Buddha

* Buddha is you, Buddha is one who is enlightened. Anyone can be Buddha.
* Buddha is within ourselves, our hearth.
* "You are you own master. Responsibility is on your shoulders."  Dalai Lama interpreting Buddha
* Tame the mind, tame the passion.
* One main teaching of Buddism is compassion to all living things.
* Buddhism is not being about special, but being normal. Anyone can be Buddha.
* Nirvana is in now, in your body and mind. Not in afterlife. Shallow life of jealousy.
* Need to be balanced... balanced between excesses and asceticism. Middle way is path to enlightenment.
* Change must come from within.
* Change and death is part of life.


Gautama Buddha Place of birth is Lumbini, Nepal, near India border. 
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/nepal/nepal-map.htm

Born as Prince Sidharth. Mother died in weeks time after his birth. At birth predicted that he will be great 
king or great sage. Father shielded him from problems of the world to avoid him 

When left palace for first time, saw the suffering: 
a. sees old man. Told everyone ages.
b. sees sick man. Told everyone gets sick.
c. sees corpse. 
d. sees spiritual seeker, meditating.

Married his love and had son Rahul. But left everything, wife, son, father. "To gain, need to lose everything." Left to seek peace.
Sees Hindu religion has too many ceremonies and rituals, which took focus away from God and spirituality.

=> Asked: why do humans suffer, and is there escape from suffering.

Subjected body to hardship and pain. Body is the cause of suffering. Making body thru pain, can reduce the 
suffering. Sidharth went to extreme to punish his body. 1 grain of rice a day, became very thin. Pushed to 
extreme. But that didn't answer his question. Decided that punishing body is not the solution. Girl offered 
rice, which he took and decided to look inside.
Sat under Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya till achieved enlightenment. Took 6 years. Rama told him to spread the 
message. Met his 5 colleagues who were punishing their body. They were his first 5 disciples.

Taught the Dharma for 35 years.

Buddism is about solution to human suffering. No commandment.
1. Suffering is caused by dissatisfaction.
2. S
3. Problem is desire. Be smart about desire.
4. Way to lead life: moral discipline, 


Last words: Strive on, tirelessly.

Had told to make pilgrimage to: place of death, first teaching, enlightenment, birth. To capture his teaching.