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Buddha's Failure

Amadeus

Amadeus

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Siddhartha.Ascetic.png


This image depicts Buddha during his ascetic period. He deprived himself of food and pleasure, subsisting on a single grain of rice per day. This form of self-mortification was practised by the gurus who he studied with, as it was believed that punishing one's body could bring a heightened state of consciousness. In this state, Buddha became partially mummified and was brought close to death. Some disciples still believe that they can achieve the status of 'Buddha' by mummifying themselves.

Siddhartha learned, through failure, that extreme deprivation is not holy, and does not bring enlightenment. His philosophy is known as the 'The Middle Way', which avoids taking extreme measures and achieving an equilibrium with one's environment.
 
I'm not sure I would call it a failure. If it was something which he needed to learn from that experience, it seems to me that it would be an overall positive. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that he (or any other great religious/ philosophical figure in history) can really light the way for others in a significan way. I believe that we all have to find and walk our own path.
 
Amadeus said:
Siddhartha.Ascetic.png


This image depicts Buddha during his ascetic period. He deprived himself of food and pleasure, subsisting on a single grain of rice per day. This form of self-mortification was practised by the gurus who he studied with, as it was believed that punishing one's body could bring a heightened state of consciousness. In this state, Buddha became partially mummified and was brought close to death. Some disciples still believe that they can achieve the status of 'Buddha' by mummifying themselves.

Siddhartha learned, through failure, that extreme deprivation is not holy, and does not bring enlightenment. His philosophy is known as the 'The Middle Way', which avoids taking extreme measures and achieving an equilibrium with one's environment.
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Btw, is that fat guy being called "Buddha" depicts the image of the real Buddha?
 
tosca1 said:
Btw, is that fat guy being called "Buddha" depicts the image of the real Buddha?
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Based on my understanding, Buddha is a title, much like Christ is, rather than referring to a specific individual as "the" Buddha.
 
lizzie said:
Based on my understanding, Buddha is a title, much like Christ is, rather than referring to a specific individual as "the" Buddha.
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no lizzie ,christ was a real person like buddha
 
lizzie said:
I'm not sure I would call it a failure. If it was something which he needed to learn from that experience, it seems to me that it would be an overall positive. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that he (or any other great religious/ philosophical figure in history) can really light the way for others in a significan way. I believe that we all have to find and walk our own path.
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I'm not afraid to say failure. That's how people learn in the real world. I've gone down many wrong paths, failed, and learned accordingly. I see Siddhartha's self-mortification as a failure, but ultimately a lesson for himself and others in avoiding extremes.
 
Medusa said:
no lizzie ,christ was a real person like buddha
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She understands that, she just points out that Buddha and Christ are spiritual titles given to those such as Siddhartha Gupta and Jesus of Nazareth. Both of which we have all agreed are real people.
 
falcata said:
She understands that, she just points out that Buddha and Christ are spiritual titles given to those such as Siddhartha Gupta and Jesus of Nazareth. Both of which we have all agreed are real people.
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no ,many disagree that jesus existed .
 
tosca1 said:
Btw, is that fat guy being called "Buddha" depicts the image of the real Buddha?
Click to expand...

The fat Buddha is actually Hotei. They are two completely separate people. People consider Hotei to be an incarnation of Maitreya, a future Buddha (which basically means 'awakened spirit').

lizzie is correct that 'Buddha' is a title, similar to 'Christ'.
 
Amadeus said:
I'm not afraid to say failure. That's how people learn in the real world. I've gone down many wrong paths, failed, and learned accordingly. I see Siddhartha's self-mortification as a failure, but ultimately a lesson for himself and others in avoiding extremes.
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I'm not afraid to say it either. I just don't think a failure is what it is. A failure would be the inability to learn from it, and persist on a self-destructive path.
 
Medusa said:
no lizzie ,christ was a real person like buddha
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Well, technically, they are positions or states of being which have been attained. If I were of the same spiritual development as Jesus, you could say that I was Lizzie the Christ.

(now, admittedly, I have had a few people say to me, "Jesus Christ, Liz. What the heck were you thinking?" :lol:)
 
lizzie said:
I'm not afraid to say it either. I just don't think a failure is what it is. A failure would be the inability to learn from it, and persist on a self-destructive path.
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I wasn't suggesting that you were, just trying to stress that Buddha was human and capable of error. The way I see it, Siddhartha did fail. He learned from it and developed the Middle Way. It would mean nothing to me (personally) if he just mediated and achieved wisdom.

In the story, the ascetic gurus abandoned Siddhartha because they felt he was weak, and not up to the discipline.
 
lizzie said:
Unfortunately, I'm not sure that he (or any other great religious/ philosophical figure in history) can really light the way for others in a significan way. I believe that we all have to find and walk our own path.
Click to expand...

Which is pretty much what the Lord Buddha taught.
 
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