The Buddha's ascetic life and enlightenment

Question 1

What does ascetic mean?

Answer 1

living a simple strict life with few pleasures or possessions

Question 2

What is meditation?

Answer 2

a practice of calming and focusing the mind, reflecting deeply on specific teachings

Question 3

What did Siddhartha do in his ascetic life?

Answer 3

Starved for 6 years, trained in meditation for a year and lived without a home in search for perfect peace of mind.

Question 4

What did his ascetic life teach him?

Answer 4

Neither luxury or an ascetic lifestyle would find the answer to suffering so he developed a middle way.

Question 5

What did Mara do?

Answer 5

Tempted and distracted him; sending his daughters to seduce him, sending his army to fight the Buddha, offered control of his kingdom, tried himself to attack him.

Question 6

Give a quote about the Buddha’s enlightenment

Answer 6

“not until I attain the supreme enlightenment will I give up this seat of meditation”