{"id":1031,"date":"2021-07-11T23:37:56","date_gmt":"2021-07-11T23:37:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/?p=1031"},"modified":"2024-02-19T20:33:39","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T20:33:39","slug":"siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Siddhartha Gautama Buddha For Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RPxMdHCPTGM?si=DkY7gJx_VLiDxkO3\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who was Siddhartha Gautama?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine you&#8217;re a prince or a princess, living in a giant, luxurious palace. There your parents make sure that you have everything you could ever want or need: lots of toys, fine clothes, and the best education. You&#8217;re surrounded by beautiful gardens and expensive things. You have servants to clean up after you, bring your food, and help with everything. When you\u2019re not learning from private tutors, you spend your days swimming, practicing archery and swordsmanship, and riding horses. The palace is so massive, it\u2019s your entire world and you never even need to leave.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now imagine you decide to give that all up. You&#8217;re not happy with that life. You wonder if life has a greater meaning. You wonder if possessions can ever make people truly happy and content. This was the life <strong>Siddhartha Gautama<\/strong> found himself in. You might have heard of him: now, we call him <strong>Buddha<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe allow=\"autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"175\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/buddha\/id1155392992?i=1000528657503\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What was the Buddha&#8217;s real name?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/ff\/Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_%28Dhammajak_Mutra%29.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"330\" height=\"422\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The story of how Siddhartha became Buddha begins even before his birth. Siddhartha\u2019s father was king of a small kingdom in northern India in the sixth century BCE over 2,500 years ago!&nbsp; Several years before Siddhartha was born, the king was visited by sages, or wise men, who told him his son would be either a great king or a great holy man. Of course, Siddhartha&#8217;s father wanted his son to follow in his footsteps and be a great king.&nbsp; So when Siddhartha was born in 567 BCE, his father decided to shelter his son from the world, so he wouldn\u2019t know about suffering and death. He thought that if Siddhartha never saw bad things in the world, he wouldn\u2019t want to fix them, and so he wouldn\u2019t want to become a holy man.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Buddha&#8217;s Early Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>So Siddhartha grew up surrounded by all the comforts and privileges money could buy. When he became a young man, he married a woman named Gopa. He seemed to have it all, but the plan Siddhartha\u2019s father made for him to become a great king was about to fall apart. Instead of accepting the life of luxury that he was given, Siddhartha grew restless living in the palace. One day, he asked his father to let him go on a chariot ride to see the city around the palace. His father agreed but told the chariot driver to stay in the richer parts of the city, close to the palace, to avoid letting Siddhartha see people who were poor or suffering.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Siddhartha set out in the chariot with his driver. Before long, they saw an old man, slowly hobbling along the road, looking as if he might fall over at any moment. Siddhartha had never seen such an old man, and he asked his driver what was wrong with him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His driver replied, \u201cHe is very old. His body has grown weak with age. You too will grow old someday. All people do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Siddhartha was disturbed but asked him to drive on. Later in the ride, they saw a sick man lying by the side of the road. He was groaning and looked very unhappy. Again, Siddhartha asked what was wrong with the man.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His driver replied, \u201cHe is sick with a terrible disease. Everyone gets sick sometimes. Someday, you will get sick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Siddhartha felt terrible, seeing this man suffering, but they continued their ride through the city.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On their way back to the palace, they came across a funeral procession. People were crying and moaning. For a third time, Siddhartha asked his chariot driver what was happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, his driver replied. \u201cSomeone has died, and these people are his friends and family. They are mourning for him.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Siddhartha returned home, he could not stop thinking about the old man, the sick man, and the funeral. He thought about these things happening to his father and mother, to his wife, and to himself. He realized that all the treasure in the palace, all the servants waiting on him, and all the beautiful things surrounding him, could not prevent him or anyone else from the sad things he said. He realized that he wanted to find a way to help people overcome suffering.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Siddartha&#8217;s Personal Journey<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once he realized these things, Siddhartha knew he could no longer live an easy life in the palace. So one day, he said goodbye to his family and set out to find the cause of suffering. He cut his hair and lived as an ascetic &#8211; someone who chooses to live in poverty and simplicity. He studied meditation with great holy men and discussed the problem of suffering with them, but after many years of living this way, he still didn\u2019t know why it happened, or how he could prevent it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, he decided to sit and meditate under a bodhi tree. He vowed not to leave until he had the answer to the problem of human suffering.&nbsp; Siddhartha sat meditating day and night, still and calm as a statue, for six days. On the sixth day, he opened his eyes and realized he understood the nature of suffering. He became enlightened and from then on was known as Buddha, which means awakened one.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Buddha&#8217;s Four Noble Truths<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For the rest of his life, Buddha traveled throughout India, teaching others about what he had discovered. He taught people the <strong>four noble truths<\/strong> he had realized about suffering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>first truth<\/strong> is that everyone suffers and has hard things happen to them. It\u2019s just part of life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>second truth<\/strong> is that we suffer because we are always wanting more, and trying to hold onto what we have. This might sound surprising. Didn\u2019t he start his quest because he saw people who were suffering because they were old, sick, and dying? Buddha thought that the real reason we suffer is not that bad things happen to us, but because we allow negative feelings and desires to take over our thinking. If we\u2019re sick, we lie around feeling sorry for ourselves and wishing we were well. But then when we\u2019re healthy, we think of other things we want but don\u2019t have, and we still suffer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/18\/Standing_Buddha_Installed_by_Buddist_Monk_Yasadinna_-_Circa_5th_Century_CE_-_Jamalpur_Mound_-_ACCN_00-A-5_-_Government_Museum_Mathura_Golden_background.jpg\/1024px-Standing_Buddha_Installed_by_Buddist_Monk_Yasadinna_-_Circa_5th_Century_CE_-_Jamalpur_Mound_-_ACCN_00-A-5_-_Government_Museum_Mathura_Golden_background.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"208\" height=\"378\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about a time when you really wanted a new toy or game. It probably felt very unfair that you didn\u2019t have it, and then, if you did get it, you might have been happy for a short time, but then you were just back to normal and wanted something new. We become attached to things, or even ideas of things, and those things are not permanent. This keeps us spending all our time wanting things we don\u2019t have, and worrying we\u2019ll lose what we do have. He taught that things like toys and games and other things we might buy don\u2019t really make us happy deep down and any happiness we do feel doesn\u2019t last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>third truth<\/strong> is that we can overcome suffering. Once we overcome suffering, Buddha thought, we could reach a state of nirvana, or perfect peace and happiness, just as he did when he meditated under the bodhi tree.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, the fourth truth tells us how to overcome suffering. The way Buddha thought we overcome suffering is by following what he called the \u201ceightfold path.\u201d I won\u2019t go over all eight parts of the path, but basically, to follow the eightfold path, we must always try to improve ourselves: this means being kind and honest; try not to harm anyone or anything; and acting with compassion. We must also learn to pay attention to our own thoughts. As we pay attention to our thoughts we can better understand the thoughts that make us feel sad. This helps us think in a new way. This paying attention to our thoughts is called <em>meditation<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Karma<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Buddha taught that following the eight-fold path creates good <strong>karma<\/strong>.&nbsp; <strong>Karma is the idea that everything you do has a consequence, whether good or bad<\/strong>. Kind actions tend to have positive consequences, and unkind actions, have negative consequences. This isn\u2019t a consequence like a reward or a punishment &#8211; it\u2019s just a thing that happens as a result of an action. He taught that by building up a lot of good karma, you can reach nirvana, a state of true enlightenment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Buddha spent the rest of his life traveling around India, teaching what he had discovered to anyone who wanted to learn. He encouraged his followers to try out the practices he taught for themselves, to see how well they worked, and to gather in communities to learn and help each other. The community was important because Buddha knew that to be truly happy, people need to feel compassion and kindness for both themselves and others. This is called metta in Buddhism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Buddhism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After its beginnings in India, Buddhism spread throughout South and East Asia and was practiced widely in Tibet, Bhutan, Thailand, China, and Japan, among others. Today, people around the world practice Buddhism in different forms. For some, it\u2019s a religion, but for others, it\u2019s simply a way of looking at life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Meditation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As Buddha taught, you can take the time to meditate each day. Meditating is a good chance to breathe deeply and slow your thoughts. It can also help you look closely at your thoughts. Your thoughts often lead to how you\u2019re feeling. So if you have lots of negative thoughts those may be causing negative feelings. Breathing deeply and clearing your mind can give you the positive energy you need to help yourself and help others. There are a lot of great ways to start meditating. You can find videos, podcasts, and apps, that can get you started. But the simplest way is to just set a timer and try and sit and relax during that time while breathing deeply.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What can I learn from Buddha?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, like Buddha taught, remember that things that we buy won\u2019t always make us happy. Toys eventually break, or they go out of fashion, and we\u2019ll always want something new. Think about how you might turn your attention to more important things like spending time with your family and friends, learning something new, or doing good for others. These are things that last longer and will give you greater, deeper joy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope you enjoyed this episode about Buddha. Be sure to check in next Monday for a new episode!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Fields, Rick. \u201cWho Is the Buddha?\u201d in: <em>Tricycle<\/em>, Spring 1997. https:\/\/tricycle.org\/magazine\/who-was-buddha-2\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meyers, Rachel. <em>Curiosity Chronicles: Snapshots of Ancient History<\/em>. Little Monster Schooling, 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nagaraja, Dharmachari. <em>Buddha at Bedtime.<\/em>Watkins, 2016.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who was Siddhartha Gautama? Imagine you&#8217;re a prince or a princess, living in a giant, luxurious palace. There your parents make sure that you have everything you could ever want or need: lots of toys, fine clothes, and the best education. You&#8217;re surrounded by beautiful gardens and expensive things. You have servants to clean up [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>Who was Siddhartha Gautama?<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Imagine you're a prince or a princess, living in a giant, luxurious palace. There your parents make sure that you have everything you could ever want or need: lots of toys, fine clothes, and the best education. You're surrounded by beautiful gardens and expensive things. You have servants to clean up after you, bring your food, and help with everything. When you\u2019re not learning from private tutors, you spend your days swimming, practicing archery and swordsmanship, and riding horses. The palace is so massive, it\u2019s your entire world and you never even need to leave.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Now imagine you decide to give that all up. You're not happy with that life. You wonder if life has a greater meaning. You wonder if possessions can ever make people truly happy and content. This was the life <strong>Siddhartha Gautama<\/strong> found himself in. You might have heard of him: now, we call him <strong>Buddha<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>Listen to the audio<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n<div id=\"buzzsprout-player-8847073\"><\/div>\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/1120928\/8847073-buddha.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-8847073&amp;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<!-- \/wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>What was the Buddha's real name?<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"right\",\"width\":330,\"height\":422,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/ff\/Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_%28Dhammajak_Mutra%29.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"330\" height=\"422\"\/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The story of how Siddhartha became Buddha begins even before his birth. Siddhartha\u2019s father was king of a small kingdom in northern India in the sixth century BCE over 2,500 years ago!&nbsp; Several years before Siddhartha was born, the king was visited by sages, or wise men, who told him his son would be either a great king or a great holy man. Of course, Siddhartha's father wanted his son to follow in his footsteps and be a great king.&nbsp; So when Siddhartha was born in 567 BCE, his father decided to shelter his son from the world, so he wouldn\u2019t know about suffering and death. He thought that if Siddhartha never saw bad things in the world, he wouldn\u2019t want to fix them, and so he wouldn\u2019t want to become a holy man.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>Buddha's Early Life<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>So Siddhartha grew up surrounded by all the comforts and privileges money could buy. When he became a young man, he married a woman named Gopa. He seemed to have it all, but the plan Siddhartha\u2019s father made for him to become a great king was about to fall apart. Instead of accepting the life of luxury that he was given, Siddhartha grew restless living in the palace. One day, he asked his father to let him go on a chariot ride to see the city around the palace. His father agreed but told the chariot driver to stay in the richer parts of the city, close to the palace, to avoid letting Siddhartha see people who were poor or suffering.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Siddhartha set out in the chariot with his driver. Before long, they saw an old man, slowly hobbling along the road, looking as if he might fall over at any moment. Siddhartha had never seen such an old man, and he asked his driver what was wrong with him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>His driver replied, \u201cHe is very old. His body has grown weak with age. You too will grow old someday. All people do.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Siddhartha was disturbed but asked him to drive on. Later in the ride, they saw a sick man lying by the side of the road. He was groaning and looked very unhappy. Again, Siddhartha asked what was wrong with the man.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>His driver replied, \u201cHe is sick with a terrible disease. Everyone gets sick sometimes. Someday, you will get sick.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Siddhartha felt terrible, seeing this man suffering, but they continued their ride through the city.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>On their way back to the palace, they came across a funeral procession. People were crying and moaning. For a third time, Siddhartha asked his chariot driver what was happening.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Again, his driver replied. \u201cSomeone has died, and these people are his friends and family. They are mourning for him.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When Siddhartha returned home, he could not stop thinking about the old man, the sick man, and the funeral. He thought about these things happening to his father and mother, to his wife, and to himself. He realized that all the treasure in the palace, all the servants waiting on him, and all the beautiful things surrounding him, could not prevent him or anyone else from the sad things he said. He realized that he wanted to find a way to help people overcome suffering.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>Siddartha's Personal Journey<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Once he realized these things, Siddhartha knew he could no longer live an easy life in the palace. So one day, he said goodbye to his family and set out to find the cause of suffering. He cut his hair and lived as an ascetic - someone who chooses to live in poverty and simplicity. He studied meditation with great holy men and discussed the problem of suffering with them, but after many years of living this way, he still didn\u2019t know why it happened, or how he could prevent it.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Finally, he decided to sit and meditate under a bodhi tree. He vowed not to leave until he had the answer to the problem of human suffering.&nbsp; Siddhartha sat meditating day and night, still and calm as a statue, for six days. On the sixth day, he opened his eyes and realized he understood the nature of suffering. He became enlightened and from then on was known as Buddha, which means awakened one.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>Buddha's Four Noble Truths<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>For the rest of his life, Buddha traveled throughout India, teaching others about what he had discovered. He taught people the <strong>four noble truths<\/strong> he had realized about suffering. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The <strong>first truth<\/strong> is that everyone suffers and has hard things happen to them. It\u2019s just part of life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The <strong>second truth<\/strong> is that we suffer because we are always wanting more, and trying to hold onto what we have. This might sound surprising. Didn\u2019t he start his quest because he saw people who were suffering because they were old, sick, and dying? Buddha thought that the real reason we suffer is not that bad things happen to us, but because we allow negative feelings and desires to take over our thinking. If we\u2019re sick, we lie around feeling sorry for ourselves and wishing we were well. But then when we\u2019re healthy, we think of other things we want but don\u2019t have, and we still suffer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"right\",\"width\":208,\"height\":378,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/18\/Standing_Buddha_Installed_by_Buddist_Monk_Yasadinna_-_Circa_5th_Century_CE_-_Jamalpur_Mound_-_ACCN_00-A-5_-_Government_Museum_Mathura_Golden_background.jpg\/1024px-Standing_Buddha_Installed_by_Buddist_Monk_Yasadinna_-_Circa_5th_Century_CE_-_Jamalpur_Mound_-_ACCN_00-A-5_-_Government_Museum_Mathura_Golden_background.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"208\" height=\"378\"\/><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Think about a time when you really wanted a new toy or game. It probably felt very unfair that you didn\u2019t have it, and then, if you did get it, you might have been happy for a short time, but then you were just back to normal and wanted something new. We become attached to things, or even ideas of things, and those things are not permanent. This keeps us spending all our time wanting things we don\u2019t have, and worrying we\u2019ll lose what we do have. He taught that things like toys and games and other things we might buy don\u2019t really make us happy deep down and any happiness we do feel doesn\u2019t last.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The <strong>third truth<\/strong> is that we can overcome suffering. Once we overcome suffering, Buddha thought, we could reach a state of nirvana, or perfect peace and happiness, just as he did when he meditated under the bodhi tree.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Finally, the fourth truth tells us how to overcome suffering. The way Buddha thought we overcome suffering is by following what he called the \u201ceightfold path.\u201d I won\u2019t go over all eight parts of the path, but basically, to follow the eightfold path, we must always try to improve ourselves: this means being kind and honest; try not to harm anyone or anything; and acting with compassion. We must also learn to pay attention to our own thoughts. As we pay attention to our thoughts we can better understand the thoughts that make us feel sad. This helps us think in a new way. This paying attention to our thoughts is called <em>meditation<\/em>.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>Karma<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Buddha taught that following the eight-fold path creates good <strong>karma<\/strong>.&nbsp; <strong>Karma is the idea that everything you do has a consequence, whether good or bad<\/strong>. Kind actions tend to have positive consequences, and unkind actions, have negative consequences. This isn\u2019t a consequence like a reward or a punishment - it\u2019s just a thing that happens as a result of an action. He taught that by building up a lot of good karma, you can reach nirvana, a state of true enlightenment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Buddha spent the rest of his life traveling around India, teaching what he had discovered to anyone who wanted to learn. He encouraged his followers to try out the practices he taught for themselves, to see how well they worked, and to gather in communities to learn and help each other. The community was important because Buddha knew that to be truly happy, people need to feel compassion and kindness for both themselves and others. This is called metta in Buddhism.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>Buddhism<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>After its beginnings in India, Buddhism spread throughout South and East Asia and was practiced widely in Tibet, Bhutan, Thailand, China, and Japan, among others. Today, people around the world practice Buddhism in different forms. For some, it\u2019s a religion, but for others, it\u2019s simply a way of looking at life.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>Meditation<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>As Buddha taught, you can take the time to meditate each day. Meditating is a good chance to breathe deeply and slow your thoughts. It can also help you look closely at your thoughts. Your thoughts often lead to how you\u2019re feeling. So if you have lots of negative thoughts those may be causing negative feelings. Breathing deeply and clearing your mind can give you the positive energy you need to help yourself and help others. There are a lot of great ways to start meditating. You can find videos, podcasts, and apps, that can get you started. But the simplest way is to just set a timer and try and sit and relax during that time while breathing deeply.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>What can I learn from Buddha?<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Also, like Buddha taught, remember that things that we buy won\u2019t always make us happy. Toys eventually break, or they go out of fashion, and we\u2019ll always want something new. Think about how you might turn your attention to more important things like spending time with your family and friends, learning something new, or doing good for others. These are things that last longer and will give you greater, deeper joy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I hope you enjoyed this episode about Buddha. Be sure to check in next Monday for a new episode!<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3>Sources<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Fields, Rick. \u201cWho Is the Buddha?\u201d in: <em>Tricycle<\/em>, Spring 1997. https:\/\/tricycle.org\/magazine\/who-was-buddha-2\/<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Meyers, Rachel. <em>Curiosity Chronicles: Snapshots of Ancient History<\/em>. Little Monster Schooling, 2017.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Nagaraja, Dharmachari. <em>Buddha at Bedtime.<\/em>Watkins, 2016.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,122,101,143,144,94,146,154,209,163,116,164,107,165,166],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ancient-history","category-asia","category-asian-history","category-balance","category-beauty","category-biography","category-compassion","category-happiness","category-india","category-love","category-mental-illness","category-peace","category-religion","category-spirituality","category-wisdom"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Siddhartha Gautama Buddha For Kids | Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids | Homework Help<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, the founder of the world religion Buddhism and revered by many as the &quot;Enlightened One.&quot;\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Siddhartha Gautama Buddha For Kids | Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids | Homework Help\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn about Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, the founder of the world religion Buddhism and revered by many as the &quot;Enlightened One.&quot;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-07-11T23:37:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-02-19T20:33:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/ff\/Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_%28Dhammajak_Mutra%29.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"hawk99\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"hawk99\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"hawk99\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7537737ef0165085fad0e38898106b46\"},\"headline\":\"Siddhartha Gautama Buddha For Kids\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-07-11T23:37:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-02-19T20:33:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/\"},\"wordCount\":1817,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/ff\/Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_%28Dhammajak_Mutra%29.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Ancient History\",\"Asia\",\"Asian History\",\"Balance\",\"Beauty\",\"Biography\",\"Compassion\",\"Happiness\",\"India\",\"Love\",\"Mental Illness\",\"Peace\",\"Religion\",\"Spirituality\",\"Wisdom\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/\",\"name\":\"Siddhartha Gautama Buddha For Kids | Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids | Homework Help\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/ff\/Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_%28Dhammajak_Mutra%29.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-07-11T23:37:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-02-19T20:33:39+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn about Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, the founder of the world religion Buddhism and revered by many as the \\\"Enlightened One.\\\"\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/ff\/Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_%28Dhammajak_Mutra%29.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/ff\/Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_%28Dhammajak_Mutra%29.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Siddhartha Gautama Buddha For Kids\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/\",\"name\":\"Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids\",\"description\":\"Educational Stories, Podcasts, and Videos for Kids &amp; Families\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Bedtime History\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/logo-with-purple-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/logo-with-purple-background.png\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Bedtime History\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7537737ef0165085fad0e38898106b46\",\"name\":\"hawk99\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2db2701a238535409d046d973eda3f99ff0eea99f18a60816b1cdea82780aa4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2db2701a238535409d046d973eda3f99ff0eea99f18a60816b1cdea82780aa4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"hawk99\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/author\/hawk99\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Siddhartha Gautama Buddha For Kids | Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids | Homework Help","description":"Learn about Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, the founder of the world religion Buddhism and revered by many as the \"Enlightened One.\"","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Siddhartha Gautama Buddha For Kids | Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids | Homework Help","og_description":"Learn about Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, the founder of the world religion Buddhism and revered by many as the \"Enlightened One.\"","og_url":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/","og_site_name":"Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids","article_published_time":"2021-07-11T23:37:56+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-02-19T20:33:39+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/ff\/Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_%28Dhammajak_Mutra%29.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"hawk99","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"hawk99","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/"},"author":{"name":"hawk99","@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7537737ef0165085fad0e38898106b46"},"headline":"Siddhartha Gautama Buddha For Kids","datePublished":"2021-07-11T23:37:56+00:00","dateModified":"2024-02-19T20:33:39+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/"},"wordCount":1817,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/ff\/Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_%28Dhammajak_Mutra%29.jpg","articleSection":["Ancient History","Asia","Asian History","Balance","Beauty","Biography","Compassion","Happiness","India","Love","Mental Illness","Peace","Religion","Spirituality","Wisdom"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/","url":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/","name":"Siddhartha Gautama Buddha For Kids | Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids | Homework Help","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/ff\/Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_%28Dhammajak_Mutra%29.jpg","datePublished":"2021-07-11T23:37:56+00:00","dateModified":"2024-02-19T20:33:39+00:00","description":"Learn about Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, the founder of the world religion Buddhism and revered by many as the \"Enlightened One.\"","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/ff\/Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_%28Dhammajak_Mutra%29.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/ff\/Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_%28Dhammajak_Mutra%29.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/siddhartha-gautama-buddha-for-kids\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Siddhartha Gautama Buddha For Kids"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/","name":"Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids","description":"Educational Stories, Podcasts, and Videos for Kids &amp; Families","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#organization","name":"Bedtime History","url":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/logo-with-purple-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/logo-with-purple-background.png","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"Bedtime History"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7537737ef0165085fad0e38898106b46","name":"hawk99","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2db2701a238535409d046d973eda3f99ff0eea99f18a60816b1cdea82780aa4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2db2701a238535409d046d973eda3f99ff0eea99f18a60816b1cdea82780aa4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"hawk99"},"url":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/author\/hawk99\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1031"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1031\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2762,"href":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1031\/revisions\/2762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bedtimehistorystories.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}