Master of Buddhism Lesson 1 - The Beginning

Questions

1. Does the story of Siddhartha Guatama, particularly in the years before he became the Buddha, ring true? Is
it legend or hearsay? Does it matter?

It is sensible to believe that history is coloured by the person relating the events. When it comes to important
historical figures, such as Siddhartha Guatama or Jesus, it is reasonable to think that elements of certain events have
been exaggerated to make the historical figure seem larger or more important, or to increase the impact of the event
upon the reader. It is difficult to believe, for example, that a person - even one in a rich palace - can be kept from
the knowledge of sickness, ageing, and death. Since Siddhartha is said to have been a clever lad, would it not seem
probable that he would wonder why certain members of the household were older or younger than he? Does it not seem
likely that he would have experienced common colds or, like most young and curious boys, played with insects and seen
them die?

So it is likely that elements of truth have been embellished to enhance the importance of the Buddha. All cultures have
myths and legends. This particular one is important because it sets into motion the idea of the Buddha as having a
driving goal that motivated him (finding relief from sickness, old age and death). This frames the entire Buddhist
philosophy because seeking relief from suffering is the central motivation of Buddhism.


2. What does enlightenment mean to you?

Enlightenment is the slow process by which we come to know how our minds work. We come to see that much of what we take
for granted is simply "stuff" that we've made up - then we act upon those thoughts as if they're true! We spend a lot of
time defending these thoughts and pushing them onto other people. Enlightenment is understanding that these things don't
matter, but that there is something that does matter; other people. The world seems to work like a giant cosmic fan and
whatever we throw out at it is simply redirected right back at us. So it is quite true to say that how we treat others
IS how we treat ourselves.


3. Do you believe that enlightenment is possible? Is there more than one way to be enlightened? If so, what?

Enlightenment is possible if we spend time thinking about things of this nature. Many different people and many
different spiritual traditions have found this - though they may have different names for it. It seems that the key
element to finding enlightenment is frequent periods of thought - just thinking about life and how it works and why
things are the way they are. We sometimes call this prayer or meditation - or even just sitting quietly in the garden
watching the world go by!