Philosophy of Siddhartha compared with traditions in Sophie's World

¶ … philosophy of Siddhartha with Philosophical tradition in Sophie's World

Siddhartha Gautama is the name given to the Indian prince who later came to be known as the traditional, or first Buddha. Throughout its childhood, his father raised Siddhartha in a wealthy and pleasure-filled palace in order to be shield from any experience of human misery or suffering. But when Siddhartha saw four sights: a sick man, a poor man, a beggar, and a corpse, he was filled with infinite sorrow for the suffering that humanity has to undergo. After seeing these four things, Siddhartha then dedicated himself to finding a way to end human suffering. Sophie, on the other hand, is a 14-year-old who has a batty mother and an inquisitive mind. Anonymous letters start to arrive for her, sparking a tour through the history of philosophy.

The philosophy of Siddhartha Gautama is a kind of therapy. It was not rigid and was made accessible to people from all different classes. Siddhartha pointed to the fact that a person social standing or appearance is less important than their actions. Consequently a ragged monk who did not meditate successfully would be leading a less productive life than a rich man who lived a luxurious life but did meditate consistently. Nonetheless, Siddhartha did stipulate that living a life of comfort would impede spiritual advancement. In addition, the Buddha was unsure as to the capability of women in understanding and practicing his teachings. He found most women to be superficial and vain, yet he did not exclude women from his audiences or refuse to teach women who sought his guidance.

We think of Buddhism as a religion, which is unquestionably became, but Siddhartha was less concerned with theology or ritual or prayer as he was with providing a tool for individuals to use to escape suffering. The goal of Suddhartha Eightfold Noble Path method is the elimination of one's desires and one's attachment to one's self. Once one has understood correctly the nature of the universe (Right Understanding) and devoted one's life to selfless and altruistic actions (Right Action) and, finally, by losing all sense of one's self and by losing all one's desires, one then passes into a state called Nirvana. The word means "snuffed out" in the way a fire is snuffed out or extinguished. At this point, the self no longer exists. It is not folded into a higher reality nor it is transported to a land of bliss, it simply ceases to exist. This is the state that the Buddha passed into at his death.

Buddhism centrally concerns the problem of the eternal birth and rebirth of the human soul (reincarnation). Buddhism in its original form does not posit some transcendent alternative as a goal. In fact, Buddhism in its original form held that the soul actually died when the body died.

A large part of the program prescribed by Buddha involved selflessness in the world. Buddhism represents one of the most humane and advanced moral systems in the ancient world. The first steps on the road to Nirvana were to focus one's actions on doing good to others. In this way one could lose the illusion that one is a unique self. The Buddhist scriptures disapprove of violence, meat eating, animal sacrifice, and war. Buddha enjoined on his followers four moral imperatives: friendliness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, the "Four Cardinal Virtues."