87c9423d-072d-11ed-ba2d-c9de5a43d6bf /periodicals/.content/issue-items/TSFgsihbPeriodicalContent_00907.xml Humanistic Buddhism: Holding True to the Original Intents of Buddha-Chapter Two: The Humanistic Lifestyle of Buddha

The Buddha lived an extraordinary life. Growing up as the gifted Prince Siddhartha, he mastered the Five Sciences and Four Vedas at a young age. Life inside the palace meant he could have all he desired, including the power to reign over his kingdom. Despite this, he instead drew his attention to the forces of impermanence experienced in life and society such as the significant issues of suffering caused by birth, old age, sickness, and death; discrimination of the caste system; the oppression of power; wealth disparity; and the weak preyed upon by the strong. All these signs of inequality amongst living beings left him perturbed and perplexed.