The Story of the Buddha

1.

The Story of the
Buddha

2.

Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal family in Nepal and for many
Never
having
seen the
these
things,
he didn’t
what
they were.
years lived
within
palace
walls
away know
from the
sufferings
of life such as
old age, illness and death.

3.

Eventually he married, had children and decided it was time to go outside
He
very
bywas
what
andside.
learned
that sickness,
age
anda
thewas
palace
toworried
see what
onhe
thesaw
other
He witnessed
an old
man,
death
come
to the
everyone,
if youman.
are a wealthy person.
sick man
and
corpse even
of a dead

4.

Next, Siddhartha saw a holy man dressed in rags with only a begging bowl
in his hand. Despite owning nothing but the bowl, he looked so calm and at
peace. He pondered how a man with nothing could be so content.

5.

These four sights were a turning point for Siddhartha. He wanted to know if
there was more to life than sickness, old age and death so he decided to
leave his riches behind and go and find out for himself.

6.

Dressed as a monk, he went to meditate under a Bodhi tree and promised
After
some
he realised
a way
for people
to end
pain
himself
thattime,
he wouldn’t
risethere
againwas
until
he found
the truth.
Astheir
he sat,
he
and
sadness.
Within
thisthe
moment,
he became
wiseand
andthe
enlightened.
thought
carefully
about
past, present,
future
four sights he saw
when he left the palace.

7.

He began to teach people about what he had realised and people began to
call him Buddha or ‘teacher’. He taught them the Four Noble Truths.

8.

The third
first Noble
was that
Truth
it was
is possible
about to
theend
factsuffering
that suffering
by realising
exists.we
Ourcause
livessome
are a
struggle.
of
our own
The
difficulties.
second was
And
about
the fourth
the cause
explained
of suffering.
the path
We (the
create
Noble
some of our
own difficulties
Eightfold
Path) to
in be
thefollowed
way we in
think.
order to end suffering.