The Story of

Buddhism

A presentation by:
Kamil
 

What the buddhism is?

 Simply put…

 Buddhism is a one of the world’s largest religions,
originated by Siddhartha Gautama.
 The Buddha is the title given to Siddhartha Gautama
and it means “Awakened One.”
Prince Siddhartha’s Birth

 Around 563 B.C.E. in northern India, near the
Himalaya Mountains, to King Suddhodana and
Queen Maya.
 According to legend, before Siddhartha was born, his
mother had a strange dream.
 When she asked the Brahmins to explain the dream,
they interpreted it as showing a split path
 He could be a great king and rule the universe OR, if
he left royal life and saw the suffering of the world, he
would become the Buddha.
 
 Buddhists believe that human life is a cycle of
suffering and rebirth, but that if one achieves a state
of enlightenment (nirvana), it is possible to escape
this cycle forever. 

 Siddhartha Gautama was the first person to reach

this state of enlightenment and was, and is still
today, known as the Buddha.
The Prince’s Royal Life

 Royal Life

 The father of Prince Siddhartha wanted to have his
son be a great and powerful ruler.  The Brahmins'
prediction made his father worried.  If the prince
were to see the world's suffering, he might seek a
spiritual path and give up his royal duties.
 The prince liked his life of luxury, but often
wondered what the world was like outside of his
palace. At the age of 16, the price married a beautiful,
gentle, young woman.  Their wedding feast lasted 7
days and nights. 
 
Three Types of Siddharta’s
Suffering
 The First Type of
Suffering

The prince and his driver
saw a thin man who walked
with the aid of a stick.
Siddhartha, never having
seen the effects of aging,
asked why the man looked
so terrible.
His driver replied that
everyone’s body weakens as
it ages.
The Second Type of Suffering

On the second trip, the
prince and his driver saw
a man crying out in pain.
The driver informed
Siddhartha about pain and
sickness.
Real pain, not like this.
Not a cry for attention.
Physical pain.
 The Third Type of
Suffering

 On the third trip, they
saw a group of people
walking down the road,
carrying a wrapped
white cloth.
 “Death came for that
man. One day it will
come for you, too.” -
The driver informed
Siddhartha.
 Ascetic

 An ascetic is a person who gives up worldly
possessions and pleasures like fine clothes, money,
and even shelter.
 Siddhartha met ascetic once and asked him how he
could be at peace while surrounded by so much
suffering.
 The ascetic replied, “To be free of suffering, one must
give up the desires, pleasures and comforts of the
world. I find peace by helping others find peace.”
 The Prince Becomes an
Ascetic

 Royal life seemed empty now for for Siddhatha. He
become ascetic and decided to find happiness.
 Decided to give up his old life and find
enlightenment (finding deep truth and being free of
suffering).
 One night, he fled the palace with his faithful driver.
He removed his fancy clothes and cut his hair off.
 Meditating

 According to tradition, Siddhartha seated himself at the foot of
a tree, which has since been called the Bodhi Tree, the tree of
enlightenment. He vowed to sit beneath that tree until he had
attained deep insight into suffering. As he sat through the
night, a profound stillness settled upon his mind, like that of a
lake on a windless day. This stillness enabled him to see ever
more deeply and clearly into the cycle of grasping, clinging,
and egotism found at the root of suffering.
The Buddha’s Teachings

 Nothing is lost in the Universe

 Everything changes

 Law of Cause and effect

 The Four Noble Truths

 Suffering is present in all things, and nothing lasts
forever.
 Suffering is caused by cravings (our desires and
wants, but not our needs).
 The way to end suffering is to give up all cravings.
 The way to give up all cravings is to live life
according to the Eightfold Path.
 The Eightfold Path

 Right…
 Understanding
 Purpose
 Speech
 Action
 Way to earn a living
 Effort
 Mindfulness
 Concentration
 Thank you for your
attention


Please reflect on the principles of Buddhism