Story of the Buddha, Part II March 9, 2007

Continuing from here:

After the Buddha attained enlightenment, he went to Deer Park in Samath to find the five holy men he had been traveling with in the past. At the park, he gave this first sermon outlining:

The Four Noble Truths: (a) Suffering is always present in life. The life to death cycle is proof that every death does not bring an end to suffering; (b) Suffering is caused by desire and attachment to external things (e.g. money, success, fame, etc.); (c) It is possible to end suffering; and (d) The best way to end suffering is by understanding the Four Noble Truths and to follow the Noble Eightfold Path (see an explanation below).

The Noble Eightfold Path – Live a life of right: understanding, motives, speech, action, living, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.

The Middle Path – According to www.buddhanet.net, the Middle Way means:

to investigate and penetrate the core of life and all things with an upright, unbiased attitude. In order to solve a problem, we should position ourselves on neutral, upright and unbiased ground. We investigate the problem from various angles, analyze the findings, understand the truth thoroughly, and find a reasonable conclusion.

At 35 years old, the Buddha started to teach motivated by his new understanding. He spent four to five years traveling in North India preaching his message called dharma (based on the Four Noble Truths, which explain how suffering is caused, and how it can be overcome by following the Noble Eightfold Path).

In his lifetime, the Buddha also ordained monks, nuns and lay followers. He died in Kushingara at 80 when he laid down between the sal trees and reached his final nirvana.

His last words to his disciples summed up his teachings:

“All things are impermanent. Work hard to reach your own salvation.”