Lucas' question for Chiangmai: who is/was Buddha

Answer:        
        
       Before I did any research on the Buddha, I thought he was the god that Buddhists praised and believed in. Sort of like Jesus Christ when you're a Christian, but I was way off. Buddha was a man named Gautama Buddha, his parents were the king and queen of India. He was born in 563 BCE and died in 483 BCE. He was a normal man who lived in a magical world full of gods. Gods controlled everything from weather to wealth, shelter to trees. The gods could not end Buddha's suffering so he stopped praying to them. He went into the woods and took of all his clothes and jewels and covered himself in rags. He wanted to feel what it was like to suffer so he would no longer have to watch others suffer. Buddha meditated for 7 days without moving, eating or drinking. Finally, he had found happiness. Buddha them went on to go all over India and teach what he had learned in meditating, so the art of Buddhism began. In all the temples that I see here in Thailand, Buddha stands(or sits) dead center as the biggest statue in the temple. Now I know he is there to teach Buddhists, not to be praised by them. Buddhists don't necessarily believe in a god, but in ending suffering. It is not wrong for a Buddhist to believe in a god(s) either.


Me (Lucas) sitting in front of a giant white Buddha at Wat (Buddhist temple) Tha Ton

Comments

  1. Unknown4 January 2017 at 12:07

    This is so cool, Lucas! I didn't realize that Buddha Statue was always in the center of the space. I loved the description of him as a teacher as well.
    Love the blog - miss your Mom!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Chris11 January 2017 at 06:01

    Miss you too Jen! K.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown17 January 2017 at 18:52

    Pretty cool Lucas, you've managed to teach me the error of my ways as I believed as you did. Pretty cool.

    ReplyDelete

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