| Buddha and Confucius are two very influential people. | | | | and how to get to Moksha. |
| Buddha is a religious person and Confucius is more of | | | | The Universal Truths are... |
| a philosopher. Yet some people still believe that | | | | Everything in life is impermanent and is consistently |
| Confucius is a religious person. In the book of the 100 | | | | changing. The Buddha's thinking about this is similar to |
| most influential men in history Buddha and Confucius | | | | that of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who said that |
| are 4 and 5. This shows in this man's opinion that | | | | it is impossible for a person to step in to the same |
| Buddha and Confucius made a difference on the | | | | river. |
| world. | | | | Impermanence leads to suffering. The fact that nothing |
| The Buddha's name is Siddhartha Gautama, and his | | | | remains the same makes life unsatisfactory. People |
| early life is known mostly through religious writings and | | | | desire and become attached to things which can't last. |
| literature. Gautama was born in 563 B.C and he was | | | | Even if someone achieves a state of contentment, it |
| born a prince. He was born in Lumbini. His father's ruled | | | | won't last. Indeed, knowing that the contentment must |
| Kapilavastu, a city in northeast India, near the border of | | | | end itself a source of suffering. |
| Nepal. His father tried to prevent Gautama to be a | | | | To a Buddhist suffering means not only the great pain |
| wandering holy man; he wanted him to be a ruler. So | | | | and tragedies which people experience. It also means |
| his father kept in the families palaces and Gautama | | | | all those things which make life less than perfect. |
| was surrounded by comfort and luxury. When | | | | There is no unchanging personal self. What people call |
| Gautama was 16 he got married and enjoyed a happy | | | | the self is simply a collection of changing |
| life. When Siddhartha was 29, his life changed. He had | | | | characteristics. The Buddha compared the self to a |
| his first child but abandon him and his wife. One day he | | | | chariot, which is simply a collection of parts that are put |
| took a ride outside of the palace gardens, and he saw | | | | together in a certain way but can be taken apart |
| an old man. | | | | again. |
| Then on future rides he saw a sick person and a dead | | | | The Eightfold Path is... |
| body, and at this point Siddhartha saw and became | | | | *Right Understanding- for example, understanding The |
| aware of human suffering. Gautama observed that | | | | Four Noble Truths. |
| most human beings were poor and suffered from | | | | *Right Thought- for example, trying to act considerably. |
| want. Gautama realized that even those who are | | | | *Right Speech- for example, avoiding anger, lies, and |
| wealthy were frustrated and unhappy. All men were | | | | gossip. |
| subject to disease and ultimately succumbed to death, | | | | *Right Action- for example, living in honestly and not |
| and he thought there must be more to life than | | | | harming living things (many Buddhists are vegetarians). |
| transitory pleasures. Gautama was very disturbed by | | | | *Right Work- avoiding jobs that harm anyone. |
| this and he bade farewell to his family, left the palace | | | | *Right Effort- for example, trying hard to overcome |
| and never was going to return again. When he | | | | desire and attachment. |
| departed from his family he left his worldly | | | | *Right Mindfulness- for example, thinking before |
| possessions and Gautama had become a penniless | | | | speech or action. |
| wonderer. Gautama wanted to discover "the realm of | | | | *Right Concentration/Meditation- freeing the mind of |
| life where there is neither suffering nor death." | | | | distractions, leading to enlightenment and nirvana. |
| Gautama attempted to become an ascetic, and for | | | | The Four Noble Truths are what all Buddhists should |
| several years engaging in extreme fasts and self- | | | | live by. |
| mortification. He eventually realized that tormenting his | | | | Suffering- old age, disease, death, and separation of |
| body only clouded his brain, and it didn't get him closer | | | | those we love of craving what we can't obtain of |
| to true wisdom. After that he started to eat normally | | | | hating what we can't avoid. |
| again and abandoned asceticism. Finally one evening | | | | All suffering is caused by desire and the attempt to |
| Gautama sat beneath a giant fig tree, and everything | | | | satisfy our desire. |
| seemed to just fall into the correct place. He spent the | | | | Therefore suffering can only come by ceasing the |
| whole night in deep reflection and when it was morning | | | | desire. |
| he was convinced that he had found the solution and | | | | The way to end desire is to follow the Eightfold Path. |
| that he was now a Buddha, "enlightened one." That is | | | | One sacred writing in Buddhism is the "Tipitaka" which |
| the historical life of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. | | | | means "three baskets." This sacred writing contains |
| Confucius was born in 551 B.C and died in 479 B.C. He | | | | the Buddha's sayings, comments on the sayings, and |
| is known to be born into a poor but noble family, and | | | | the rules for monks. |
| that they had fallen die to difficult times. He was born in | | | | Buddhists believe in meditation and that it will help them |
| the small state of Lu, and is the present province of | | | | get into nirvana. In meditation Buddhists search for |
| Shantung. His father died when he was pretty young, | | | | peacefulness in which the mind is empty of all |
| and his mother lived in poverty. When he was a young | | | | thoughts. A person can be helped to this calm state by |
| man he served as a minor government official, but | | | | concentrating on breathing or by focusing on an object. |
| then he resigned from his position. He married a young | | | | When the mind is quiet, the person may focus on the |
| girl named Qi Quan at the age of 19, and when he | | | | idea of impermanence and change. The name of this |
| was 20 he had his first child named Kong Li. He spent | | | | stage is vipassana. A lot of Buddhists believe that |
| the next 16 years teaching, and he attracted a number | | | | almost anything can be at focus during meditation, and |
| of disciples with his philosophy. When he was almost | | | | they try concentrating on only present moments. You |
| 50 he was granted a high position in the government | | | | try not to be distracted by conflicting thoughts. The |
| of Lu, and after about four years enemies in court and | | | | sequence is to sit with your legs crossed or kneel on a |
| they brought him to his dismissal. He left the state and | | | | mat. They may offer flowers or incense to a statue of |
| spent the next 13 years as an itinerant teacher, but | | | | the Buddha. A candle may be used as a focus for |
| then returned to home state for the last five years of | | | | meditation. The final thing is to cloths your eyes and |
| his life. Confucius is sometimes referred to as a Deity | | | | counting breaths helps them to be calm. Confucius |
| and refused to discuss the afterlife and avoided all | | | | taught two main virtues. According to Confucius their |
| forms of metaphysical speculation. Confucius was a | | | | jen and li and the superior man guides his conduct by |
| philosopher unlike Buddha who is a religious character. | | | | them. Jen is translated to love and li is translated to a |
| Confucius is reported to have worked as a shepherd, | | | | combination of a manners, ritual, custom, etiquette, and |
| cowherd, clerk and book-keeper. His mother died | | | | propriety. Confucius taught respect the respect and |
| when Confucius was 23, and he entered three years | | | | obedience were owed by wives to their husbands and |
| of mourning. According to tradition, after Confucius's | | | | by subjects to their rulers. Chinese sage didn't approve |
| resignation, he began a long journey (or set of | | | | of tyranny; and believed that state exists for the |
| journeys) around the small kingdoms of northeast and | | | | benefit of people. Confucius basic outlook was very |
| central China, including the states of Wei, Song, Chen | | | | conservative, and he believed the Golden Age was in |
| and Cai. At the courts of these states, he expounded | | | | the past, and he encouraged both rulers and people to |
| his political beliefs but did not see them implemented. | | | | return to the good old moral standards. Confucius lived |
| Teachings of Buddha and Confucius | | | | during the Chou dynasty, and during this time there |
| Buddhism was developed in India about 2,500 years | | | | was a great intellectual ferment in China. |
| ago by Siddhartha Gautama now the Buddha. Now | | | | Contemporary did not accept his program, until his |
| there are over 500 million Buddhists in the world and | | | | death and then his ideas spread throughout his country. |
| most of them live in countries to the east of India, but | | | | Confucianism stresses the obligation of individuals |
| the religion has spread to Europe, Australia, New | | | | rather than their rights, and they may seem rather |
| Zealand, and the United States. Buddha's teaching | | | | stodgy and unappealing by current Western Standard. |
| consists of the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, | | | | |