The life of that we know as Buddha, is a mystery. In fact what we know about this great religious leader comes through religious writings and literature, legends and myth. Buddha, whose name was originally Siddhartha Gautama was born a prince about 563 B.C. in what we now know as Nepal. His mother, Queen Maya, who died shortly after her son’s birth, had dreamt of a radiant white elephant came to her from heaven; a sign that predicted the Prince would become a “wandering holy man”. The young child’s parents didn’t want their child to become a prophet; instead, they wanted him to be a ruler. Frighted by the dream, the royal family kept their son in the palace. At the age of sixteen, he married a beautiful girl named Yasodhara. Together they had a baby boy named Rahula and lived a happy life; however all that would change years later. When Siddhartha was twenty-nine he wandered beyond the palace gardens and saw an old man, an ill person, and a decomposing body. Distraught by what he saw, Siddhartha then realized how much human suffering there was in the world. The thought of all the despair sickened the Prince. Upon returning to the palace, the luxuries of his magnificent home now seemed grotesque. That very night he shaved his head, and changed his royal clothes for that of a beggar, and left the palace never to return. And so began his quest to discover “the realm of life where there is neither suffering nor death.”
Siddhartha Gautama sought answers from Hindu scholars and other holy men, yet their ideas couldn’t seem to satisfy him. Even when they’d taught all they could teach, Siddhartha still had his questions and curiosity, so he and five disciples left to seek out their own answers to the way of enlightenment. Day and night they fasted and meditated, yet Siddhartha was still unsatisfied. Frustrated by his inability to seem to find the answers he was looking for, he sat beneath a sacred fig tree and settled into meditation for he was determined to stay there until he finally understood the mystery of life. That night, he came to battle with Mara, a demon, who brought armies of evil spirits to attack Siddhartha, who sat still in his meditations. Even Mara’s exceptionally beautiful daughter attempted to seduce the former Prince, but her efforts failed. They tempted him to give up his meditations; however, he mustered up the strength to fight them off. When he awoke the next day, he believed that he understood the cause and cure for suffering and declared himself as Buddha, the Enlightened One.
Sources:
- "Buddhism Origins, Buddhism History, Buddhism Beliefs." Patheos Library. Patheos. Web. 16 Oct. 2014. <http://www.patheos.com/Library/Buddhism.html>.
- Ellis, Elizabeth Gaynor and Esler, Anthony. “World History.” Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. Print.
- O'Brien, Barbara. "The Life of the Buddha." About. About.com, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 Oct. 2014. <http://buddhism.about.com/od/lifeofthebuddha/a/buddhalife.htm>.
- "The Buddhist World: Gautama Buddha." The Buddhist World: Gautama Buddha. BDEA Inc. & BuddhaNet, 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 16 Oct. 2014. <http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/buddha.htm>.