The young Buddha encountered suffering. “He saw and old man…(the prince wanted to know)...is this some transformation, original state or mere chance?..(driver said) ..it was old age…(prince said will this evil come upon me?)”(Kinnard, p. 8) On other trips Siddhartha “saw a deceased man and then a dead man” (Kinnard, p. 8) These visions represent Shakyamuni’s first encounter with suffering, with dukkha, and the experience transformed the happy prince into a brooding young man.” (Kinnard, p. 8) On the forth trip he encountered a “wondering ascetic”. (Kinnard, p. 8) In this he saw a way out of suffering. (Kinnard, p. 8) From these sites and beautiful women that were not as though he thought they where he knew things were masked all around him …show more content…
Renouncing his life within the confines of the palace, he took drastic steps (near starvation) to find the answers. Throughout his searching, he attains enlightenment and begins the teachings of the Four Noble Truths and eight-fold path. Although there were many teachings which contributed to the traditions of Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths (1. suffering exists in the world, 2. arising of suffering (samudaya), 3. cessation of suffering (ending craving, stopping the grasping after things that impermanent), 4. existence of an eightfold path). (Kinnard, pgs. 42-46) At the end of the eight-fold path is nirvana. “The absolute elimination of karma is nirvana, eternal freedom from the bondage of samsara”. (Kinnard, p.17) Nirvana can be described as the absence of all states.
Therefore, wanting to follow Buddha’s teaching to cope with suffering (grasping) caused by old age, decease, death or fear of it is understandable. What is it understandable for the people of this time is many of the poor found themselves suffering. If you were rich you still would eventually suffer from old age, decease or fear of