy man, an ascetic, with no possessions.               representing the wheel of life that went on for existence after existence. This
Siddhartha started questioning the holy man, who had a shaved head, wore only         preaching was called his Deer Park Sermon, or “Setting in Motion the Wheel of
a ragged yellow robe, and carried a walking-staff. The man said, “I am... terri-      Doctrine”. Siddhartha revealed that he had become the Buddha, and described
fied by birth and death and therefore have adopted a homeless life to win salva-      the pleasure that he had first known as a prince, and the life of severe asceticism
tion... I search for the most blessed state in which suffering, old age, and death    that he had practiced. Neither of these was the true path to Nirvana. The true
are unknown." That night, Siddhartha silently kissed his sleeping wife and son,       path was the Middle Way, which keeps aloof from both extremes. “To satisfy
and ordered Channa to drive him out to the forest. At the edge of the forest,         the necessities of life is not evil”, the Buddha said. “To keep the body in good
Siddhartha took off his jeweled sword, and cut off his hair and beard. He then        health is a duty, for otherwise we shall not be able to trim the lamp of wisdom
took off all his princely garments and put on a yellow robe of a holy man. He         and keep our mind strong and clear”. Buddha then taught them the Dharma,
then ordered Channa to take his possessions back to his father. Siddhartha then       which consisted of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The five holy
wandered through northeastern India, sought out holy men, and learned about           men and others soon joined Buddha, accompanying him everywhere. As more
Samsara (reincarnation). Karma, and Moksha. Attracted to the ideas of Moksha,         joined, Buddha organized the Sangha, a community of bhikkus (dedicated
Siddhartha settled on the bank of Nairanjana River, and adopted a life of ex-         monks and later nuns). The Sangha preserved the Dharma, and allowed bhikkus
treme self-denial and penances, meditating constantly. After six years of eating      to concentrate on the goal of Nirvana. On raining seasons they would settle in
and drinking only enough to stay alive, his body was emaciated, and he was            Viharas (resting places in cave dwellings). Upasaka, followers who believed in
very weak. Five other holy men joined him, hoping to learn from his example.          Buddha’s teachings, but could not follow the strict rule of the Sangha, were
One day, Siddhartha realized that his years of penance only weakened his body,        taught to follow the Five Precepts. Buddha returned to his birthplace in Kapi-
and he could not continue to meditate properly. When he stepped into the river        lavastu, and his father was mortified to see his son begging for food. Buddha
to bathe, he was too weak to get out, and the trees lowered their branches to         kissed his father’s foot and said, “You belong to a noble line of kings. But I be-
help him. In that instant, a milk-maid named Nandabala came and offered a             long to the lineage of buddhas, and thousands of those have lived on alms”.
bowl of milk and rice, which Siddhartha accepted. The five holy men left              King Shuddhadana then remembered the Brahmin’s prophesy and reconciled
Siddhartha after witnessing this. Refreshed by the meal, Siddhartha sat down          with his son. Buddha’s wife, son, and cousin (Ananda) later joined the Sangha.

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