In 563 B.C. a son was born to King Suddhodana and his queen, Mahamaya. They named their child Siddhartha, meaning "a wish fulfilled." A Brahmin predicted that the prince of this small kingdom in the foothills of the Himalayas would either become a great ruler or a holy man.
The Life of Siddhartha Gautama
King Suddhodana was very disturbed by this prediction. He made sure that Siddhartha grew up in the life of luxury. Siddhartha had the finest tutors to ensure the best education for his future role as king. He excelled in sports and was given everything a future king could ask for. Suddhodana was careful to shield Siddhartha from any kind of pain or suffering.
When Siddhartha was 29-years-old, he wanted to see more of the world. He ventured out and was shocked to see an old man. On another outing in the country Siddhartha was disturbed when he came upon a man who was ill. On the third trip out he encountered a funeral procession surrounded by mourners. Siddhartha was not prepared for these sights as he had been shielded from them his entire life.
On yet another journey outside of the kingdom Siddhartha met a holy man with a shaved head wearing a yellow robe. The man was a monk who had given up all worldly possessions in order to seek the truth in life. This had a profound affect on Siddhartha.
The Four Noble Truths
Siddhartha decided to leave behind all of his worldly possessions and his life of luxury to go forth and seek some of the true meanings of life such as why do people have to suffer. Through meditation, Siddhartha, (who became known as Buddha,) came up with four Noble truths.
The truths are that suffering exists, suffering comes from attachment, suffering can end through liberation, the path to end suffering comes from self improvement and enlightenment.
With his new lease on life, Buddha spent the rest of his life traveling around India teaching anyone who would listen about his Four Noble Truths. He taught that people suffer because they hold on to the belief that things are permanent instead of understanding that nothing in life lasts.
He further taught that people had to let go of fear, anger, greed, and any other negative emotions. Instead of having negative thoughts, Buddha explained the importance of awareness. This would include awareness of the body, feelings, thoughts, and the laws of experience.
Through meditation Buddha achieved enlightenment. Today his teachings can be found throughout the world.
Readers may also enjoy: The Origins Of Meditation, along with Sitting Meditation, and Tools for Meditation.
Sources:
- Meditation For Dummies, Stephan Bodian, (Wiley Publishing,) 2006.
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Buddism, Gary Gach, (Penguin Group, ) 2004.
- The Best Guide to Meditation, Victor N. Davich, (Renaissance Media,) 1998.
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