Four Key Turning Points In Siddhartha Guatama's Life

(1) In your own words, write a short biography (1 or more pages) on Siddhartha Guatama, known as the Buddha, identifying at least four key turning points in his life. The life of Siddhartha Guatama is surrounded by legend and lore. Many stories of his life have been told, but each has been recorded centuries after his death, followed by mistranslations and added works of various authors, Siddhartha’s story had been muddied. The inclusiveness of Buddhism, a syncretic religion, a mixture of different beliefs in its creation, as well as the smaller sects, have blended other beliefs of numerous other cultures with that of Buddha. But many similarities can be found, which can lead to the conclusion that the similarities are the truths about Siddhartha Guatama. Siddhartha Guatama had a miraculous birth, his mother was sleeping and dreamed of a white elephant to her side, she then was pregnant with Siddhartha and birthed him from her side. His birth was viewed miraculously as a priest foreshadowed the possibilities that lay in his future. He would either become a king like his father or a spiritual teacher, depending on his future experiences. If he was exposed to suffering he would become a wandering spiritual teacher, and if he was raised …show more content…
In Buddhism desire is not part of the human condition, it is the stem of suffering and can be stopped by following the Nobel Eightfold Path. The Nobel Eightfold Path is a set of recommended rules that imply that meditation, selflessness, self-control, kindness, peace, understanding, and other valuable characteristics are the way to achieve enlightenment or nirvana. Similar to the Hindu notion of Moksha, nirvana is the liberation from worldly suffering and is Buddhism’s ultimate goal. Nirvana is the acceptance and detachment of the ever-changing world and self, which ends suffering caused by