Buddhism: Beliefs and teachings 🪷

Question 1

What is the summary of the Buddha’s birth ? 🚼

Hint: dream, sala tree, immediately

Answer 1

• Queen Maya had a dream where a white elephant entered into her womb.
• [roughly ten months later] she gave birth in the lumbini gardens, as a sala tree bent over her, holding out its branches. [Siddhartha came out of her side- a sign of having karmic purity]
• Siddharta took seven steps and lotuses blossomed under his feet- he was able to immediately talk and walk.

Question 2

What happened in Queen Maya’s dream? 🐘

Hint: walked around her

Answer 2

• Siddharta’s mother [Queen Maya] dreamt that a six-tusked white elephant (came down from heaven), to visit her and walked around her 3 times, before entering in her womb.
• This was whilst she was pregnant; it was said that this elephant offered her a lotus flower, which is a sign of wisdom and purity.

Question 3

• Fill in the gaps: whilst _____ Maya was on a journey to see her parents, [due to a tradition which she followed] she had stopped to take a break.
• and as she was in labour, a ____ tree bent over Queen Maya- she gave birth to __________ in the lumbini gardens.

Answer 3

• whilst Queen Maya was on a journey to see her parents, [due to a tradition which she followed] she had stopped to take a break.
• and as she was in labour, a sala tree bent over Queen Maya- she gave birth to Siddharthain the lumbini gardens.

Question 4

What happened after Siddhartha’s birth? 🌸🪷

Answer 4

• ; After his birth, Siddhartha took seven steps and pink lotus flowers appeared under his feet where we walked.
• According to legend, he was able to immediately walk and talk as his first words were ’no further rebirths have I to endure, for this is my last body’.

Question 5

What can you tell me about the prophecy, after Siddhartha’s birth ?

Answer 5

• and after his birth, king Suddhodana was visited by a teacher who prophesied, and was able to see the future.
• Asita explained how Siddhartha would become a great king, or a holy man. [as he examined/inspected the baby]

Question 6

What did Siddhartha say, after he was born, and why is this ?

Answer 6

• He said that ‘I shall destroy and pluck out by the rod the sorrow that is caused by birth and death’.
• explaining how ‘In heaven above and on earth below, I am the honoured one… I shall get rid of the suffering that fills the world’- this emphasises how life is suffering [since suffering is unavoidable; the Buddha teaches us how to overcome it]

Question 7

How does the story of the Buddha’s birth influence Buddhists’ today ?

Hint: no longer

Answer 7

• one way that the story of the Buddha’s birth influences Buddhists’ today, is that they will apsire to be like Siddharta, by trying to live a skilful life [and not causing dukkha (suffering) to others].
• this is because, Gotama Buddha’s past lives allowed him to live a life where he could no longer be reborn into the cycle of samsara, therefore this influences Buddhists today because, it apsires them to be more like him so they can better his rebirth and escape the cycle of samsara

Question 8

Explain the symbolism, of the white elephant, in the birth story of the Buddha 🐘

Answer 8

• the white elephant: the white elephant, is symbolic of greatness and is a very rare creature…
• that is treated as a sacred and powerful [being] who upholds justice [perhaps it suggests Maya’s child who may be a sacred being aswell]

Question 9

Explain the symbolism of the sala tree, in the birth story of the Buddha 🌴

Hint: fully awakened

Answer 9

• the sala tree: In Buddhism, the sala tree is symbolic of hope, patience and being fully awakened.
• [perhaps this is reflective of how the Buddha would be fully awakened, as he was able to reach enlightenment- he was fully awakened to reality and how to end dukkha= suffering]

Question 10

Explain the symbolism, of the seven steps, in the birth story of the Buddha 👣

Hint: of life

Answer 10

• the seven steps: the seven steps, are symbolic of the 6 levels of suffering in life, and then being free of it.
• This is significant in Buddhism, because it reflects how the Buddha has overcome suffering, and provides Buddhists with a way to overcome suffering.
• ; the Buddha also walked these seven steps in north, east, south and west- symbolic of the whole truth in life.

Question 11

Explain the symbolism, of the pink lotus flower, in the birth story of the Buddha 🪷

Answer 11

• the pink lotus flower: the pink lotus flower, is solely reserved for the highest being- it’s representative of the ‘Great’ Buddha.
• ; it’s also one of, the most important symbols in Buddhism. This is because, the growth of the lotus flower reflects everyone’s growth that they go through [in their life], in order to find the ultimate truth [aswell as knowledge]

Question 12

Why else is the pink lotus flower symbolic, in the birth story of the Buddha? ☸️

Hint: teachings

Answer 12

• moreover, the pink lotus flowers being opened, is seen to be reflective of the Buddha’s teachings.
• since each opening of the petal, is learning Buddha’s teachings [until you are fully ‘open’ and awakened to the world]

Question 13

Why did Siddhartha see the four sights ?

Hint: curious

Answer 13

• as Siddhartha began to be more curious of life outside of the place, he left the palace with Channa [a royal servant and a charioteer] and saw four sights.

Question 14

What are the four sights ?

Answer 14

• The four sights were:
• old age
• illness
• death
• and a sadhu [a holy man who had rejected the luxuries of this Earth, to live in a solely spiritual life]

Question 15

What was the impact of the first four sights, on Gotama Buddha ?

Answer 15

• the first four sight, was old age. This impacted Gotama Buddha, as he realised that eventually everyone will age [and become old]

Question 16

Explain the impact of the second of the four sights, on the Buddha

Answer 16

• the second of the four sights, was illness as the Buddha saw a ill person who was in distress and agony, as he lay on the road.
• This impacted the Buddha because, it make him understand that everyone and everything will suffer [and become sick]- since sickness is simply a part of life, due to dukkha. [which reinforces the first noble truth, and first mark of existence]

Question 17

Explain the impact of the third of the four sights, on the Buddha

Answer 17

• the third of the four sights impacted him because, he realised that everyone will die

Question 18

Explain the impact of the fourth sight, on the Buddha

Answer 18

• and the fourth of the four sights impacted Siddhartha because, it encouraged and inspired him to believe, that perhaps there is a [spiritual] answer to suffering.
• ; it also made him question, if suffering can ever be ended, or overcome.
• This is because, it raised his awareness that perhaps there could be an answer to the problems [of suffering] caused by the other three sights.

Question 19

How else did the four sights, impact the Buddha ?

Answer 19

• the four sights also impacted the Buddha, as it taught him that Dukkha is unavoidable and inescapable [regardless of who a person is, or their social status] ; it can be overcome

Question 20

Name some ways in which Siddhartha lived a life of luxury ☸️

Answer 20

• he was ‘delicately nurtured’, as described in the Anguttara Nikaya- [a part of the pali canon, which is a collection of scripture- in Thervada Buddhism]
• and he was entertained by female dancers

Question 21

Name some ways in which Siddhartha lived a life of luxury ☸️

Answer 21

• Siddhartha also had three mansions [three seasons]
• ; he also had protection by the sun [shade]

Question 22

How do the four sights influence Buddhists today ? 📖

Answer 22

• one way that the four sights influence Buddhists today, is that they may become a monastic person.
• This is because the fourth sight inspired the historical Buddha [Siddharta Gautama] to believe that perhaps there is a [spiritual] answer to suffering, when he saw a sadhu.
• Therefore one way that the fourth sight: a sadhu, inspires Buddhists today, is that they will work to find a spiritual answer to suffering, similar to how Buddha did, when he first saw the fourth sight.

Question 23

What’s a second way, how the four sights influences Buddhists today

Answer 23

• a second way that the four sights influences Buddhists today, is that they will avoid causing dukkha to others.
• ; they will instead accept that suffering happens and then work to overcome it.
• This is because, three of the four sights: old age, illness and death taught the historical Buddha [Siddhartha] that everyone and everything will suffer.
• therefore instead of causing suffering to others, Buddhists will try to instead gain enlightenment and escape the cycle of samsara, by reaching nibbana [extinction]
• [as everyone suffers, so there’s no reason to cause another being to suffer]

Question 24

• Fill in the gaps: in Buddhism, a pink _____ flower is one of the most important symbols in Buddhism.
• this is because, the growth of the lotus flower reflects everyone’s growth that they go through [in their life], in order to find the ultimate _____ [aswell as knowledge]

Answer 24

• in Buddhism, a pink lotus flower is one of the most important symbols in Buddhism.
• this is because, the growth of the lotus flower reflects everyone’s growth that they go through [in their life], in order to find the ultimate truth [aswell as knowledge]