Question

document 2
excerpt from \setting in motion the wheel of the lawdharma,\ siddhartha gautamas first sermon after
having achieved enlightenment from the tripitaka.
this, o buddhist monks, is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering; decay is suffering; illness is
suffering; death is suffering. presence of objects we hate, is suffering; separation from objects we love, is
suffering; not to obtain what we desire, is suffering. briefly...clinging to existence is suffering.
this, o buddhist monks, is the noble truth of the cause of suffering: thirst, that leads to rebirth,
companied by pleasure and lust, finding its delight here and there. (this thirst is threefold), namely, thirst
for pleasure, thirst for existence, thirst for prosperity.
this, o buddhist monks, is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: (it ceases with) the
complete cessation of this thirst,--a cessation which consists in the absence of every passion,--with
the abandoning of this thirst, with the doing away with it, with the deliverance from it, with the destruction
of desire.
this, o buddhist monks, is the noble truth of the path which leads to the cessation of suffering:
the holy eightfold path, that is to say, right belief, right aspiration, right speech, right conduct, right
means of livelihood, right endeavour, right memory, right meditation....

t.w. rhys davids and herman oldenberg, trans, vinyaya texts, in f. max mueller, ed., the sacred
books of the east, 50 vols., (oxford: clarendon, 1879 - 1910), vol 13. pp. 94 - 97, 100 - 102 repr. in alfred j.
andrea and james h. overfield, the human record: sources of global history, vol 1, 2d. ed., (boston:
houghton mifflin, 1994), pp. 72 - 74 http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/bud - ser1.html

historical context - refers to the historical circumstances that led to this event/idea/historical
document

explain the historical circumstances that led to the development of buddhism. 1

Explanation:

The problem is about the historical circumstances leading to Buddhism's development. Social Science's subfield Religion (and History) applies, as Buddhism is a religion, and we analyze its historical context. Key points: Siddhartha Gautama's time (ancient India), societal issues like caste, suffering, search for meaning. Hinduism's influence, ascetic movements, and his enlightenment led to Buddhism's founding.

Answer:

The historical circumstances leading to Buddhism's development include: In ancient India (around 6th - 5th century BCE), societal issues like the rigid caste system, suffering from life's realities (birth, death, illness), and a search for spiritual meaning beyond ritualistic Hinduism. Ascetic movements were rising, and Siddhartha Gautama, after experiencing suffering and seeking enlightenment, developed the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path, founding Buddhism to address existential suffering and offer a path to liberation.