1
00:00:10,934 --> 00:00:23,612
"Mom said you needed a cushion," Laurie said, walking into Grandpa's study. "I brought two just in case."

2
00:00:23,613 --> 00:00:28,222
"Yes, I do need a cushion. Thank you," Grandpa said.

3
00:00:28,223 --> 00:00:31,722
He was sitting cross-legged on the floor.

4
00:00:31,723 --> 00:00:37,089
"I'm giving up chairs and devoting myself to deep thinking for one week.

5
00:00:37,090 --> 00:00:46,263
Maybe if I sit like Buddha and try to think like Buddha, I'll be able to write a great article on Buddha's life in ancient India."

6
00:00:46,264 --> 00:00:50,040
He picked up a small statue of the famous monk.

7
00:00:50,041 --> 00:00:58,629
"Wait—Buddha was a real person?" Laurie asked, sitting down next to Grandpa.

8
00:00:58,630 --> 00:01:04,217
"Yes. He was a real prince, named Siddhartha Gautama.

9
00:01:04,218 --> 00:01:11,339
He was born around the sixth century BC to the king and queen of the Shakya kingdom.

10
00:01:11,340 --> 00:01:19,041
Back then, the areas we know as India and Nepal were made up of small, independent kingdoms.

11
00:01:19,042 --> 00:01:29,199
Hinduism, which had been practiced in India for hundreds of years, divided society into four rigid classes, or castes.

12
00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:35,589
There were priests, royalty, merchants and farmers, and laborers.

13
00:01:35,590 --> 00:01:41,948
Since Siddhartha was born into a royal family, he enjoyed a life of luxury.

14
00:01:41,949 --> 00:01:50,595
His father wanted to protect his son from all the unpleasant things in the world, so he forbade Siddhartha from leaving the palace.

15
00:01:50,596 --> 00:01:54,674
But you know what happens when you tell people they can't do something.

16
00:01:54,675 --> 00:01:58,237
That becomes exactly what they want to do!

17
00:01:58,238 --> 00:02:01,920
So one day Siddhartha sneaked out of the palace.

18
00:02:01,921 --> 00:02:09,592
And he was shocked by what he saw: old people, sick people, and dead people!

19
00:02:09,593 --> 00:02:15,156
He saw great suffering and wondered why there was so much pain in the world.

20
00:02:15,157 --> 00:02:21,023
Then he met a hermit who said he had given up wealth to search for truth.

21
00:02:21,024 --> 00:02:23,946
Siddhartha decided he would do that too.

22
00:02:23,947 --> 00:02:28,949
So he left his kingdom and set out to lead a hermit's life.

23
00:02:28,950 --> 00:02:33,567
Siddhartha thought. And he fasted. And he walked.

24
00:02:33,568 --> 00:02:39,649
Then finally he sat beneath a tree by a river and thought very, very hard.

25
00:02:39,650 --> 00:02:47,071
After some time, he realized the truth about the world and why people suffer.

26
00:02:47,072 --> 00:02:53,091
It was under that tree that he became a buddha, or an 'enlightened one.'

27
00:02:53,092 --> 00:02:56,697
That means he truly understood the world."

28
00:02:56,698 --> 00:03:01,359
Grandpa closed his eyes and put his hands back over his knees.

29
00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:06,765
"Good story, eh?" he said. He sat very still.

30
00:03:06,766 --> 00:03:13,156
"Yes, a very good story. But aren't you going to tell me what he found out?

31
00:03:13,157 --> 00:03:20,974
And what happened after that? Did he get up or sit there forever?" Laurie asked impatiently.

32
00:03:20,975 --> 00:03:25,209
Grandpa looked at Laurie. "He didn't stay there forever.

33
00:03:25,210 --> 00:03:33,167
After he became enlightened, he set out to teach people what he had discovered, because he thought it would help them.

34
00:03:33,168 --> 00:03:38,435
He had discovered that people suffer because they have desires.

35
00:03:38,436 --> 00:03:43,286
They want things, and when they don't get them, they become upset or sad.

36
00:03:43,287 --> 00:03:48,512
In order to avoid suffering, people must get rid of their desires.

37
00:03:48,513 --> 00:03:55,748
This is what Buddha taught. He encouraged people to lead modest, moderate lives.

38
00:03:55,749 --> 00:04:03,837
He also encouraged them to ignore the Hindu caste system, because he believed that all people were equal.

39
00:04:03,838 --> 00:04:08,965
Hindus believed that only men in high castes could study religion.

40
00:04:08,966 --> 00:04:13,363
But Buddha said everyone was free to learn his teachings.

41
00:04:13,364 --> 00:04:22,096
Buddha had become enlightened in the powerful Magadha kingdom, which ruled northern India, and his story was famous there.

42
00:04:22,097 --> 00:04:27,968
The Magadha king, Bimbisara, invited Buddha to his palace.

43
00:04:27,969 --> 00:04:36,474
There Buddha taught King Bimbisara his knowledge of the world, and the king was so moved that he became a Buddhist.

44
00:04:36,475 --> 00:04:40,049
He offered one of his gardens to the wise Buddha.

45
00:04:40,050 --> 00:04:45,027
Siddhartha used the garden as a temporary home and teaching place.

46
00:04:45,028 --> 00:04:51,053
Many people learned about Buddhism there, and the popularity of his religion increased.

47
00:04:51,054 --> 00:04:55,037
He continued to teach until he died at age 80.

48
00:04:55,038 --> 00:05:00,404
By that time Buddhism was firmly established in India."

49
00:05:00,405 --> 00:05:04,998
"What happened to Buddhism after he died?" Laurie asked.

50
00:05:04,999 --> 00:05:14,904
"Even after his death, Buddhism continued to spread throughout India, especially thanks to King Ashoka of the great Mauryan kingdom.

51
00:05:14,905 --> 00:05:18,149
He was a vicious warrior and conqueror.

52
00:05:18,150 --> 00:05:31,539
During his rule, from about 270 BC to 232 BC, he attacked neighboring kingdoms and led wars to expand his territory, unifying much of India.

53
00:05:31,540 --> 00:05:39,429
After one particularly bloody war, however, he suddenly found himself horrified at his actions.

54
00:05:39,430 --> 00:05:43,589
He asked himself whether a violent life was worth living.

55
00:05:43,590 --> 00:05:51,478
Then he remembered the teachings of Buddha, which encouraged peace, equality, and harmony among all living things.

56
00:05:51,479 --> 00:05:55,903
Ashoka decided this was how people should live.

57
00:05:55,904 --> 00:06:01,340
He converted to Buddhism and declared his land a Buddhist kingdom.

58
00:06:01,341 --> 00:06:06,231
He wanted everyone to learn Buddha's teachings and live in harmony.

59
00:06:06,232 --> 00:06:12,972
Ashoka helped spread Buddhism throughout India, and for a while his kingdom flourished.

60
00:06:12,973 --> 00:06:21,266
But as you may guess, being peaceful only works if you can convince your neighbors and the next king to be peaceful too.

61
00:06:21,267 --> 00:06:31,771
After Ashoka's death political conflict and foreign invaders led to the end of the Mauryan kingdom and the end of a unified, peaceful India.

62
00:06:31,772 --> 00:06:39,863
In the years to come, Christians and Muslims would come from the west, forever changing Indian culture.

63
00:06:39,864 --> 00:06:52,503
Buddhism lost its power in India, but traveled north and east to take root in China, Korea, and Japan." Grandpa breathed deeply.

64
00:06:52,504 --> 00:07:04,774
"Now let's think about life, suffering, desire, peace, and enlightenment." He pointed to the extra cushion.

65
00:07:04,775 --> 00:07:12,544
"Like this?" Laurie sat cross-legged, placed her hands over her knees, and closed her eyes.

66
00:07:12,545 --> 00:07:21,351
"Exactly. That is how Siddhartha sat, and so shall we," Grandpa said, closing his eyes.

67
00:07:21,352 --> 00:07:27,911
Laurie opened one eye to peek at Grandpa. He appeared to be deep in thought.

68
00:07:27,912 --> 00:07:33,728
"Grandpa, it's pretty cool that you know all this stuff," she whispered.

69
00:07:33,729 --> 00:07:40,957
Then she closed her eyes and thought.