1. Look at the below image. What do you see?
- Who is the man in the center of the image?
- How has Siddhartha’s appearance changed from when he first became an ascetic?
- Why do you think Siddhartha is sitting in this position?
- What might have happened to him while he was meditating?
2. Read the following text and follow the directions on your worksheet.
Siddhartha had learned that giving up bodily pleasures did not bring enlightenment. He instead decided to find a balance between the extremes of pleasure and pain. He would be neither a prince nor an ascetic. Instead, he would seek a “middle way” as a path to enlightenment.
The prince’s new way of thinking caused the other ascetics to abandon him as they felt he betrayed them. But he was content to be alone. Although he had not yet found enlightenment, he believed that he was now on the right path.
On his 35th birthday, Siddhartha bathed in the river and rested quietly in a grove of trees. When he awoke, he had a strong feeling that he would soon become enlightened. Then a village girl offered him milk and rice pudding, which he accepted ending his period of fasting. Siddhartha walked until he reached a tree that would become known as the Bodhi (BOH-dee), or Enlightenment, tree. He placed the grass at the foot of the tree and sat down. He vowed to meditate under the tree until he reached enlightenment.
According to Buddhist tradition, while Siddhartha was meditating, a wicked god named Mara tried to frighten him. Then Mara sent his three daughters—Discontent (unhappiness), Delight, and Desire—to try to tempt Siddhartha. But Siddhartha resisted them all. He then meditated through the rest of the night about the nature of reality and the way to reach nirvana, or true happiness and peace. During the night, his mind filled with the truths he had been seeking. He saw his past lives and the great cycle of rebirth. He saw the importance of karma. Eventually, he saw how to gain freedom from the continuous cycle, and therefore end all suffering.
By morning, the young prince had become the Buddha, the Awakened One. He had reached enlightenment.
The prince’s new way of thinking caused the other ascetics to abandon him as they felt he betrayed them. But he was content to be alone. Although he had not yet found enlightenment, he believed that he was now on the right path.
On his 35th birthday, Siddhartha bathed in the river and rested quietly in a grove of trees. When he awoke, he had a strong feeling that he would soon become enlightened. Then a village girl offered him milk and rice pudding, which he accepted ending his period of fasting. Siddhartha walked until he reached a tree that would become known as the Bodhi (BOH-dee), or Enlightenment, tree. He placed the grass at the foot of the tree and sat down. He vowed to meditate under the tree until he reached enlightenment.
According to Buddhist tradition, while Siddhartha was meditating, a wicked god named Mara tried to frighten him. Then Mara sent his three daughters—Discontent (unhappiness), Delight, and Desire—to try to tempt Siddhartha. But Siddhartha resisted them all. He then meditated through the rest of the night about the nature of reality and the way to reach nirvana, or true happiness and peace. During the night, his mind filled with the truths he had been seeking. He saw his past lives and the great cycle of rebirth. He saw the importance of karma. Eventually, he saw how to gain freedom from the continuous cycle, and therefore end all suffering.
By morning, the young prince had become the Buddha, the Awakened One. He had reached enlightenment.