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One day in Rajagriha,Siddhartha saw a flock of sheep being sacrificed under the ruling king,Bimbisara's orders.He at once stopped the sacrifice saying,"Life is extremely precious. All living creatures have a desire to live."
His powerful yet simple words greatly affected Bimbisara who requested Siddhartha to stay.But he declined, promising to return.
Soon,Siddhartha left Rajagriha and joined 2 sages who taught him how to reach a deep state of meditation. But he still didn't find the answer which he was looking for. After sometime, Siddhartha met 5 ascetics with whom Siddhartha practiced severe starvation. The 5 ascetics soon became his followers.However, starvation so weakened his body that 1 day,Siddhartha collapsed and fell into a river and almost drowned.It was then that he reconsidered his path.
He realized the nature and causes of human suffering and the necessary steps to eliminate it.He also identified the 4 noble truths and the 8 fold path by which one could attain Nirvana-a state of supreme liberation from all suffering and the cycle of birth and death.
Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree in a state of strange happiness for many days.Then he decided to teach what he had realised and thought of his 5 ascetic followers who were in Sarnath at that time.When Mahatma Buddha met them,the ascetics were surprised to see the divine radiance on his face.And so,Buddha gave his first sermon in the deer park in Sarnath.
Next: Contn'd on Page 4
One day in Rajagriha,Siddhartha saw a flock of sheep being sacrificed under the ruling king,Bimbisara's orders.He at once stopped the sacrifice saying,"Life is extremely precious. All living creatures have a desire to live."
His powerful yet simple words greatly affected Bimbisara who requested Siddhartha to stay.But he declined, promising to return.
Soon,Siddhartha left Rajagriha and joined 2 sages who taught him how to reach a deep state of meditation. But he still didn't find the answer which he was looking for. After sometime, Siddhartha met 5 ascetics with whom Siddhartha practiced severe starvation. The 5 ascetics soon became his followers.However, starvation so weakened his body that 1 day,Siddhartha collapsed and fell into a river and almost drowned.It was then that he reconsidered his path.
He realized the nature and causes of human suffering and the necessary steps to eliminate it.He also identified the 4 noble truths and the 8 fold path by which one could attain Nirvana-a state of supreme liberation from all suffering and the cycle of birth and death.
Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree in a state of strange happiness for many days.Then he decided to teach what he had realised and thought of his 5 ascetic followers who were in Sarnath at that time.When Mahatma Buddha met them,the ascetics were surprised to see the divine radiance on his face.And so,Buddha gave his first sermon in the deer park in Sarnath.
Next: Contn'd on Page 4
