Buddha And The Founder Of Buddhism - 1118 Words

â€Å"We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves† This quote from Siddhartha Gautama, known as Buddha and the founder of Buddhism, is a perfect representation of Buddhist beliefs. Buddhism is a strict religion with various guidelines one must follow. The Buddhists believe that they are each born-again many times and their main goal is to end this cycle of rebirth. One can do so by living each life better than the last, in hopes of releasing____________ Siddhartha Gautama, Buddha, was born in Nepal, where he had a wealthy family with many luxuries, as well as being heir to the throne. Despite having it all, Buddha felt trapped between all the pleasures. When going†¦show more content†¦What exactly is rebirth? Rebirth is when the physical body can no longer function but the spirit of whom inhabits that body lives on and takes some other shape or form, whether it be a human being or an animal. If one does not have a chance to acquire positive karmic forces in that lifetime, they will be forced into the cycle of rebirth until they do so. When learning about Buddhism one question that comes up is, â€Å"What is the cause of rebirth?† According to Buddha, lack of knowledge creates desires. Having those unfulfilled desires is the reason for rebirth. It is when all unsatisfied desires are removed that rebirth with come to an end. To abolish all desires people must destroy their ignorance, they must devote everything to a practice focused on altruistic conduct. Buddha had also taught that unawareness could be demolished by realization of the four noble truths. To realize the four noble truths is to understand the true meaning of existence. Failure to do so is the main cause that makes us continue in the cycle. (need something else here) The four noble truths are: â€Å"The first noble truth of sorrow†¦ The second noble truth of arising sorrow†¦ The third noble truth of stopping the sorrow†¦ The fourth noble truth of the way which leads to stopping of sorrow.† (Spodek) These truths are a strategy that focuses on the drawbacks of life and offers a solution to them. They show that life is inseparable to