The Buddha's Ascetic Life Flashcards
1
Q
What is an ascetic
A
living a simple life and strict lifestyle with few pleasures or possessions, they believe strict self-discipline and self - denial can lead to spiritual wisdom; someone who follows ascetic practices
2
Q
what is meditation
A
practice of calming and focusing the mind and reflecting deeply on specific teachings to penetrate their true meaning
3
Q
why did siddartha become an ascetic
A
- to seek solution to the problem of suffering
- he was impressed by the sense if peace he fekt coming from the holy man(who was an ascetic)
- this inspired him to pracice ascetic practices for 6 years to overcome suffering
4
Q
what did siddartha do as ascetic to resolve the problem of suffering?
A
- learnt to meditate from other ascetics - this gave him sense of peace but no solution to suffering
- ate little to no food that he looked like skeleton
- lived in dangerous and hostile forests which were too hot during day and too cold at night
- slept on bed of thorns
5
Q
reasons for leaving ascetic life
A
- a girl offered him a bowl of milk and rice
- he ate the food beacause he had become too weak to meditate effectively
- his strength was restored after eating
- this enounter would be important as he decided to stop his ascetic practices
- he did learn discipline and willpower bu did not find answer to problem of suffering
- jakata describes him returning to life of collecting alms from villagers (charity givrn to him)
