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After his enlightenment, he went to the Deer Park
near the holy city of Benares and shared his new understanding with five holy
men. They understood immediately and became his disciples. This marked the
beginning of the Buddhist community.
For the next forty-five years, the Buddha and his disciples went from place to
place in India spreading the Dharma, his teachings. Their compassion knew no
bounds, they helped everyone along the way, beggars, kings and slave girls. At
night, they would sleep where they were; when hungry they would ask for a little
food.
Whenever the Buddha went, he won the hearts of the people because he dealt with
their true feelings. He advised them not to accept his words on blind faith, but
to decide for themselves whether his teachings are right or wrong, then follow
them. He encouraged everyone to have compassion for each other and develop their
own virtue, "You should do your own work, for I can teach only the way."
Once the Buddha and Ananda visited a monastery where a monk was suffering from a
contagious disease. The poor man lay in a mess with no one looking after him.
The Buddha himself washed the sick monk and placed him on a new bed. Afterwards,
he admonished the other monks. "Monks, you have neither mother nor father to
look after you. If you do not look after each other, who will look after you?
Whoever serves the sick and suffering, serves me."
Basic Teachings of Buddha:
The Three Universal Truth -
1. Nothing is lost in the universe
2. Everything Changes
3. Law of Cause and Effect
The Four Noble Truths-
1. There is Suffering Suffering is common to all.
2. Cause of Suffering We are the cause of our suffering.
3. End of Suffering Stop doing what causes suffering.
4. Path to end Suffering Everyone can be enlightened.
The Noble Eightfold Path-
1. Right View. The right way to think about life is to see the world through the
eyes of the Buddha--with wisdom and compassion.
2. Right Thought. We are what we think. Clear and kind thoughts build good,
strong characters.
3. Right Speech. By speaking kind and helpful words, we are respected and
trusted by everyone.
4. Right Conduct. No matter what we say, others know us from the way we behave.
Before we criticize others, we should first see what we do ourselves.
5. Right Livelihood. This means choosing a job that does not hurt others. The
Buddha said, "Do not earn your living by harming others. Do not seek happiness
by making others unhappy."
6. Right Effort. A worthwhile life means doing our best at all times and having
good will toward others. This also means not wasting effort on things that harm
ourselves and others.
7. Right Mindfulness. This means being aware of our thoughts, words, and deeds.
8. Right Concentration. Focus on one thought or object at a time. By doing this,
we can be quiet and attain true peace of mind.
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