OLD THE HISTORY OF BUDDHA

THE LIFE OF BUDDHA: Queen maya devi dreamed a white elephant and gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama (about 583 BC). His mother, died shortly after his birth. When he was small, a holy prophesied the prince would either be a great military conqueror or a great spiritual teacher. King raised the boy in great luxury and shielded him from knowledge of religion and human suffering until the age of 29. One day, Overcome with curiosity, Siddhartha went through the countryside. On those journeys he was shocked by the sight of an aged man, sick man and corpse. The stark realities of old age, diseases and death seized and sickened the prince. Finally, he saw a wandering ascetic. The charioteer explained that the ascetic was one who had renounced the world and sought release from fear of death and suffering. For a time he returned to palace life, but he took no pleasure in it. Even the news that his wife Yasodhara had given birth to a son did not please him. The child was called Rahula, means �Fetter�. One night he wandered the palace alone. The luxuries that had once pleased him now seemed grotesque, musicians and dancing girls had fallen asleep, and were snoring. Prince Siddhartha reflected on the old age, disease and death that would over take them all and turn their body to dust. He realized then he could no longer to content living the life of prince. That very night he left palace, shaved his head and changed his prince�s clothes for a beggar�s robe. Then he began his quest for enlightenment. He learnt how to meditate by renowned teachers. He practices meditation enduring pain, holding their breath, fasting nearly to starvation. But he got pain opposite pleasure and self-mortification. Now, he considered a middle way between those extremes. He realized that instead of starvation, he needed nourishment to build up his strength for the effort. But when he accepted a bowl of rice milk from a young girl then attained enlightenment. He sat beneath a Bodhi tree, a demon named Mara (destruction) attacked him but sat still and untouched. Mara�s most beautiful daughter tried to seduce him, this effort also failed. Mara challenged him �who will speak for you?� Then Siddhartha reached out his right hand to touch the earth, and earth roared, �I bear you witness�. Mara disappeared and he became a Buddha.