A Buddha is any being who has become awakened to the ultimate
truth of life, one who perceives the true entity of all phenomena,
and who leads others to attain the same truth of life. In Hinayana
the word means one who has entered the state of nenlightenment. In
India the word buddha was originally a common noun meaning
"awakened one," but in Buddhism it is used to mean one who has
become awakened to the ultimate irvana, in which both body and mind
are extinguished. Provisional Mahayana generally teaches that one
becomes a Buddha after eradicating illusions through aeons of
austere and meritorious practices, gradually acquiring the
thirty-two features of a Buddha. Although a Buddha is ridded off
the 3 poisons of buddhism(Greed, Hatred, Ignorance) and is always
at the higher states of life. He/she still can experience the 4
lower states of life but will not be influenced or trapped in the
lower states of life. Thus due to a Buddha's wisdom and high life
condtion he/she can easily return to the higher states of life and
not trap or get influenced in the lower states of life. When
Shakyamuni was savouring the joy of enlightenment under the pipal
tree, he was simultaneously troubled by the dilemma of whether he
should preach the law to others. The devilish functions continued
to plague Shakyamuni even after he had become a Buddha. They vied
to attack him through even the smallest breach in his heart.
When a person beomes a Buddha he/she still has to under go
sufferings. Sufferings and pain are not optional, it is a process
of life. However due to a Buddha's states of life, he/she can view
sufferings as a part of life and a joy in life. When Shakyamuni
became a buddha he is not ridded of sufferings, because he still
has to experience; bith, age, sick, death. These 4 points are
considered sufferings, but due to a buddha's high life condition
and wisdom he is able to view sufferings as a joy. Buddhism
recogisnes the suffering in this world thus buddhism teaches us how
to discover the ultimate truth within themselves, tapping an inner
source of happiness and the strength and wisdom to overcome
suffering. The eightfold path are right views, thinking, speech,
action, right way of life, right endeavor, right mindfulness, and
right meditation. These paths are the eradication of suffering, all
these eight paths are set to change our views about sufferings they
do not rid sufferings from the face of the earth. Sufferings are
part of life and not optional, it is whether one views it in a
different way that one can release from sufferings.
Four Noble Truths:
The four noble truths are the truth of suffering, the truth of the
origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of suffering, and
the truth of the path to the cessation of suffering. Shakyamuni is
said to have expounded the four noble truths at Deer Park in
Varanasi, India, during his first sermon after attaining
enlightenment. They are: (1) all existence is suffering; (2)
suffering is caused by selfish craving; (3) the eradication of
selfish craving brings about the cessation of suffering and enables
one to attain nirvana; and (4) there is a path by which this
eradication can be achieved, namely, the discipline of the
eightfold path. The eightfold path consists of right views, right
thinking, right speech, right action, right way of life, right
endeavor, right mindfulness, and right meditation.
