BuddhismOrigin of the BuddhaSiddhartha Gautama, a prince of a state in India. When he was born, his father , the King wanted him to become the next King, if he doesn't become the next King, he would become a holy man. So his father kept him inside the palace away from the suffering of the world. The King thought if Gautama wasn't aware of the suffering, he would become a powerful King, not a holy man. Gautama grew tired inside the palace so he decided to got out. The first things he saw was an old man, sick man, corpse and a poor holy man. He asked the holy man why he was like that, suffering, and the holy man said why don't you become a holy man like me and find out the answer. Siddhartha Gautama refused to be a prince and became a holy man to understand the suffering. When he was almost about to die, a girl gave mercy to him and gave him food. He sat under the tree and attained enlightenment. He proved that if people were pure enough, they could get off the wheel of reincarnation. He had many followers and the amount is still increasing today onwards. Buddhism spread slowly throughout the Asian country, as you would see, most buddhist are Asian.
The wheel of reincarnation basically means the wheel of life. When your born, the wheel starts its revolution, when the wheel makes one revolution, life would start with a new birth. If one person produce a bad karma by doing something bad, something not pure and good, the person would have negative consequences in the new births. If one person produce a good karma by doing something good, something that makes them very pure, the person would have positive consequences in the new births. The wheel of reincarnation includes buddhism and hinduism. Buddhists know the process as a natural law. |
Tourism SitesBodh Gaya- The place where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlighenment."Here on this seat my body may shrivel up, my skin, my bones, my flesh may dissolve, but my body will not move from this seat until I have attained Enlightenment, so difficult to obtain in the course of many kalpas".
Kapilavastu- The place where Siddhartha Gautama spent his child life. He saw the old man, sick man, a poor holy man and a corpse. Capital of Sakya clan but in modern times known as Piprahwa. |
The Bodhgaya, where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightened. "Here on this seat my body may shrivel up, my skin, my bones, my flesh may dissolve, but my body will not move from this seat until I have attained Enlightenment, so difficult to obtain in the course of many kalpas". --- from http://www.buddhist-packages.com/tourist-places.htm
Citations
Myths Encyclopedia. 30 April. 2012 <http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Be-Ca/Buddhism-and-Mythology.html#b>
Buddhist-packages.com. 30 April. 2012 <http://www.buddhist-packages.com/tourist-places.htm>
Carr, Karen. "Buddhism," Kidipede - History for Kids. 2012. Karma and Rebirth. 5 May 2012 <http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/india/religion/buddhism.htmhttp://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/karma.html>
Buddhist-packages.com. 30 April. 2012 <http://www.buddhist-packages.com/tourist-places.htm>
Carr, Karen. "Buddhism," Kidipede - History for Kids. 2012. Karma and Rebirth. 5 May 2012 <http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/india/religion/buddhism.htmhttp://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/karma.html>