Rudyard’s childhood was filled with excitement. He and his sister, Trix, roamed the colorful streets of Bombay, exploring markets, tasting exotic foods, and making friends with people from all walks of life. The vibrant bazaars and bustling harbors of Bombay ignited his imagination, and he soaked up the sights, sounds, and smells of this fascinating city. These early experiences would later inspire many of the stories he would write.

But adventure wasn’t just limited to the city. Rudyard’s parents believed in giving him a well-rounded education. So, when he was just six years old, they sent him off to a school in England. Can you imagine leaving your home at such a young age and traveling to a distant land? Rudyard did, and it was a thrilling, albeit challenging, experience. He missed the sights and sounds of India, but he also learned to love the English countryside, the stories, and the books that filled his new world.

When Rudyard returned to India at the age of 13, he carried with him a wealth of stories, both from the books he had read and the adventures he had lived. He began to write his own tales, inspired by the vibrant and diverse culture of India. His first published works were written during his teenage years, and they showcased his growing talent as a storyteller.

One of Rudyard’s most famous books is “The Jungle Book.” Can you imagine a story about a young boy who is raised by wolves, befriends a bear and a panther, and faces off against a fierce tiger? Well, that’s exactly what Rudyard Kipling imagined. “The Jungle Book” is a thrilling adventure filled with animals that can talk and a young hero named Mowgli. This book has captivated the hearts and imaginations of countless children around the world for over a century. Rudyard Kipling’s childhood in India, where he was surrounded by exotic wildlife, inspired the enchanting tales of the jungle and its inhabitants.

Rudyard Kipling didn’t just write stories about the jungle; he also penned tales about the high seas and adventures on the open water. One of his most famous works is “Captain Courageous.” It’s a story about a young boy named Harvey who gets thrown overboard from a luxury cruise ship and ends up on a fishing schooner. Harvey must learn the ways of the sea and earn the respect of the rough and rugged fishermen. This thrilling tale takes readers on a journey across the vast oceans and teaches valuable lessons about hard work, determination, and courage.

Another book that will sweep you off your feet is “Kim.” This novel tells the story of an orphan boy who grows up in India and becomes a spy, traveling all over the country. Kim is a master of disguise and has exciting adventures as he explores the rich tapestry of Indian culture, meets fascinating characters, and navigates the complexities of British colonialism. Rudyard Kipling’s deep love for India shines through in “Kim,” as it is a captivating blend of adventure, mystery, and cultural exploration.

But life wasn’t all thrilling adventures and stories for Rudyard. He faced some challenges too. As a young man, he returned to England to work as a journalist and faced tough times. Yet, he persevered and continued writing stories that would later become classics. His life experiences, both good and bad, were woven into the tapestry of his tales, making them all the more relatable and inspiring.

Rudyard Kipling’s adventurous spirit took him to many parts of the world. He traveled to South Africa, where he covered the Boer War as a journalist. 

He visited America and made lifelong friends with famous figures like Mark Twain. These journeys helped him gather more stories and experiences to share with the world.

During the Boer War, Kipling embarked on a journey that would lead him to the heart of the action, traveling alongside British troops. Rudyard wasn’t a soldier, but he carried his pen and notebook like weapons, ready to capture the stories of bravery and valor. He witnessed the roar of cannons, the thunder of hooves, and the courage of men facing the unknown.

One day, while Rudyard was riding with a group of British soldiers, they found themselves deep in enemy territory. The Boers, fierce fighters who knew the South African terrain well, were lurking nearby. A skirmish broke out, and the British soldiers were outnumbered and outgunned.

Amidst the chaos of battle, Rudyard’s journalistic instincts kicked in. He crouched low, scribbling notes furiously as bullets whizzed past. The noise of the battlefield was deafening, but he remained calm, determined to record the bravery of the soldiers, who fought for a cause they believed in.

As the day wore on, the situation became even more perilous. The British soldiers needed to send a message back to their headquarters, but the enemy was watching their every move. Rudyard, known for his resourcefulness, volunteered to sneak through enemy lines with the urgent message. It was a daring mission, but he was determined to get the story out.

Under the cover of darkness, Rudyard set out, crawling through the tall grass and avoiding the watchful eyes of the Boer sentries. He moved silently, his heart pounding with each step. His adventures as a young boy in the bustling streets of Bombay had prepared him for this moment of danger.

After a nerve-wracking journey through the enemy’s territory, Rudyard finally reached the British camp. He delivered the message, and his courageous act earned him the respect of the soldiers. His storytelling wasn’t limited to pen and paper; he had lived an adventure that would become a part of his own legend.

Rudyard Kipling’s experiences during the Boer War served as the backdrop for some of his most poignant writings. He understood the sacrifices made by soldiers and the price of war. His stories from the battlefield, like “The Man Who Would Be King,” and “Soldiers Three,” reflected the human aspects of the conflict, the camaraderie, and the struggles faced by those on the front lines.

One of Rudyard’s most famous poems, “If—,” is a true inspiration. It’s a message about being brave and resilient in the face of adversity. “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs…” goes one of its lines. It’s a reminder to stay strong, no matter what challenges life throws your way. “If—” has been recited and cherished by people of all ages for generations, and its wisdom is just as relevant today as it was when Rudyard Kipling wrote it.

Rudyard Kipling’s life was like an adventure story itself. He faced triumphs and trials, explored distant lands, met fascinating people, and left behind a treasure trove of stories for the world to enjoy. His books continue to transport readers to far-off places, introducing them to incredible characters and exciting adventures.

So, young adventurers, as you read Rudyard Kipling’s tales, remember the little boy who once roamed the colorful streets of Bombay, the teenager who journeyed to England, and the man who traveled the world seeking inspiration. His stories are a testament to the power of imagination, the wonder of exploration, and the importance of never giving up on your dreams. Rudyard Kipling’s legacy lives on, inviting you to embark on your own adventures, whether in the pages of a book or out in the wide world beyond.

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Do you live in a big city? Or do you live in a small town? Or do you live far away from everyone else? I grew up in a medium-sized town, but it always fascinates me to visit big cities. It’s amazing to see a city be able to function with so many people in such a small area. For example, if you visit one of the biggest cities in the United States like New York, many people live and work in skyscrapers, which reach very high into the sky. They do this so more people can fit within a small geographical area. And usually, everything you need to survive such as grocery stores is nearby. If you grew up in a small town, you may have lots of space but also have to drive a little further for groceries.

Before Cities

Have you ever wondered how big cities came to be? Throughout human history, cities didn’t always exist. If you were to travel back into history 10,000 years ago most people lived in small tribes or communities and either hunted and gathered or farmed a small area of land. Even for many years before farming early humans moved often, hunting animals for or gathering nuts and seeds, and berries for survival. It was a pretty hard life! They were always on the move because once the animals and other food in the area were gone, they had to be on their way. They lived in shelters or caves and did whatever they could to just barely get by. It’s hard to imagine, but humans lived this way for a VERY, VERY long time. Just think about that a moment and then think of where we are today. How did that change happen? It has taken about 12,000 years. Big changes in history often take time.

Early Farming

But eventually, these humans who hunted and gathered food for a living figured out ways to plant seeds to grow their own food! It seems obvious how to go about it today but it wasn’t for them. But once they did figure this out, instead of always having to move they could stay in one place and plant wheat and harvest it, which means to cut it down, then turn it into something like bread to eat. They also figured out new ways of watering their crops using irrigation. Irrigation is digging a ditch from a stream or river to their farms. Domesticating animals was another way they survived. Domesticating means to keep animals in an enclosed area and grow the group of animals so they didn’t have to hunt them. Animals such as goats, pigs, and cows were domesticated. So over time some humans moved less and were able to live in small towns living off their farms and animals in the same place. This is often called the Neolithic Age, which means New Stone Age.

In some areas of the world, these small communities began to grow into larger ones. This usually happened because they lived in an area with lots of water, like a river, and very good soil. Good soil made their crops grow and gave them more food. There was also lots of fish to eat and fresh water for drinking. It was easy to move around using the river and easy to trade with other towns. For these reasons and others, the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East was a popular area for humans to settle 10,000 years ago. It was called The Fertile Crescent because it’s shaped like a crescent or moon. It has fertile, or good, soil because of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers that flow around it. 

First settlements

People in these areas settled down and soon many people were making lots of food and living nearby each other. The amazing thing about humans is when many humans are living and working nearby each other and putting their minds together, they share ideas, and come up with new ideas about how to solve problems! This is what happened in the Fertile Crescent. People became better at farming, better at domesticating animals, and soon figured out better ways to build things like pots for their food and bricks for their homes. They shaped clay into stronger bowls. This is called pottery. Bricks were made using clay and mud and other materials and then cooked in the sun or hot furnace to make them rock hard. 

Eventually, their homes changed from small huts to strong brick buildings that didn’t fall over as easily. They built buildings to keep their grain safe. They built beautiful temples to their gods. They built walls to keep their cities safe. Other humans who were still hunting and gathering and on the move saw the nice things of the city and wanted to take them. The people of the cities designed better weapons and better walls to protect themselves from these tribes and from other cities. 

Sumerians of the Fertile Crescent

In the Fertile Crescent in a region called Mesopotamia, many of these big cities grew very, very big. These people are often called the Sumerians, but they lived in many different cities with names such as Eridu, Uruk, Kish, Ur, and Akkad. Some of these cities had tens of thousands of people living in them, which was huge at the time! In the center of each of the cities was a gigantic temple. There the priests who ran the city lived and worked. Big cities required many people to make decisions and keep track of all of the work that needed to be done. They traded items with nearby cities and began to keep track of their money and other goods by using sticks to make marks on clay tablets. This early version of writing was called cuneiform.

As people in cities put their heads together they became better at shaping metals, too. This is called metallurgy. Very hot fires were created in furnaces and used to extract and mold the metal. Advances in metallurgy led to what is called The Bronze Age. Bronze was a very hard metal made from combining tin and copper. Bronze gave them stronger tools, made stronger bowls, vehicles such as chariots, and weapons when needed. This is also the time when the wheel became very popular and was used for carts and chariots, which made it much easier to move things around.  

Indus River Valley

The Sumerians weren’t the only people to build big cities during the Bronze Age. In what is now India, the people of the Indus River Valley built very impressive cities, too. Most big cities were very dirty and didn’t have clean water. You can imagine with all of the body waste that goes into toilets what a stinky and dirty place some big cities became. The people of Mohenjo-Doro recognized this problem and designed their city with canals on every street to move the dirty toilet water out and the clean water in. Their homes had clean water, bathtubs, and the city stayed very orderly and clean.

Two of the major cities were Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, which had around 30,000 people living there. The Harappans traded goods with the Sumerians and other nearby cities. They created their own beautiful style of pottery and used an early form of writing. Like the Sumerians, they made hard bricks by heating them in a fire and used these bricks and math to build their orderly cities. They dug deep into the earth to bring water up and into their homes. This is called a well. They found ways to store the water when there was lots of rain to use later. Unlike other cities, the Harappan people lived fairly equally and yet comfortably. The Indus River Valley people were very advanced for their time.

Yellow River Valley of China

Moving further east, in what is now China, the big cities formed around the Yellow River. Like the Tigris and Euphrates River, the Nile, and the Indus River, the Yellow River gave the people of China water to drink and often flooded to provide rich soil to plant their crops. Like the other cities, the Chinese learned how to mine deep in the earth and mined minerals such as tin and copper. They used these to make bronze, the very hard metal we talked about before. This gave them stronger tools, which helped them farm and mine and cut trees better. The ancient Chinese also developed their own form of writing and beautiful pottery. They wove better cloth for better clothing. Their cities slowly grew and became powerful in the area and with them came more inventions such as the compass, papermaking, the waterwheel, and gunpowder. Some of these technologies weren’t invented in Europe and other places in the world until a thousand years later.  

The Americas

Big cities weren’t only springing up in the Old World — China, the Near East, and India. Far across the ocean in the New World, the Americas, cities were popping up in areas like the Andes, which is modern-day Peru. These people also figured out how to plant huge farms for food. These farms gave them enough food so not everyone had to be a farmer, but could become an expert at a craft like making pottery, making cloth, or different kinds of tools. Some of the people in the cities became very good at math and used their knowledge to build amazing buildings and roads that connected their cities. Others used their tall stone temples to study and create maps of the stars. This is called astronomy. 

Other places that saw growth at this time were Mesoamerica and of course, Egypt, which we’d love to get into but not in this episode. If you want to learn more about Ancient Egypt be sure to check out our episode about Pyramids.  

Take a moment to think about how these places and people grew from small groups of farmers into major cities. Then think about the size of cities today. What is different about cities now? In what ways are they the same?  

Be sure to check out our related episodes about Mayan Civilization, Ancient Greece, Great Wall of China, and the Pyramids.

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Indus River Valley

First, we’re going to journey back 4000 years, to an area that is now partly in India and partly in Pakistan, called the Indus River Valley. In this ancient time, two large rivers flowed through this valley: the Indus, which gives the valley the name we use now, and the Saraswati, which has long since dried up. Here in this hot, dry region, the rivers provided food, water, and transportation for a sophisticated civilization we now call the Indus Valley Civilization, or the Harappan Culture. Monsoons brought torrential rains to the area each year, as they do now, flooding the rivers and making the soil around them rich and perfect for growing crops. The people of the Indus Valley culture build grand, carefully planned and constructed cities, as well as hundreds of other smaller settlements. They prospered for thousands of years, and then, they vanished. What happened? How did these people live? And how did we rediscover them?

Discovering the Indus Valley Civilization

Archeologists began to rediscover the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization in the 19th century. The first person to note that there might be ancient sites in the area was Charles Masson, an Englishman who had abandoned his job with the East India Company in the 1820s, and went exploring in northwest India. During much of the period of this rediscovery, the British Empire controlled what is now India and Pakistan. Masson thought the remains of the city he found, which is now called Harappa, were somehow related to Alexander the Great and his conquering army. He was wrong. Later, a British archeologist named Alexander Cunningham thought it was a Buddhist site. He was wrong too. Neither man guessed that the city was much, much older. 

By the time Cunningham began excavating Harappa in the 1870s, many of the structures had been taken apart. Workers had taken them to use on a railroad that was being built between the cities of Lahore and Karachi. Still, he did find some interesting items, especially a mysterious seal with a bull and some symbols along the top. The seal may have been used to stamp property or as a person’s signature. The symbols at the top are especially remarkable: they look a lot like writing! But, no one has been able to decipher what they mean. We don’t even know what language they’re from, though it’s probably similar to others spoken in India today. 

John Marshall’s Excavations

In the early 20th century, another archeologist named John Marshall planned and started major excavations of both Harappa and another city called Mohenjo-Daro. An archeologist on the project, named Rakhal Das Banerji found seals at Mohenjo-Daro that were very similar to the ones at Harappa, 400 miles away. These seals also had the mysterious writing, and similar images of people, animals and even unicorns! He thought that the two cities must be part of the same culture. Marshall’s team eventually discovered that the Indus Valley culture was much older than any other known civilization in India! In fact, it was one of the oldest civilizations in the world – along with the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians.

The cities are in ruins now, but we can see their layouts and basic features, and archeologists have unearthed many artifacts, or objects, from everyday life. Together, these things give us an idea of how the Indus Valley people lived, but also leave some tantalizing mysteries.

A lot of careful planning went into building Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, and other, smaller settlements of the Indus Valley Civilization. The cities were built on gigantic, raised brick platforms, to protect them from flooding. Most had a large citadel in the middle for protection. Homes, markets and workshops spread out under the citadel. All the streets were straight and ran in either and East-West or North-South direction. This would certainly make it easy to find your way around! Different trades, such as metal working or pottery, were practiced in different parts of the city. In Mohenjo -Daro, there is even an area that seems to be a public bath or pool! 

Modern Convenience?

Indus Valley Civilization cities were also the first in the world to have sewer systems, and pipes that carried waste from homes. Even small homes had a room with a toilet and washing area, like a modern bathroom. Keeping clean and healthy must have been important to these people!

With such well-organized cities, someone must have been making laws and ensuring that planners and builders followed the rules. But we don’t know who that was. Except for one small statue, we haven’t found many pieces of art that seem to pay tribute to a king or leader. Archeologists also haven’t found any opulent palaces where you’d expect a royal family to live. They may have had something like a city council, a group of people who made the laws. Priests may have been involved in ruling. But someone was running things, and running them well. Very few weapons have been found, suggesting the Indus Valley Civilization was peaceful and stable. And whoever made the rules made sure there were standard ways of weighing and measuring things. Even the bricks in the different cities were the same size!

It’s pretty unusual to find a civilization that appears to be so stable and peaceful, but there’s another thing that makes the Indus Valley Civilization unique: Toys! Archeologists have found thousands of objects that look like they were used as toys or entertainment for children. Small clay figurines of animals, people, and carts were probably the action figures and dolls of their day. They’ve found rattles, spinning tops, marbles and dice; game boards with tiny, ivory pieces; and clay mazes that you navigate with a marble. There’s also evidence of how people entertained each other: small figurines of girls in different dance poses. We also know they kept dogs, cats, and birds as pets. Archeologists have found clay figurines of dogs with collars, and birdcages. 

Trading in the Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus Valley Civilization wasn’t isolated either. They were trading with other cultures across Asia. Jewelry and beads were made using metal and gemstones not found in the local area: Jade from central Asia, amethyst from further southeast in India, lapis lazuli and gold from northern Afghanistan. No one has found coins or anything like money in the Indus Valley cities, so they probably bartered, or traded, for these goods. Still, like everything about the Indus Valley Civilization, it wasn’t a haphazard, disorganized system: the weights and measures we talked about earlier were used to make sure exchanges were fair, and the seals were used to show who owned things and where they’d been in their trading journey. 

We don’t know much about what the Indus Valley people believed. We have to guess based on artwork and other objects they left behind. Some of the seals and figurines seem to show gods or goddesses. They show people with unusual features, like horns, or surrounded by wild animals. We can also learn about religious beliefs by looking at how people took care of the dead. The Indus Valley people buried their dead with containers of food and drinks and jewelry. This might mean that they believed their loved ones would need these things in the afterlife.

Leaving the Indus Valley

Many people have tried to figure out what happened to the Indus Valley Civilization in the end. Sometime between 1900 and 1700 BCE, something was happening that caused people to start to leave the grand cities and settlements. The Saraswati may have started to dry up, while the Indus began to have more and worse floods. The longer floods may have left more salt in the soil, which made the land worse for farming. Other settlers may have started moving into the area, pushing the old residents out. 

It was probably a combination of different things.We know the change happened slowly over time, not all at once. The great cities and carefully constructed buildings began to crumble. The sewer systems decayed, or were even blocked up. The items people put in graves were lower quality and less valuable. By 1700 BCE, most of the Indus Valley cities were empty. 

Whatever happened, once the Indus Valley Civilization was gone, the world began to forget about this vibrant culture, one of the very first advanced societies in the world.  Over time the cities crumbled, and the earth covered them up. New people moved into the area, created their own great cities, art, and monuments, not knowing that another fascinating culture once existed there. This is why it’s important to be curious and learn as much as you can. What other mysteries do you think we’ll discover about our past? What is buried under your feet right now? How old is it? And what does it mean? Maybe one day, you’ll make an interesting discovery, and then you can try to answer those questions!

Sources

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/indus-valley-civilisation-script-ancient-dravidian-language-link-7461402/

https://www.harappa.com/

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/world-history-beginnings/ancient-india/a/the-indus-river-valley-civilizations

Martin, Claudia. (2017) Explore! The Indus Valley. Wayland, London.

Robinson, Andrew (2015) The Indus. Reaktion Books, London.

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Who was Siddhartha Gautama?

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’re not learning from private tutors, you spend your days swimming, practicing archery and swordsmanship, and riding horses. The palace is so massive, it’s your entire world and you never even need to leave. 

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 Siddhartha Gautama found himself in. You might have heard of him: now, we call him Buddha. 

What was the Buddha’s real name?

The story of how Siddhartha became Buddha begins even before his birth. Siddhartha’s father was king of a small kingdom in northern India in the sixth century BCE over 2,500 years ago!  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.  So when Siddhartha was born in 567 BCE, his father decided to shelter his son from the world, so he wouldn’t know about suffering and death. He thought that if Siddhartha never saw bad things in the world, he wouldn’t want to fix them, and so he wouldn’t want to become a holy man. 

Buddha’s Early Life

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’s 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. 

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. 

His driver replied, “He is very old. His body has grown weak with age. You too will grow old someday. All people do.”

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. 

His driver replied, “He is sick with a terrible disease. Everyone gets sick sometimes. Someday, you will get sick.”

Siddhartha felt terrible, seeing this man suffering, but they continued their ride through the city. 

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.

Again, his driver replied. “Someone has died, and these people are his friends and family. They are mourning for him.”  

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. 

Siddartha’s Personal Journey

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’t know why it happened, or how he could prevent it.

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.  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. 

Buddha’s Four Noble Truths

For the rest of his life, Buddha traveled throughout India, teaching others about what he had discovered. He taught people the four noble truths he had realized about suffering.

The first truth is that everyone suffers and has hard things happen to them. It’s just part of life. 

The second truth is that we suffer because we are always wanting more, and trying to hold onto what we have. This might sound surprising. Didn’t 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’re sick, we lie around feeling sorry for ourselves and wishing we were well. But then when we’re healthy, we think of other things we want but don’t have, and we still suffer. 

Think about a time when you really wanted a new toy or game. It probably felt very unfair that you didn’t 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’t have, and worrying we’ll lose what we do have. He taught that things like toys and games and other things we might buy don’t really make us happy deep down and any happiness we do feel doesn’t last.

The third truth 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. 

Finally, the fourth truth tells us how to overcome suffering. The way Buddha thought we overcome suffering is by following what he called the “eightfold path.” I won’t 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 meditation.

Karma

Buddha taught that following the eight-fold path creates good karma.  Karma is the idea that everything you do has a consequence, whether good or bad. Kind actions tend to have positive consequences, and unkind actions, have negative consequences. This isn’t a consequence like a reward or a punishment – it’s 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. 

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.

Buddhism

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’s a religion, but for others, it’s simply a way of looking at life.

Meditation

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’re 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. 

What can I learn from Buddha?

Also, like Buddha taught, remember that things that we buy won’t always make us happy. Toys eventually break, or they go out of fashion, and we’ll 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.   

I hope you enjoyed this episode about Buddha. Be sure to check in next Monday for a new episode!

Sources

Fields, Rick. “Who Is the Buddha?” in: Tricycle, Spring 1997. https://tricycle.org/magazine/who-was-buddha-2/

Meyers, Rachel. Curiosity Chronicles: Snapshots of Ancient History. Little Monster Schooling, 2017.

Nagaraja, Dharmachari. Buddha at Bedtime.Watkins, 2016.

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Have you heard ever heard of a country called India? India is between China and the Middle East and much of it is surrounded by the Indian Ocean. India is home to one of the world’s oldest civilizations and for many years was one of the richest countries in the world. Over one billion people live in India. It has more people than any other country in the world, second only to China. 

In the 1800s the British Empire ruled many countries of the world including America. During the American Revolution the Patriots fought off the British King and his soldiers and became their own free country. At the time of our story the British Empire was still in control of India. This is the story of how India came to be free and the man who helped make it happen.

In 1869 in the city of Porbander, India a boy named Mahandas Ghandi was born in a small home to a simple family. The Ghandis were good people. The father was a leader in the city and his mother was a very religious woman. She taught her children to pray and read scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Vegas, and some texts from the Bible and Quaran. The Ghandis were Hindu, so they didn’t drinking wine or eat meat. Ghandi’s mother also taught the family to fast — which means going without food for a certain period of time. She believed it gave them strength and self control. 

When Mahandas was little he was very playful and sometimes liked to cause trouble. Often he would chase down dogs and twist their ears. He also loved to listen to classic Indian stories, such as the stories of Shravan and Harischandra, which were epic tales about virtue and adventure. These stories taught good principles and helped Mahandas want to be a good person.

At age nine Mahandas started school and there learned math, history, language and geography. He was just an okay student and pretty shy and had trouble speaking. This made him very nervous when he had to speak in front of his class, but he did like books and learning.

At this time in India people got married very young. Mahandas was 13 when he married a girl named Kasturba. When Kasturba was 17 they had their first baby, but sadly she didn’t live very long. This same year Mahandas also lost his father, so it was a very hard time for him. But later Mahandas and Kasturba had four more children, so it made them happy to be parents.

Next Ghandi decided to travel to London, the capital of the British Empire, to go to college to become a lawyer. A lawyer is someone who helps others work with the law, the rules that keep a country in order. Ghandi’s parents were worried while he was there he wouldn’t live his religion, that he would eat meat and drink alcohol and do other things they didn’t approve of. But when he left he promised them he would stay faithful no matter what. And Ghandi did live up to his word, he stayed strong in his Hindu religion while he was away from home. This is called commitment and dedication to something you believe in.

Ghandi learned a lot about the English people while he was in London. He had always been shy and at first school was difficult, but instead of giving up he joined a group that taught him how to speak louder and more clearly and with lots of practice he became a very good speaker.

After finishing college, Ghandi got a job working for a shipping company in South Africa. At this time the British Empire also ruled South Africa. In South Africa Ghandi was treated badly by the English because he was from India. Once when he was on a train they didn’t let him sit with other people. They picked him up and threw him off the train. Ghandi was so upset by this he refused to leave the train station until they let him on the next train. This is called a protest. Finally, they let Ghandi back on the train. Many times Ghandi was treated badly because he was from India. He started to think England shouldn’t be in control of India anymore. 

When Ghandi moved back to India and he was determined to do everything he could to make India a free country. He began speaking and writing about what the India people needed to do to become free. But Ghandi was a peaceful person and didn’t believe in hurting others to become free. Instead they would peacefully protest and use civil disobedience — which means finding other ways to make your point other than violence. 

One thing England did to control India was tax the things they bought, this meant charging extra for food and clothes and keeping the money. So instead of buying clothes and salt from England, Ghandi decided to make his own clothes and salt. He learned how to make his own clothes and started wearing them. Thousands of other India people started doing the same. This made the British upset, because they were losing money. To make his own salt, Ghandi began a journey to the ocean. He walked over 200 miles to make salt in the ocean. People all over India followed him and did the same. All across the world people saw what Ghandi and the India people were doing and sympathized with them. Ghandi was put in jail many times for his actions. He would go without eating until they would set him free. What Ghandi was doing was very difficult, but he was sacrificing his owns desires for the country and people he loved.

Sometimes the Indian people wanted to use guns and weapons to fight the British leaders, but Ghandi continually taught that this was the wrong way. He used scriptures of many different religions to show that peace was a better way. When his people did start to fight Ghandi would go without eating for many days until they stopped. The people often stopped because they loved Ghandi and didn’t want him to be hungry.

Eventually, England let India become free. The amazing part of this story is that it came about without a big war and lots of people dying. This was truly a miracle and Ghandi showed the world that freedom can come about through peaceful ways. The Indian people and Ghandi celebrated. They were so happy to be in control of their own country. The time after this was very challenging as they figured out how to be on their own, but it gave them a chance to make their own choices and be a free people.

Not long after India became free Ghandi passed away, but his mission was complete and the Indian people and people all across the world will remember him as someone who loved his people and gave his life for them.

In life it’s easy to focus on yourself and what makes you happy. Its natural for us to want to take care of ourselves, which is important to some degree. But giving of ourselves to help others is also very important. It’s important to share and to think about what makes others happy. Spend some time thinking about what makes others happy and then do something about it. Next time you have a treat think about how happy it will make others to taste it, too. If you are playing with a toy, think about how your brother or sister or friend might enjoy playing with it. 

Ghandi believed in being peaceful. Next time someone wants to fight with you or argue, think about a more peaceful way you can deal with the problem. You never know, in the end someone who you think is an enemy might become a friend.

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