BuddhismWhat is Buddhism?Buddhism is a philosophy of life, it was started by Siddhartha Gotma, more commonly known as Buddha. Buddha is not a god to them, but he is highly respected for passing on the knowledge of how to find true happiness. The main goal of Buddhists in life is to find enlightenment (true happiness). Buddhist monks live by a strict moral code, in which they are given food, they live a life structured around the teachings of Buddha. Who was Buddha? Siddhartha Gotama was born into a wealthy royal family, located in Nepal in 563 BC. Siddhartha's birth was prophesied by his mother who had Queen Maya dream that a white elephant with six white tusks entered her right side (a sign of great importance in this culture). He was prophesied to be a great emperor or religious leader. enjoyed all the luxuries of life and was protected from all harm and those who needed help. However he met an old man troubled by this, he consulted a guard who told him that everyone ages, later he met a sick man, then a corpse and finally an ascetic. These are known as the four big observations. He realized at the age of 29 that not everyone lived a life like him and possessed immeasurable wealth, and he discovered that this luxury did not necessarily bring happiness. So he left the palace and his family and decided to test the different teachings, religions and philosophies of the time. After six long years of meditation and study, he achieved Enlightenment. Siddhartha is said to have discovered what Buddhists call the Middle Way, a path of moderation that moves away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification. He accepted some milk and rice pudding from a village girl...... middle of paper ...... to cut our distraction.Pilgrimages:1. Lumbini, where Gotama the Buddha was born.2. Bodhagaya, where the Buddha experienced full enlightenment.3. Saranath, where the Buddha set in motion the wheel of Dhamma.4. Kusinara (Kushinagar), where the Buddha achieved final emancipation. “Pilgrimage is first mentioned in the Pali Tipitaka where the Buddha says that one should try to visit Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Isipatana and Kusinara at least once. He says that if such a journey is undertaken with a “devout heart,” it will be of great benefit to one’s spiritual growth. Clearly, pilgrimage, like worshiping Buddha statues or performing pujas, is a behavior born of and capable of reinforcing positive emotions like faith, determination and humility, which in turn strengthen the practice. http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/dharmadata/fdd39.htm