Enlightenment (Buddhism) facts for kids

In Buddhism, enlightenment is a special moment when a person finds the deep truth about life. Buddhists call this bodhi or satori. When someone reaches enlightenment, they stop being reborn into a cycle of suffering called samsara. Instead, they reach a peaceful state called Nirvana. Once you reach Nirvana, you are not born again.

Buddhists believe you can become enlightened by following the Middle Way. This means living a balanced life. It's not about having too much luxury and enjoyment, but it's also not about living a super harsh life with almost nothing. It's about finding a path in between. To do this, you develop three main things: Sila (good behavior), Samadhi (focus), and Prajna (wisdom). Many Buddhist monks and nuns believe this journey takes a very long time.

How to Find Enlightenment

After building a strong foundation of Sila (good behavior), Buddhists work towards enlightenment using meditation. One type of meditation is called Vipassana. During this practice, they learn to relax their minds. They also gain a clear understanding that everything changes and nothing lasts forever. This understanding helps to clear their minds of strong desires, anger, and confusion. When these feelings are gone, they can move closer to enlightenment.

The Story of The Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, is believed to be the first person in history to reach enlightenment. He was also the founder of Buddhism. Buddhists call him the Shakyamuni Buddha. They believe there were other Buddhas before him and there will be more after him. His life story is told as an example of what he learned.

Life in the Palace

Siddhartha was born into a rich family. His father was a ruler of a small kingdom. A fortune teller predicted that Siddhartha would either become a great king or a religious leader. His father wanted him to be a king. So, he gave Siddhartha many wonderful things and made sure he never saw anything sad or difficult. Siddhartha married a woman and had a son named Rahula. Some stories say Siddhartha left the palace to start his spiritual journey on the very day his son was born.

The Four Sights

Siddhartha decided to seek help from Shramana teachers. He traveled for four days outside the palace. On the first day, he saw an old man. On the second day, he saw a sick woman. On the third day, he saw a funeral. This was the first time he had ever seen death. On the fourth day, he saw a sadhu, who was a holy man. This man was very poor, but Siddhartha noticed he seemed happy. Siddhartha realized he was not happy, even though he was rich. He decided to leave the palace and never go back.

Living as an Ascetic

Siddhartha walked into the forest. There, he found a group of ascetics. These people lived very strict lives, often denying themselves basic comforts. He watched them and thought this might be the way to become enlightened. For six years, he lived with the ascetics. For a while, he ate only one grain of rice and drank water from the river each day.

One day, a boat passed by on the river. A musician and his students were on it. Siddhartha heard the musician say, "If the string is too tight, it will snap. If it is too loose, it will not play." After hearing this, Siddhartha realized that he needed to find a "middle way." He understood that living an extremely harsh life was not the most effective path. He then accepted a bowl of rice with milk from a village woman. This gave him the strength he needed to meditate until he reached enlightenment.

Reaching Enlightenment

Siddhartha sat under a large tree, now known as the Bodhi tree. He made a promise to himself that he would keep meditating until he became enlightened. For forty days, Devaputra Mara, who is seen as the leader of demons, tried to stop Siddhartha. Mara made Siddhartha think of scary things. He even sent demons to try and hurt Siddhartha with spears, arrows, fire, and rocks.

But Siddhartha did not feel afraid. He kept his mind calm and relaxed. The hurtful things Mara sent became like beautiful flowers and many colored lights around him. Through his Sila (good behavior), Samadhi (focus), and Prajna (wisdom), he finally became enlightened. After he reached enlightenment, he spent the next 45 years teaching people what he had learned. He passed away when he was 80 years old.