Buddha
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Buddha, formerly known as Gautama, was a young Indian prince in about 500 BC. He is also known as the Enlightened One. From his teachings come the Three Universal Truths. The Three Universal Truths are: 1) life is constantly changing 2) life is unsatisfactory because nothing is permanent 3) there is no eternal soul
(Manual pg 136)
"The founder of Buddhism began his life in wealth and privilege. Siddhartha Guatama was born the son of an Indian prince in 566 BC. At his birth, a prophet declared he would become either a powerful king or a great spiritual leader. Mindful of this prophecy, his father kept him at court, shielding him from the harsh reality of the world by surrounding him with luxury: silken clothes, precious jewels and beautiful women.
Then one day, when he was 29, Siddhartha was overcome by curiosity. He dressed in disguise and slipped away from the court. Beyond its walls he witnessed four sights that filled him with infinite sorrow: a decrepit old man, a diseased man, a dead man and a monk. Seeing such misery, he renounced his birthright and committed himself to a life of self-denial in order to find a way to end to human suffering.
Eventually he moderated his lifestyle of total deprivation and found the 'Middle Way'. Sitting beneath a 'bodhi' tree, according to tradition, he achieved a profound understanding of the cycle of birth and rebirth by intense meditation. Through this enlightenment, Siddhartha became the Buddha, or 'Awakened One'"(http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/diamondsutra.html).
The Buddha renounced his wealth and comfort to end suffering for all humans. He was a man filled with great compassion and love for mankind.
Mark Laborde
