Of the four types of people he met, he was fascinated by the last one. Ascetism is the philosophy of renouncing all the worldly pleasures to pursue spiritual strength. When Siddhārtha met the holy man, he wondered why he seemed content and at peace with his world. The man had no money, no lands, and no people to rule, yet he seemed to be the happiest of all the people he has encountered, including those within their palace walls. The holy man inspired Siddhārtha to renounce his royal life and have his own spiritual journey.
Siddhārtha started learning about meditation and the different spiritual states that one can attain by doing it. Under the tutelage of the best religious leaders of his time, he learned how to get in touch with the universe by clearing his mind through meditation. However, Siddhārtha found that meditation alone isn’t enough to end someone’s suffering. He felt that to achieve the peace he sought, he had to continue his quest.
He then continued his spiritual quest and studied extreme ascetism. He learned how to hold his breath fast and endure pain longer than most people. In doing so, he almost died of physical hunger. This made him realize that extreme ascetism is also not the answer to human suffering. So, when a village girl offered him rice and milk to eat, he accepted and made the decision to pursue another
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It is a type of meditation that helps people find the Middle Way (madhyamā-pratipad in Sanskrit), or the middle point between self-indulgence and self-mortification. Siddhārtha discovered that the Middle Way is where he can find peace, and so he started this practice and vowed to stay in meditation until he frees himself from himself and become enlightened. He meditated for many days, until he finally liberated himself from the cycle of suffering and rebirth. This is when he gained followers and earned the name Buddha, or “the enlightened