Buddha goes by many names. He is sometimes called Gautama Buddha, Siddhartha Buddha, or Shakyamuni. Gautama was a sage who was said to have lived approximately 500 hundred years before the birth of Christ. Today, millions of people worship his teachings, and millions more simply have a little figurine such as a brass Buddha in their homes.
Gautama is said to have taught somewhere in the northeastern region of India and his name translates to "awakened one". His teachings were became the basis of the religion known as Buddhism and were a somewhat middle ground between two extremes being taught at the time. Gautama's teachings, stories, and life accounts are said to have been recorded after his death. Many of this beliefs were passed down by oral tradition before they could be written down.
Born into royalty and groomed to become a great king and leader of people, Siddhartha was actually very sheltered during his time as a prince. His father believed in keeping the knowledge of pain and suffering away from his son and it was only after Siddhartha stepped outside his palace walls did he acknowledge the concept of human suffering. This realization started a movement that would become the foundation of a religion that has survived to this day.
Despite the fact that history would suggest Gautama was born a man and existed as a mortal, his followers have never believed he was anything less than a demi-god. Buddhist scriptures have recorded tales of Gautama's miracles and omniscience. Adherents of the religion believe that he had the abilities of a superhuman.
The purported birthplace of Siddhartha is in Nepal. Although it is uncertain as to when and where he was actually born, his followers celebrate his date of birth on April 8th. His life was filled with riches and opulence for the first twenty-nine years. After which he departed on a quest to understand the human condition.
Gautama's quest led him to people who became his disciples and practiced his principles. His practices began as episodes of self deprivation. They would deny themselves basic needs and comforts such as shelter, food, and water. Somewhere along the line Gautama almost died from this lifestyle and decided to change his path to that of meditation and contemplation in order to achieve spiritual awakening.
Two thousand five hundred years later Buddhism has become the fourth largest religion in the world. It is exceeded only by Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. It is uncertain how many adherents to the religion there are in the world. There are estimates of numbers anywhere between 350 million to 1 billion people, most of which live in China.
It is tradition for Buddhists to have a statue of their sage at home. Having a statue of Gautama is considered good luck. Most often it is a little brass Buddha statue somewhere in plain view. There are several different types of statue which vary from a happy, laughing figure, to a calm, meditative one. Each form of statue serves a different purpose. The custom isn't exclusive to adherents of the religion, many spiritualists simply like having the statue for decoration.
Gautama is said to have taught somewhere in the northeastern region of India and his name translates to "awakened one". His teachings were became the basis of the religion known as Buddhism and were a somewhat middle ground between two extremes being taught at the time. Gautama's teachings, stories, and life accounts are said to have been recorded after his death. Many of this beliefs were passed down by oral tradition before they could be written down.
Born into royalty and groomed to become a great king and leader of people, Siddhartha was actually very sheltered during his time as a prince. His father believed in keeping the knowledge of pain and suffering away from his son and it was only after Siddhartha stepped outside his palace walls did he acknowledge the concept of human suffering. This realization started a movement that would become the foundation of a religion that has survived to this day.
Despite the fact that history would suggest Gautama was born a man and existed as a mortal, his followers have never believed he was anything less than a demi-god. Buddhist scriptures have recorded tales of Gautama's miracles and omniscience. Adherents of the religion believe that he had the abilities of a superhuman.
The purported birthplace of Siddhartha is in Nepal. Although it is uncertain as to when and where he was actually born, his followers celebrate his date of birth on April 8th. His life was filled with riches and opulence for the first twenty-nine years. After which he departed on a quest to understand the human condition.
Gautama's quest led him to people who became his disciples and practiced his principles. His practices began as episodes of self deprivation. They would deny themselves basic needs and comforts such as shelter, food, and water. Somewhere along the line Gautama almost died from this lifestyle and decided to change his path to that of meditation and contemplation in order to achieve spiritual awakening.
Two thousand five hundred years later Buddhism has become the fourth largest religion in the world. It is exceeded only by Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. It is uncertain how many adherents to the religion there are in the world. There are estimates of numbers anywhere between 350 million to 1 billion people, most of which live in China.
It is tradition for Buddhists to have a statue of their sage at home. Having a statue of Gautama is considered good luck. Most often it is a little brass Buddha statue somewhere in plain view. There are several different types of statue which vary from a happy, laughing figure, to a calm, meditative one. Each form of statue serves a different purpose. The custom isn't exclusive to adherents of the religion, many spiritualists simply like having the statue for decoration.
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