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"Thai monk is praying in temple" by Arisa Chattasa is licensedunder CC0

The Buddha and the Four TruthsBy Anne-Marie Reidy

2018

Siddhartha Gautama was born in Asia over 2,000 years ago. He became an important 1gure in Buddhism.Buddhism is a religion commonly practiced in eastern and central Asia. In this informational text, Anne-Marie Reidy discusses Siddhartha and his Four Truths. As you read, take notes on how Siddhartha came upwith the Four Truths.

A Young Prince

More than 2,000 years ago, a famous man wasborn in Nepal, a country in Asia. His name wasSiddhartha Gautama. His father was a king. Theking wanted to protect his son from all the badthings in the world. He built a beautiful palacewith everything Siddhartha could want or need sothat he never had to leave. Siddhartha grew upand married. He had a son and lived happily inthe palace for years.

But as Siddhartha grew older, he began towonder what life was like outside his palace. Sothe prince ordered one of his father’s drivers to take him out into the world.

Learning about the World

On his Drst trip outside the palace walls, Siddhartha saw something strange. A man was walking alongthe road. He had white hair and weak, skinny legs. Walking was very hard for him and he had to leanon a cane. Siddhartha asked his driver why the man was having so much trouble. The driver explainedthat the man was very old, and his body didn’t work as well as a young man’s body does. Siddharthawas shocked. He had never known that people aged and grew weaker.

Siddhartha spent more time outside the palace and saw people who were sick and in pain. This upsetthe prince. He had never known that there was pain and illness in the world.

On his last trip outside the walls, Siddhartha saw a holy man. The driver explained that the holy manled a simple life. He did not have a home. He owned very few things. He traveled through the land,praying and searching for knowledge.

Siddhartha was very unhappy to learn that other people felt so much sadness and pain. He wanted tobe like the holy man. He wanted to Dnd a way to help people live without pain.

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Search for Wisdom

When he was 29, Siddhartha left the palace. He gave up all his riches, his family, and his Dne things. Hewent searching for wisdom.

Siddhartha wandered for six years. He studied with holy men. He visited holy places. He prayed forknowledge.

He also practiced meditation. When people meditate, they sit quietly and still. They think about a singlequestion for a long time. They wait and hope for new ideas.

Siddhartha meditated under a Dg tree for an entire day and night. His mind cleared. He realized theway to end people’s pain. This is how Siddhartha got a new name: the Buddha. Buddha means “theone who is awake.” Siddhartha was awake in his mind because of the big new idea he had.

The Four Truths

The Buddha called his new idea the Four Truths. They are:

1. All people feel pain sometimes.

2. People feel pain for two reasons:

a. Everything changes. Think of how a green summer tree will turn brown inwinter and drop its leaves. But some people want things to stay the same. Whensomething makes a person happy, like a party, the person wants that thing to last.When the party ends, the person feels sad.b. Other people feel pain from being greedy or wanting more than they need.These people don’t enjoy what they have. Instead, they are always thinking aboutwhat they don’t have. This makes them sad.

3. People can change their thinking and feel less pain. They can learn to enjoy what they haveinstead of wanting more. They can learn to be okay with changes instead of sad about them. Thiswill make their lives happier.

4. People change their thinking by acting right. This means being kind, speaking the truth, andtaking care of their bodies and minds. The Buddha also said meditating is important for a healthymind.

Teaching Others

The Buddha wanted to share his new idea with other people to help them. For 45 years, he traveledthrough northern India, teaching people the Four Truths. Many people came to hear him teach. Theyshared his ideas with family and friends.

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“The Buddha and the Four Truths” by Anne-Marie Reidy. Copyright © 2018 by CommonLit, Inc. This text is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Over time, the Buddha’s ideas spread across India and then across Asia. South, to places like Thailandand Cambodia. North, to places like China and Japan. People who study the Buddha’s teachings arecalled Buddhists. They practice the religion known as Buddhism. Today, more than 488 million peoplearound the world try to live the Buddha’s way.

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Text-Dependent QuestionsDirections: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.

1. PART A: Which sentence describes the main idea of the text?A. In order to be a Buddhist, like Siddhartha, you must give up all the things you

care about and focus on ending human suEering.B. Siddhartha was able to learn about human pain and how to end it because he

had experienced it himself.C. The Four Truths that Siddhartha came up with became the foundation for

Buddhism, a religion practiced by many people.D. Buddhism was a popular religion when Siddhartha was alive, but it is not often

practiced today.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?A. “Siddhartha spent more time outside the palace and saw people who were sick

and in pain. This upset the prince.” (Paragraph 4)B. “When he was 29, Siddhartha left the palace. He gave up all his riches, his family,

and his Dne things. He went searching for wisdom.” (Paragraph 7)C. "People change their thinking by acting right. This means being kind, speaking

the truth, and taking care of their bodies and minds.” (Paragraph 15)D. “The Buddha wanted to share his new idea with other people to help them. For

45 years, he traveled through northern India, teaching people the Four Truths.”(Paragraph 16)

3. Which of the following describes how the information in the text is organized?A. The author compares how Buddhism was practiced during Siddhartha’s time

with how it’s practiced today.B. The author describes Siddhartha’s early life and how he became the Buddha

and shared his beliefs.C. The author explains Buddhism as a religion, and then provides important

background information about the Buddha.D. The author discusses the beneDts of practicing Buddhism, and then some of the

challenges of the religion.

4. What is the connection between Siddhartha and the Buddha?A. Siddhartha and the Buddha were both holy men who practiced Buddhism.B. Siddhartha became the Buddha after meditating and gaining knowledge.C. Siddhartha was taught about Buddhism and the Four Truths by the Buddha.D. Siddhartha was given the name “the Buddha” as a title of respect from his

followers.

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5. What happens when Siddhartha sees the holy man and when he comes up with the FourTruths?

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Discussion QuestionsDirections: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared toshare your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In the text, the author discusses the Four Truths. How do you think following the FourTruths could help you lead a happier life? Are there parts of the Four Truths that youalready follow? If so, which ones?

2. How were the Buddha’s actions motivated by his desire to help other people? How do hisFour Truths encourage people to be kind to others? Do you often Dnd that you are happierwhen you are kind to others? Describe a time when you were kind to someone and it madeyou feel good.

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