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Siddhartha was raised in the lap of luxury. At the age of sixteen, he married a neighboring princess and began to raise a family. Siddhartha appeared to have everything, wealth, loving family, and a throne which he would inherit. This event is important to the story of Buddhism because it was how he was raised compared to the way he turned out. It will lead to the next event on the list because Siddhartha see’s things he hadn’t seen before that disappoint him.

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Siddhartha goes for a trip outside of his place for the first time, he sees elder, the sick, and a corpse on the road, this experience makes him ask why suffering and death existed for everyone, rich and poor. This event is important because Siddhartha was born into royalty and wealth, and seeing this unfortunate people and how their struggling made him wonder why suffering was so heavy among people. This will lead to the next event because it leads him to want to give up the comforts of life.

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Siddhartha becomes an Ascetic after seeing the struggles for the rich and poor. As an Ascetic, he CHOOSES to give up all the comforts of life, in search of enlightenment. As an Ascetic, Siddhartha practices extreme self denial, punishing his body from drinking and eating, only using what was necessary for living. This event is significant to the story of Buddhism because this is where Siddhartha’s journey for enlightenment begins. This event will lead to the next event on the list because Siddhartha realizes this isn’t helping him, and he proceeds in another way, to achieve enlightenment.

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Siddhartha Meditates Under The Bodhi Tree

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Siddhartha Meditates Under The Bodhi Tree

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Siddhartha meditates under the Bodhi tree in another attempt to reach enlightenment after realizing that his life as an ascetic wasn’t helping him. After 49 days of pure meditation, Siddhartha reached enlightenment, he was now referred to as the Buddha, meaning “enlightened one.” This event is significant because it is when Siddhartha’s finally reaches enlightenment after a long period of time. This will lead to the next event because in order for Siddhartha to follow the middle way, he must first achieve enlightenment

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Siddhartha achieves Nirvana by following the Eightfold Path, otherwise known the “Middle Way.” Nirvana is the Buddha’s word for a release from selfishness, suffering, and the cycle or reincarnation. This event is significant to the story of Buddhism because this is when Siddhartha’s achieves a way a living that he enjoys, through enlightenment and moderation. This event will lead to the next because achieving Nirvana is the step to be achieved before teaching the Eightfold Path to others.

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Siddhartha teachers The Middle Way, or the Eightfold Path to others. To follow the Eightfold Path means living a moderate life in between the extremes of absolute luxury and absolute self denial. Siddhartha describes the Eightfold Path as “…the noble Eightfold Path. Right views, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. This is the middle way.” This event is significant because Siddhartha is teaching others how to reach enlightenment and live a life of moderation. This event will lead to the next because it is how Buddhism spreads throughout the world.

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Buddhism accepted the idea that reincarnation happened. But unlike Hinduism, Buddha taught that reincarnation wasn’t necessary to reach nirvana. Anyone including people who were in low caste could follow the Eightfold Path and achieve enlightenment. As a result Buddhism attracted many followers from the lower classes on Indian society and saw this as an opportunity to escape the limits placed on them. This is significant because Buddhism gave everyone an opportunity to achieve Nirvana.

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Buddhism can be considered a reform of Hinduism, as it rejected the strict caste system and emphasized spiritual development over rituals and priestly control. It kept some Hindu ideas, such as karma and reincarnation, but has a simpler path to enlightenment.

Buddhism was appealing to lower caste Indians because it taught that anyone, regardless of birth or social class, could achieve enlightenment. It offered equality, compassion, and freedom from the rigid hierarchy of the caste system.