Siddhartha, Chapter 3: Knowledge, Question 1

In Buddhism, the main goal of a believer is to reach enlightenment and to seek knowledge/wisdom. Enlightenment can be identified as the opposite of ignorance. In order to reach enlightenment, one must understand the root of suffering, which is ever-present in life. Gautama Buddha, also known as the Enlightened One, taught his disciples that to become enlightened, one must understand and accept the Four Noble Truths and follow the Eightfold Path. Doing so results in possible enlightenment.

Four Noble Truths:
1) Life is suffering
2) The cause of suffering is desire
3) There is a remedy/cure
4) The Middle Way/Budhist path –> To follow the eightfold is to free yourself from suffering.

Eightfold Path:

Three Qualities Eightfold Path
Wisdom (panna) Right View
Right Thought
Morality (sila) Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Meditation (samadhi)
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Contemplation
source: http://www.buddhaweb.org/

To become enlightened means to avoid Samsara (a cycle of birth and death). Remaining in the cycle of rebirth is not being completely free of worldly desires. Therefore, reaching enlightenment is extremely important, especially for Buddhist ascetics.

The following is a video about how Buddha reaches enlightenment, but from a quite humorous perspective.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTbVVbDpGzM

This particular site explains Buddha’s path to enlightenment and the Buddhist teachings.
http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/footsteps.htm