If you have always wanted to learn about Buddhism but were unsure of where to go, then you have come to the right spot. There is more to Buddhism than a few chants and a big Buddha statue that you keep on your desk. It has a unique history that is part reality and part fairytale. The Buddhist teachings go back thousands of years to a time when a King named Suddhodana had a son named Siddhartha.

A prediction was made by a holy man regarding Siddhartha. The holy man prophesized that the young prince would either grow up to become a great ruler or he would become a wise holy man. The king was obviously dismayed that his son might abdicate his princely life and so tried to shelter the young man from the outside world.

Unfortunately for Suddhodana, this did not stop the outside world from coming into contact with his son. At the age of 29, Siddhartha came into contact with what is now known as the “Four Sights.” He came across an elderly man, a corpse, a diseased man and a holy man. This gave him a glimpse into the sufferings of mankind and Siddhartha was so moved that he abandoned his princely throne to become a holy man himself.

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 27th, 2008 at 5:39 pm and is filed under News & Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.