Scott Peck opens his book The Road Less Traveled with these words: “Life is difficult." Indeed it is. It is a way to handle life's difficulties which is the essence of Buddhism, the world religion we want to consider today. Buddhists are challenged to wake up to the pains of life and become enlightened in how to deal with it, a worthy mission for any person.

Let me tell you a little bit about Siddhartha Gautama, the sixth century monk who became Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Siddhartha was born in 563 B.C. in Nepal to a father who was a prince and ruler of a small kingdom. Siddhartha's mother died shortly after his birth so his father set out to give Siddhartha only the best things in life. Siddhartha lived in the lap of luxury, carefully protected from the sufferings of the world. He …