S i d h a r t h a g e a u t a m a was able to discover the middle way a n d e n i g h t ne m n t y by?
Siddhartha Gautama was able to discover the middle way and enlightenment through his own personal journey and experiences. He was born into a wealthy family and lived a life of luxury, but he was deeply dissatisfied and sought meaning and happiness beyond material possessions.
At the age of 29, Siddhartha left his palace and became a wandering ascetic, seeking spiritual enlightenment through extreme practices such as severe fasting and self-mortification. However, he found that these extreme practices did not lead to true enlightenment and only caused him physical harm.
Realizing the limitations of both a life of luxury and extreme asceticism, Siddhartha began practicing meditation under a bodhi tree. After 49 days of deep meditation, he achieved enlightenment and discovered the middle way.
The middle way, also known as the path of moderation, emphasizes finding balance and avoiding extremes in all aspects of life. Siddhartha taught that true enlightenment could only be attained by transcending both the indulgences of worldly pleasures and the self-mortification of extreme asceticism.
Through his teachings, Siddhartha Gautama, now known as the Buddha, shared the principles of the middle way to help others find liberation from suffering and achieve enlightenment.