The life of The life of the the Buddha.Buddha.

Siddartha Gautama was the son of a King of the Sakya clan, who

ruled in Lumbini; a city in Northern India. It had been

prophesied that he would be a great king, unless he saw human suffering, in which case he would

be a great sage. His father wanted him to grow up to be a

great king, and arranged for him to be educated properly, in isolation from the world.

Siddartha grew up in unimaginable luxury. His palace was protected

from the world, and he was educated as a prince should be, in art, music, diplomacy, and warfare. He was attended only by beautiful,

young servants. He married a beautiful princess, and had a son.

Whenever Siddartha left the palace, he was attended by an

army of attendants, who moved all ordinary people out of the

way!

One day, bored with life in the

palace, Siddartha went on a journey, without his

usual attendants. He sneaked out of the

palace, with only his

charioteer for company.

As they drove along, Siddartha saw things that

he had never seen before; new

sights, visions of the way that

ordinary people lived!

First, beside the road, Siddartha saw a sick

man. “What is the matter with him?” he

asked the Charioteer, as he had never seen anyone sick before!

“He is sick, my Lord” replied the charioteer.

“Why” asked Siddartha, “What has he done to deserve such a

terrible fate?” “Nothing Lord, sickness comes to

all of us.” Siddartha was struck dumb,

terrified by the thought that he, although young and strong,

might become ill!

Next, Siddartha saw an old

man sitting by the road;

wizened with age, more

like a bundle of rags than a

man. Hunched over,

wrinkled. “What is the matter with

him? He asked.

“He is old, My Lord”, replied the charioteer, who

then had to explain to a shocked

Siddartha, that this was an inevitable

part of life!

Next they saw a corpse, laid out on a

funeral pyre for cremation. “What is

this” asked Siddartha, “Why are they burning him?”

Now the charioteer explained

about death to him; how it

means the end of life, and

how it comes to all, no

matter how rich or

powerful they are. “Death is inevitable. My Lord,” he said. Siddartha was paralysed with

fear!

They drove along in silence, Siddartha lost in his thoughts.

All his riches, all his youth, all his health would go; he would

experience sickness, old age, and death. How could he face such

suffering happening to him?

On their way back to the palace, they saw one more sight. An

old man, in a tattered orange robe, who

walked along the road with a firm stride, his

gaze fixed on the horizon, a smile

playing on his lips.“Who is that?” said Siddartha, and how can he smile when

sickness, old age and death await?”

“He is a holy man, My Lord”, replied the charioteer.

“He has abandoned all his possessions, and his life, to live in the forest, and work hard at

liberating himself from suffering. By leaving the world he hopes to find

the truth”

That night, in the palace, Siddartha could not sleep, tormented by

what he had seen, he lay awake and worried. Not even his wealth and power could save him from

Sickness, Old age and Death. He decided to follow the holy man,

and ask for his help. He kissed his wife and son goodbye. He climbed over the wall in secret, cut off his hair with his sword, swapped his rich clothes with a beggar’s rags,

and vanished into the night.

Siddartha spent the next six years with the

ascetics. He learned to meditate, and practiced yoga to try and control his body, and free his

soul. He practiced fierce

austerities, eating only a few grains of rice each day, and meditating for

weeks at a time; trying to force himself to

happiness.

Eventually, as he sat in

meditation, terribly

emaciated, he realised that he

had achieved nothing.

Neither as a rich prince, nor as a penniless ascetic, could

he find happiness.

Rising from his seat, he left the other ascetics, and seated himself under a

tree. He vowed that he would not move, until he had discovered the secret of happiness. As he sat in meditation, he saw his previous

lives, and understood all the suffering which he had undergone. Although tempted by “demons” of lust and anger, he overcame all of them, and when morning came, he understood how to be happy; he

was enlightened!

He touched the earth, as the witness to his achievement, and rose to

begin his new life; no longer

Siddartha Gautama, no longer the

Ascetic, he was now the

enlightened teacher: