The Buddha

Son of a king, seeker of truth
Found the wisdom of the Middle Way
In the universal law of peace and balance
Is the power to be truly happy
Your inner strength to stand in values
Is the life of character leading the way

Over 600 years before Jesus, Siddhartha Gautama was born the son of a kink near the border between modern India and Nepal.  Unsatisfied with his life, he left the life of privilege to seek the truth and the path to spiritual enlightenment and wisdom.  He is the guide and teacher that today most people think of as the Buddha, or the historical Buddha.  There are many legends and stories around Siddhartha Gautama that seem to elevate him above other humans.  In reality, Buddha is a title that Siddhartha Gautama achieved in his lifetime.  Buddha is a title meaning one who has reached enlightenment or the awakened one.  The title refers to one who understands the true nature of reality, one who has broken free of the cycles of birth and death.

There are two primary teachings of the historical Buddha.  The first is the 4 noble truths - Life is suffering, The cause of suffering is craving and ignorance and ego There is an end of suffering, There is a path to the end of suffering.  The second is the 8 Fold Path of right living.  These two teachings are the basis of most Buddhist traditions and is beyond the scope of this article.  Buddha goes beyond this.  There have been many Buddha who have attained ultimate wisdom, and intellectual, and ethical perfection.  It is the ability to see the truth of the universe and rise beyond the state of suffering and the cycle of life.  Some even recognize several types of Buddhas.  There the Buddhas of the 5 elements, the medicine Buddha, the solitary practitioners, and the Buddhas that have achieved enlightenment through effort.

The human Buddhas have achieved enlightenment through effort.  It is a symbol and a path of discovering and living by the universal laws of love, harmony, peace, and balance.  It is a symbol and a path of empowerment, wisdom, and happiness.  The Buddha is a teacher of finding inner strength to live in the truth and stand in your values. It is a path of developing a deep level of character and integrity.

The Buddha is not a god.  The Buddha is a teacher, a mentor, and a symbol of enlightenment.  It is connected to the wheel of life, the cycle of life, and the truth that all energy cycles.  It is a symbol and a reminder to live a life of compassion, discipline, thoughtfulness, focus, and ethics.  If the Buddha is sitting, it symbolizes meditation and inner peace.  If the Buddha is standing, it is at readiness to be a guide and mentor.  If the Buddha is laughing, it brings joy and abundance, and good luck.  If the Buddha is reclining, it is the symbol of transformation and transcendence.

The Buddha inspires a deeper level of self knowledge and understanding of the truth of the world.  It teaches patience and discipline in pursuing wisdom and developing character.

Sources
theatlantic.com
Buddha-statues.info
plato.stanford.edu
lionsroar.com
​ancestry.com