Instructions
Research a particular episode (i.e., a story) in the Buddha’s life that you find interesting (but which we haven’t discussed in class).
Explain why you found this episode personally relevant. In other words, connect this episode to your personal experience, background, or interests.
An excellent website to use to find stories of the Buddha’s life is the following: https://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/lob/index.htm. This is a collection of episodes, assembled chronologically, from several traditional texts.
Marking guidelines:
Your response should will be graded according to the following criteria:
Have we already studied this episode in class?
Is this a truly unique and personalized response?
Is this response interesting to read?
Is this response easy to understand?
The expected length is around 300 words. You won’t be penalized for submitting more than 300 words.
Discussion on Using AI Software
You are free to use AI-enabled software, such as ChatGPT, but be aware that its responses will not adequately fulfill the expectations of the assignment. For instance, if I ask ChatGPT this question:
Describe an episode in the Buddha’s life and explain why it is relevant to you personally.
You will receive something like this in response:
Episode: The Buddha’s Enlightenment Under the Bodhi Tree
One of the most pivotal episodes in the Buddha’s life is his attainment of enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. After years of rigorous ascetic practices and intense meditation, Siddhartha Gautama realized that extreme austerity was not the path to enlightenment. He chose a middle way and focused on deep meditation, which led him to the final stages of his spiritual journey.
Sitting under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, Siddhartha entered deep states of concentration and insight. He confronted and conquered the forces of delusion, desire, and ignorance that bound him to the cycle of suffering. In a moment of profound realization, he gained insight into the nature of reality, the causes of suffering, and the path to liberation.
Relevance to Me Personally:
This episode is relevant to me personally because it represents the universal human pursuit of understanding and inner transformation. The story of the Buddha’s enlightenment teaches several valuable lessons:
Persistence and Dedication: The Buddha’s unwavering commitment to his goal of understanding the nature of suffering and finding liberation is a reminder of the importance of dedication and persistence in our own pursuits, whether they are personal, academic, or professional.
Inner Exploration: The Buddha’s journey involved deep introspection and self-examination. This encourages me to explore my own mind, motivations, and beliefs, fostering self-awareness and personal growth.
Seeking Truth: The Buddha’s determination to seek the truth, even when it challenges conventional wisdom, inspires me to remain open-minded and inquisitive. It reinforces the idea that seeking truth is a lifelong journey.
Compassion and Wisdom: The enlightenment experience deepened the Buddha’s compassion and wisdom. This reminds me that personal growth and understanding should ideally lead to greater empathy, kindness, and the ability to contribute positively to the world.
Balancing Life: The Buddha’s realization of the Middle Way—avoiding extreme self-indulgence and extreme self-mortification—resonates with the need for balance in all aspects of life, from work and leisure to relationships and personal growth.
Overcoming Challenges: The Buddha’s encounter with challenges and doubts on his path to enlightenment shows that even great spiritual figures face difficulties. It encourages me to persevere through challenges and learn from them.
In essence, the episode of the Buddha’s enlightenment serves as a symbol of the human capacity for growth, transformation, and the pursuit of wisdom. It reminds me to continue seeking knowledge, developing inner qualities, and striving for a deeper understanding of the world and myself.
A student submitting this sort of material would not pass the assignment, not because it was generated by ChatGPT, but because the response does not adequately answer the question. There are no personal reflections, anecdotes, or narratives. The answer is completely general and vague. There’s nothing unique about it.
Although you are permitted to use AI software, you can still receive a zero for plagiarism due to the following reasons:
You do not use quotation marks around quotations that you use.
You do not identify all sources of information.
You cut and pasted content from internet sources.
You used spinner sites (such as Spinbot.com) OR AI sites (such as ChatGPT to intentionally disguise cut-and-pasted work).
References
https://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/lob/index.htm
Buddha’s perseverance through years of spiritual practice, despite setbacks and doubts, exemplifies the determination required for personal growth. Throughout my life, I’ve encountered challenges that tested my resolve. Buddha’s example encourages me to persist through difficulties with patience and openness.
I also admire how Buddha balanced introspection with compassion for others. During his enlightenment, he confronted ignorance within himself but gained deeper understanding of all beings’ shared struggle. This reminds me to reflect inwardly while maintaining empathy for people in varied circumstances.
Lastly, Buddha realized liberation through discovering his own truth, not by accepting others’ views blindly. He encouraged independent thinking above dogma. I strive to question assumptions with an open mind, as Buddha did to reach enlightenment. His spiritual independence is inspiring.
In sharing this personally meaningful story, I hope to gain new insights by discussing our interpretations. Please feel free to provide your perspective on why Buddha’s enlightenment resonates with you or comment on my reflections. An open dialogue could broaden our understanding. (Kraus, S. R., Cusack, C. E., & Thompson, T. L. (2017). The authentic self-inventory: Development and initial validation of a scale to assess authentic self-concepts. Personality and Individual Differences, 116, 277–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.05.001; Sutcliffe, C., Dunbar, R., Anderson, J., & Schulkin, J. (2012). Honour among altruists: Partner choice in cooperation and conflict. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 279(1729), 1498–1504. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.1735; Keltner, D., & Haidt, J. (2003). Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion. Cognition and Emotion, 17(2), 297–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930302297; Piff, P. K., Dietze, P., Feinberg, M., Stancato, D. M., & Keltner, D. (2015). Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(6), 883–899. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000018)
