What The Buddha Taught By Walpala Rahula Analysis

What the Buddha Taught, by Walpola Rahula, is a general introduction to the Buddhist traditions. Buddhism is one of the largest religions with over 500 million devoted followers. Buddhism is not a traditional religion with god(s), but is the belief of human beings. The Buddha is recognized to be the first to achieve enlightenment. His teachings have transcended continents, and centuries. In the first chapter of What the Buddha Taught, the reader realizes that the Buddha was not a god, or an incarnation of a god. He was a normal man named Siddhartha, was born a prince, a life of wealth and shelter. Siddhartha would begin to notice the suffering humans were enduring. He soon realized that humans should only rely on themselves for “spiritual success”. The drastic difference …show more content…
Dukkha can be translated to suffering. Relating to suffering, it can also be interpreted as being out of place or emptiness. There are certain aspects to Dukkha. For example, ordinary suffering, which is birth, old age, desires. Another aspect is suffering that comes from change. Furthermore, the most notable aspect is the attachment to worldly possessions. The Buddha understood that we cannot take our possessions with us in the afterlife. Along with the Four Noble Truths, was the Five Aggregates. The first of these is aggregate of matter, or material body. This the connection the body has with the outside world; such as taste, smell, sound, sight. The second aggregate is that of sensations. Sensations often determine our mood, whether it is pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral feelings. Derived from the first aggregate is the sense, the second aggregate deals with the contact. With the aggregate of sensations, the mind is now considered an organ, like an eye, and not as a person’s being. Drawing from this conclusion, you begin to comprehend that Buddhism is a religion of the mind; of one’s