The Ten Acts of Buddha: Conception (Act 1)

• The 'Ten Acts' detail the various stages of Buddha's life.
• The first act is conception
• The second act is birth
• The third act is Accomplishments in Worldly Things
• The fourth act is A life of pleasure and Indulgence
• The fifth act is Leaving the Palace
• The sixth act is Life as an Ascetic
• The seventh act is Victory over Mara
• The eigth act is Enlightenment
• The ninth act is Decision to Teach
• The tenth act is Death or Passing Away

Act 1: Conception

• Queen Maya had a dream of being carried by four devas to Lake Anotatta in the Himalayas
• She was bathed, dressed in heavenly garments, and adorned with flowers
• A white elephant with a white lotus circled her three times before entering her right side
• Court astrologers interpreted the dream as a sign she would give birth to a great king or spiritual leader
• Siddhartha Gautama's conception is considered miraculous
• The future Buddha descended from Tushita Heaven as a Bodhisattva and entered Queen Maya's womb as a white elephant
• This is symbolic, representing purity, wisdom, and the spiritual significance of Buddha's birth

Symbolism and Significance

• White Elephant represents purity, wisdom, and the spiritual nature of the Buddha
• Lotus Flowers symbolize purity and enlightenment
• Seven Steps indicate Buddha's future role as a teacher

Act 2: The Birth of the Buddha

• Siddhartha's mother was Queen Maya, wife of King Suddhodana of Kapilavastu in ancient India
• Queen Maya had a dream of a white elephant descending from the heavens into her womb
• The dream was interpreted as an omen of a great spiritual leader
• Siddhartha was born in Lumbini Grove on a full moon night in Vesakha (May)
• At birth, Siddhartha took seven steps forward, with lotus flowers blooming beneath his feet
• He proclaimed "I am chief of the world, Eldest am I in the world, Foremost am I in the world. This is the last birth; There is now no more coming to be."
• The declaration symbolizes Siddhartha's destiny as the Buddha and his eventual attainment of Nirvana
• His birth was painless for Queen Maya, and accompanied by heavenly beings and great light and celestial music
• King Suddhodana consulted astrologers who predicted Siddhartha would be a monarch or spiritual leader
• Suddhodana ensured Siddhartha lived a life of luxury, shielding him from harsh realities

The Four Sights and the Affects on Siddhartha

• The Four Sights are encounters that influenced Siddhartha to renounce his princely life for spiritual awakening
• Old Age: Siddhartha realized the inevitability of aging and the impermanence of youth after seeing an elderly person
• Sickness: Siddhartha confronted the universal truth of suffering in sickness after seeing a sick person
• Death: Siddhartha witnessed death and contemplated the transient nature of existence after seeing a funeral
• Holy Man: Siddhartha was inspired to seek peace and liberation through spiritual practice by a wandering ascetic
• The Four Sights prompted Siddhartha to seek answers to existential questions

Act 3 Accomplishments in worldly things - The Ploughing Festival

• Siddhartha noticed the bullocks had to work hard, and didn't look happy at all
• He sympathized with their suffering
• Siddhartha noticed a lizard eating ants, a snake came & ate lizard, then a bird ate the snake
• He learnt that there was a lot of suffering in life
• Siddhartha sat in deep meditation and felt sympathy for all creatures
• The king distracted Siddhartha with a palace and garden

Explain why the Early life of the Buddha was so important：

• Siddhartha was born into royal family
• Grew up in luxury
• Exposed to suffering outside the palace walls
• Siddhartha encountered what are known as the "Four Sights" — an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a monk
• The Four Sights" deepened an understanding of suffering & prompted him to seek deeper questions
• At age 29, Siddhartha made the decision to leave behind his life of luxury, including his wife and young son
• He was in search of spiritual truth and liberation from suffering
• He devoted himself to intense spiritual practices & guidance from various teachers
• This period of seeking helped him develop his understanding of different spiritual paths & led him to discover the middle way
• approach between extreme self-indulgence and self-mortification
• Siddhartha attained enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi tree
• Led him to understand the nature of reality, the causes of suffering, and the path to liberation

The Early Life of the Buddha continues to influence Buddhists today

• Draw inspiration in early life, renounce bringings in search of spiritual truth.
• Reminder that material wealth and worldly pleasures are not ultimate
• Fulfilment comes from within
• Seen as powerful example of letting go of attachments and desires
• Emulates spirit of renunciation
• Simplify life, practicing moderation
• Cultivate contentment
• Encounters moved compassion, fueled compassion
• Emphasize on empathy and compassion
• Cultivate compassion for themselves and others
• Recognizing the InterConnectedness

Middle Way

• Discovered after rejecting both extreme
• Principle for Buddhists today
• Emphasizes balance, moderation
• Avoiding extremes in all aspects
• inform behavior, attitudes, beliefs
• Provides Buddhists with timeless lessons & inspiration
• Inform believes values & practices in modern world

Week 2: Life as an Ascetic/Victory over Mara/Enlightenment

• Involves monk
• Spiritual seeker of siddhartha
• Possession of golden bowl
• Attachment to bowl symbolizes wordly possession
• Attachment to desires

“The Story”

• Pour milk, mixed honey to golden bowl, She awaiting
• House lighted presence, Sujata bow times
• Sujata bathed scented water
• She offered rice flour , honey
• Buddhas meal in old gold bowl.
• I must become a Buddha
• Belongs to you (he said)
• The monks replied no
• Threw in river. To find Buddha.
• Head muffled
• Tree of knowledge

Key Themes and Meanings of the Story of the Golden Bowl:

1. Impermanence (Anicca)

• The Buddha reflects Buddha reflecting decay, destruction
• Material things
• Reflection of everything
• Impermanent and transient
• Crucial in understanding material things

2. Attachment (Upādāna)

• Humans cling to object
• People experiences
• Leads to suffering
• False sense of permanent / insecurity
• Impermance

3. Non-Self(Anatta)

• Delusion
• From realizing neither self, not subject
• Permanent
• truly exist
• How do they receive them

4 Renunciation and Liberation

• Act of renunciation path to liberation
• Higher/spiritual state
• Goal in Buddhism

Conclusion (Practical/Application)

• Buddhist to examine attachments
• Wisdom /elighthment comes from nature
• Allure of material wealth/ possession
• collectively 1.3 exist
• Fundamental characteristic
• Important concepts
• Teach and apply

Enlightenment

• Crucial and understanding to Buddhism
• Let’s break it down
• Three watches of night
• Today Buddhists / essence
• The enlightenment of the Buddha
• Descended in India
• In a royal family
• Despite luxurious life
• Seek to overcome

Three watches night

Watch 1 (PM -10) knowledge of past lives

• Gain to see lives
• Endless cycle of birth/death rebirth/samsara
• Nature of existence

Watched 2:Knowledge of Karma (10-2 AM)

• Workings of karma
• Past lives / future rebirths
• Suffering
• Perpetuated
• Desire

Watch 3 AM-6 knowledge for Noble Truths

• Foundational teaching buddhism

1. The truth of/the suffering
2. The truth of/the cause to suffering
3. The truth of / end to suffering
4. The truth of / path to the end of suffering

• The way to end the suffering Noble Eight-Fold path

Importance Enlightenment for Buddhists Today

Role Model

• That is achievable

Teachings

• Form cores
• Practiced and philosphy

Spiritual Goal

• Ultimate goals
• Attianing

Inspiration

• Meditation ,ethical living, mindfulness

Community Traditions

• Buddhism Festival
• Commemorating birth/ death
• Contaminating withing tradition
• In summary essence from tradition ethic living

Text Analysis

Let only my SINS - bones My BONES -Dry up body

• Sacrifice (ascetic)
• Determination But until/ spiritual goal
• Final emphasis
• Until enlightenment is attained

ANALYSIS TEXT

Build House

• sorrow
• build house
• sin are broken
• no craving - Immortal mirvana
• Cycle of birth and death

Build builder(ignorant+ craving’s that need to be released

• actions due to karma, driving, ignorant Reached in a nirvana
• Breaking from perpetual of the cycle of life & death

The (TURTLE/Fish

• That not be described and Words
• Impossible of a description or the foolishness

We are 3:

Also known: Jewells/triple gene Central to Buddhism

The BUDDHA

• In Nepal/India enlightened

Dharma Explanation over coming

Taking refuges learn and lead to wisdom

• Community Seeking to belonging to another

Guidance + Path - the journey Way to showing that to Ethical

The teaching + Raft- the difficulties for the river - flexibility and Pragmatism

Anicca It important for everything and change’s

• Natural life
• Reduce attachment and suffering for the temporary

How to understand Anicca:

• Bodies or change
• Constant flux
• Made us happy
• Today might
• Change through the years
• Meditations

Example:

• Always changings and never holding on

summary

• believe/reduce
• Contend/ease

Key concept , no self

• Meaningful you

Change by the looks

• The permanent self

Why- clinging, suffering, upset/ understanding helps this suffering

What you don’t like- a kid. The process water still a process

Anntta: all river/ permanent , summary/buddhists - peaceful content Questions of King minlia— a story explain Anatta. 19:00 Example chart- no 2

• no of “self”
• convenient This helps wisdom easy understanding.