CONTENTS
1.
A Fortunate Birth
2.
A Holy Man’s Visit
3.
The Kind Prince
4.
The Marriage Contest
5.
The Pleasure Palaces
6.
A Song of Beauty
7.
An Unexpected Sight
8.
The Second Journey
9.
The Final Shock
10.
Fading Pleasures
11.
A vision of Peace
12.
A Father's Fear
13.
Escape
14.
The Journey Begins
15.
Six Years Of Struggle
16.
An Offering
17.
The Great Battle
18.
Awakened
19.
Whom To Teach
20.
The First Teaching
21.
A Mother's Grief
22.
A Rude Man
23.
Words Of Praise
24.
Kindness To Animals
25.
The Power Of Love
26.
The Return
27.
The King And The Tree Spirit
28.
Equal Love To All
29.
The Final Days
30.
The Teachings Still Live
31.
Footnotes of Translator
1
A FORTUNATE BIRTH
Many, many years ago, in a small kingdom in the north of India, something
was happening that would change the whole world. Queen Maya (1), wife of
the good King Suddhodana (2), lay asleep and had a wondrous dream. She
dreamt she saw a brilliant white light shining down to her from the sky,
and in the rays of this light was a magnificent elephant. It was pure white
and had six large tusks. This elephant of light flew closer and closer
to the Queen and finally melted into her body.
Queen Maya awoke, filled with greater happiness than she had ever felt
before.
Quickly she went to the king and together they asked the wise men at the
court what this strange and wonderful dream might mean. The wise men answered,
"O Your Majesties, this dream is a most excellent one! It means that the
Queen will give birth to a son, and this prince will someday become a great
man. Not only you, but the entire world is fortunate that
the
Queen will have such a special child."
Hearing this good news, the King and Queen were overjoyed. The King was
especially happy because he longed for a son who would someday rule his
kingdom in his place. And now it seemed his wish was being granted.
It was the custom in those days for a woman to return to her parents home
in order to give birth. And so, when the time had almost come for the baby
to be born, Queen Maya and many of her friends and attendants left the
palace of the King and began the journey to her childhood home.
They had not travelled far when the Queen asked that they stop and rest.
She knew the baby would be born very soon. They had reached the beautiful
gardens of Lumbini (3) and the Queen went into this garden looking for
a comfortable place in which she could give birth. The stories say that
even the animals and plants, somehow understanding what a special child
was about to be born, wanted to help. A large tree bent down one of its
branches and the Queen took hold of it with her right hand. Supporting
herself in this way, she gave birth to a son. The attendants cradled the
baby in their arms and were amazed at how beautiful he was and how peaceful
he seemed.
At that moment, throughout the land, there was great feeling of peace and
happiness. People forgot their troubles, ceased their quarrels and felt
great love and friendship for one another. Some people saw rainbows suddenly
appear in the sky, and many other beautiful and unusual things were seen.
Wise men from all over the kingdom noticed these signs of peace and joy
and excitedly said to each other, "Something very fortunate has just happened.
Look at all these wonderful signs! Today is the full moon day of the fourth
month. It must certainly be a special day!"
Queen Maya, unaware that her joy at having a son was being shared at that
very moment throughout the kingdom, took the new-born baby in her arms
and returned to the palace of the King.
2
A HOLY MAN’S VISIT
With great rejoicing, King Shuddhodana greeted his Queen and his new son
Splendid festivals were held and the whole kingdom was decked in beautifully
coloured banners. It was a time of great happiness and peace. There was
so much gladness everywhere that his parents decided to name the Prince
"Siddhartha" (4), which means "the one who has brought about all good".
Now the wise men made new predictions about the baby. "O King," they said,
"the signs of the Prince's birth are most favourable. Your son will grow
up to be even greater than you are now!" This news made the King very proud.
"If these wise men are correct," he thought, "my son, Prince Siddhartha,
may one day be the ruler not only of my small kingdom, but perhaps of the
entire world! What a great honour for me and my family!"
In the first few days after his birth, many people came to the palace to
see the new baby. One of these visitors was an old man named Asita (5).
Asita was a hermit who lived by himself in the distant forests, and he
was known to be a very holy person. The King and Queen were surprised that
Asita would leave his forest home and appear at their court,"We are very
honoured that you have come to visit us, O holy teacher," they said with
great respect. "Please tell us the purpose of your journey and we shall
serve you in any way we can."
Asita answered them, "I thank you for your kind welcome. I have come a
great distance to visit you because of the wonderful signs I have recently
seen. They tell me that the son recently born to you will gain great spiritual
knowledge for the benefit of all people. Since I have spent my entire life
trying to gain such holy wisdom, I came here as quickly as
possible
to see him for myself."
The King was very excited and hurried to where the baby Prince lay sleeping.
He carefully picked up his son and brought him back to Asita. For a long
time the holy man gazed at the infant, saying nothing. Then he finally
stepped back, looked sadly up at the sky, sighed heavily and began
to
cry.
Seeing Asita weep, the King and Queen became very frightened. They were
afraid that the holy man had seen something wrong with their child. With
tears in his eyes, the King fell to his knees and cried out, "O holy teacher,
what have you seen that makes you weep? All the other wise men say that
my son was born to be a great man, to gain supreme knowledge. But now,
when you look at my baby you cry. Does this mean that the Prince will die
soon? Or will something else very terrible happen to him? He is my only
child and I love him dearly. Please tell me quickly what you have seen
for my heart is shaking with sadness and fear."
Then with a very kind look, Asita calmed the new parents and told them
not to worry.
"Do not be upset," he told them. "I am not crying because of something
bad I saw for the Prince. In fact, now that I have seen your son, I know
for certain that he will grow up to be more that just a great man. There
are special signs that I have seen on this child-such as the light that
shines from his fingers-that tell me he will have a glorious future.
"If your son decides to stay with you and become a king, he will be the
greatest king in history. He will rule a vast realm and bring his people
much peace and happiness. But if he decides not to become a king, his future
will be even greater! He will become a great teacher, showing all people
how to live with peace and love in their hearts. Seeing the sadness in
the world he will leave your palace and discover a way to end all suffering.
Then he will teach this way to whoever will listen.
"No, dear King and Queen, I was not crying for the child. I was crying
for myself. You see, I have spent my whole life looking for the truth,
searching for a way to end all suffering. And today I have met the child
who will someday teach everything I have wanted to learn. But by the time
he is old enough to teach, I shall already have died. Thus, I shall not
be
able
to learn from him in this life. That is why I am so sad.
But
you, O fortunate parents, should not be sad. Rejoice that you have such
a wonderful child."
Then Asita took one long, last look at the child, and slowly left the palace.
The King watched him leave and then turned towards his son. He was very
happy that there was no danger to the Prince's life. He thought, "Asita
has said that Siddhartha will become either a great king or a great teacher.
It would be much better if first he became a king. How proud I would be
to have such a famous and powerful son! Then, when he is an old man like
Asita, he can become a holy man if he wants."
So, thinking like this, King Shuddhondana stood happily with his baby in
his arms, dreaming of the fame that his son would someday have.
3
THE KING PRINCE
While the new baby was still very young, his mother, Queen Maya, died.
Shortly before she passed away, the Queen said to her sister, "Soon I shall
not be able to take care of my baby anymore. Dear Sister, after I have
gone, please look after Siddhartha for me." Her sister promised that she
would. She loved the little Prince very much and brought him up as if he
were her own child.
The Prince grew into a bright, handsome and kindhearted boy. His father,
the KIng, arranged for him to be educated by the best teachers in the kingdom,
and very quickly he showed his remarkable intelligence. After the first
few days of classes the teachers reported to the King,
"Your Majesty," they said, "the Prince does not need us anymore. After
only a few lessons he has learned everything we have to teach him. In fact,
he has taught us a few things that we ourselves never knew before!."
Hearing this, the King's pride in his son grew even greater. "With his
intelligence, my son will certainly grow up to be a wise and powerful king,"
he thought, and this made the King very happy.
But there was something else about this boy that was even more remarkable
than his intelligence. He had very kind, gentle and loving nature. The
rest of his young playmates enjoyed the rough and tumble games of small
children, or pretended they were soldiers and fought with one another.
But Prince Siddhartha quietly spent most of his time alone. He loved the
small animals that lived in the palace gardens and became friendly with
them all. The animals knew that the Prince would never hurt them, so they
were never afraid of him. Even the wild animals, who would run away if
anyone else came near, would come to greet the Prince when he entered the
garden. They approached him fearlessly and ate from his hand the food he
always brought with him for them.
One day as the Prince was sitting in the garden, a flock of white swans
flew overhead. Suddenly an arrow shot up into the air, striking one of
them. It fell out of the sky and landed at the Prince's feet, the arrow
still stuck into its wing.
"Oh, you poor swan," Siddhartha whispered as he gently picked up the wounded
bird, "do not be afraid. I shall take care of you. Here, let me remove
this arrow." Then, with one hand he gently stroked the bird, calming its
fear. With his other hand he slowly pulled out the painful arrow. The Prince
was carrying a special lotion with him, and softly rubbed it into the bird's
wind, all the time speaking in a low, pleasant voice so that the swan would
not become afraid. Finally he took off his won silk shirt and wrapped it
around the bird to keep it warm.
After a short time, another young boy came running into the garden. It
was the Prince's cousin, Devadatta (6). He was carrying a bow and some
arrows and he was very excited. "Siddhartha, Siddhartha," he shouted, "great
news! I got a swan! You should have seem me; I hit it with my first shot!
It fell down somewhere near here. Help me look for it."
Then Devadatta noticed one of his arrows, with blood still on its tip,
lying on the ground near Siddhartha's feet. Looking closer he saw that
the Prince was holding something in his arms, and realized it was the swan
he was searching for. "Hey, you took my swan," he yelled. "Give it back
to me. I shot it and it's mine!" Devadatta grabbed at the bird, but the
Prince held onto it, keeping his angry cousin from even touching it.
"I found this bird lying here bleeding," the Prince said firmly, "and I
don't plan to give it to anyone while it is still wounded."
"But it's mine!" shouted Devadatta again. "I shot it fair and square, and
you've stolen it from me. Give it back or I'll take it back."
The two boys stood arguing like this for some time. Devadatta was getting
angrier and angrier, but Siddhartha refused to give him the swan. Finally
the Prince said, "When two grown-ups have a quarrel like this, they settle
it in court. In front of a group of wise people, each one explains the
story of what happened. Then the wise people decide who is right. I think
you and I should do the same."
Devadatta did not like this idea very much, but because it was the only
way he could ever get the swan back, he agreed. So the two of them went
to the palace and appeared in front of the King and his ministers. The
people at court smiled at each other when they heard what these two children
wanted. "To think," they said, "that they want to take up our time over
a mere bird!" But the KIng said, "Both Siddhartha and Devadatta are royal
princes, and I am glad they brought their quarrel to us. I think it is
very important that, as future rulers, they become used to the ways of
this court. Let the trial begin!"
So in turn each of the boys described what happened. Then the ministers
tried to decide which boy was right and should therefore have the swan.
Some thought, "Devadatta shot the bird; therefore it should belong to him."
Others thought, "Siddhartha found the swan; therefore it should belong
to him." And for a long time the ministers talked and argued about the
case.
Finally, into the court came a very old man whom no one remembered ever
seeing before. But because he looked so wise, they told him the story of
the boys and their swan. After listening to what they had to say, he declared,
"Everyone values his or her life more than anything else in the world.
Therefore, I think that the swan belongs to the person who tried to save
its life, not to the person who tried to take its life away. Give the swan
to Siddhartha."
Everyone agreed that what the wise man said was true, so they decided to
let the Prince keep the swan. Later, when the King tried to find the old
man and reward him for his wisdom, he was nowhere to be found. "This is
very strange," the king thought. "I wonder where he came from and where
he went." But no one knew. This was just one of the many unusual things
that happened concerning the Prince, so many people thought he must be
a very special child indeed!
4
THE MARRIAGE CONTEST
As the Prince grew older, his kindness made him well-loved by everyone
who knew him. But his father was worried. Siddhartha is too gentle and
sensitive," he thought. "I want him to grow up to be a great king and kings
must, be strong and powerful. But the Prince is more interested in sitting
by himself in the garden than he is in learning how to be the ruler of
a kingdom. I am afraid that my son will soon want to leave the palace and
follow the lonely life of holy men like Asita. If he does this he will
never become a great king."
These thoughts bothere the King very much. He sent for his most trusted
ministers and asked them what he could do. Finally one of them suggested,
"O King, your son sits and dreams of other worlds only because he is not
yet attached to anything in this world. Find him a wife, let him get married
and have children, and soon he will stop dreaming and become interested
in learning how to rule the kingdom."
The King thought this was an excellent idea. So he arranged for a large
banquet
at the palace. All the young women from noble families were invited. At
the end of the evening the Prince was asked to give presents to each of
the guests, while several ministers watched him closely to see which of
the young women the Prince seemed to like.
The
women, who were scarcely more than young girls, were all very embarrassed
to appear before the Prince. He looked so handsome but so distant as he
stood in front of the table bearing all the expensive gifts. One by one
they shyly went up to him, timidly looking downwards as they approached.
They silently accepted the jewel or bracelet or other gift, and quickly
returned to their places.
Finally, only one young women was left. She was Yasodhara (7), the daughter
of a neighbouring king. Unlike the others, she approached the Prince without
any shyness. For the first time that evening, the young Prince looked directly
at the woman before him. She was very beautiful and
the
Prince was immediately attracted to her.
They stood in silence for a while, looking into each other's eyes. Then
Yasodhara spoke, "O Prince, where is the gift for me?" The Prince was startled,
as if awakening from a dream. He looked down at the table and saw it was
empty. All the gifts had already been given out to the other guests. "Here,
take this," said the Prince, taking his own ring from his finger. "This
is for you." Yasodhara graciously accepted the ring and
walked
slowly back to her place.
The ministers saw all that happened and excitedly ran to the King. "Sire!"
they reported happily, "we have found the perfect bride for the Prince.
She is Princess Yasodhara, daughter of your neighbour, King Suprabuddha
(8). Let us immediately go to this King and arrange for the marriage of
his daughter and your son."
King Suddhodana agreed and soon afterwards visited Yasodhara's father.
The other king greeted him warmly and said, "I am sure that your son is
a fine young man, but I cannot give my daughter away to just anyone. Many
other princes want to marry her, and they are all excellent young men.
They are skilled in riding, archery and other royal sports. Therefore,
if your son wants to marry my daughter, he will have to compete in a contest
with the other suitors, as is our custom."
And so it was arranged for a great contest to be held, with beautiful Yasodhara
as the prize. King Shuddhodana was worried. He thought, "My son has never
showed the slightest interest in warrior games. How can he ever win this
contest?" But the Prince understood his father's fears and said to him,
"Do not be worried. I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to win Yasodhara
for my bride."
The first event was archery. The other men placed their targets a long
distance away, yet each was able to hit the bull's-eye. And when it was
Devadatta's turn-for Siddhartha's cousin was also one of the suitors-he
not only hit the bull's-eye, but sent his arrow right through th target
until it stuck out the other side. The crowd cheered, but Yasodhara covered
her eyes in fright. "How can my beloved Siddhartha ever beat that shot?"
she thought. "How dreadful if I had to marry evadatta!"
But the Prince was confident. When it was his turn he had his target placed
so far away that most of the people could hardly even see it. Then he took
an arrow from his quiver and pulled back on his bow. The Prince was so
strong, however, that the bow burst in half; he had drawn it back so far!
"Please fetch me another bow," the Prince asked, "but a much stronger one
this time that will not break like the other one." Then a minister called
out, "O Prince, there is a very old bow in the palace. It belonged to one
of the greatest warriors of the past. But since he died many years ago
no one has been strong enough to string it, much less shoot it."
"I shall use that one," said the Prince, and everyone was amazed. When
he was handed the bow he carefully bent it and strung it easily. Then he
notched an arrow on the string, drew it back so far that the ends of the
bow almost touched, aimed, and let the arrow fly. Twang! The bow made such
a loud sound that people in far away villages heard it. The arrow shot
away
so fast that when it hit the distant target-right in the center of the
bull's-eye-it did not even slow down, but continued to fly until it was
out of sight.
The crowd roared in delight! "The Prince has won! The Prince has won!"
But archery was only the first event of the day; the next contest was in
swordsmanship.
Each young man selected a tree and showed his strength by slashing through
it with his sword.
One
suitor cut through a tree six inches thick, another nine inches, and a
third cut through a tree a foot thick with a single stroke of his sword!
Then it was the Prince's turn. He selected a tree that had two trunks growing
side by side. He swung his sword so quickly that it cut through the tree
faster than anyone could see. His sword was so sharp and his cut so even
that the tree did not even fall over. Instead it remained standing, perfectly
balanced. When they saw the tree still standing upright, the crowd and
especially Yasodhara moaned, "He has failed. The Prince's sword did not
even cut into the first trunk.
But just then a breeze stirred up and blew over the neatly severed tree
trunks. The crowd's moans turned into cheers, and again they shouted, "The
Prince has won!"
The final contest was in horsemanship. A wild horse, which had never been
ridden before was held down by several strong men while each young suitor
tried to mount it. But the horse bucked and kicked so furiously that none
of them could stay on its back for more that a few seconds. Finally one
young man managed to hold on and the attendants let go of the horse. But
it jumped and lunged about with such fury and anger that the rider was
thrown to the ground. And he would have been trampled if the men had not
rushed out and pulled him to safety.
The crowd began screaming loudly, "Stop the contest! Don't let the Prince
near that horse! It is too dangerous; the horse will kill him!" But Siddhartha
had no fear.
"Gentleness
can be more powerful than brute strength," he thought, and slowly reached
out and took hold of a small tuft of hair that grew from the horse's forehead.
Speaking in a low and pleasant voice, and gently stroking the wild horse's
head and sides, he calmed its anger, rage and fear.
Soon the horse was so gentle that it began licking Siddhartha's hand. Then,
still whispering sweetly to the horse, the Prince climbed onto its back.
While the crowd roared happily, he paraded the steed in front of the kings
and minsiters, and bowed low to his fair prized, the lovely Yasodhara.
The contest was over; young Siddhartha had won! And he had done so not
only by the power of his great strength, but of his gentleness and kindness
as well.
5
the pleasures places
Soon afterwards, Prince Siddhartha and Princess Yasodhara were married.
The King wanted to be certain that his son would never desire to leave
the kingdom, so he ordered not one but three magnificent places to be built
for the new couple. "Make them as beautiful as possible," he told the chief
builder. "I want them to be so magnificent that the people entering them
will think they are in heaven.
"I want one to be a summer palace, made of cool marble and surrounded by
refreshing pools and fountains. The second will be the winter palace, warm
and comfortable. And the third will be for the rainy season. Place these
palaces in the middle of a large park, with beautiful scenery in every
direction. And surround the park with a large wall, so that nothing upleasant
from the outside world can ever get in. Everything is to be so perfect
that Prince Siddhartha will never be tempted to leave."
The King did everything possible to make these new homes attractive to
the Prince. He had the most skilled musicians in his kingdom play there
throughout the day and into the night. All the servants were beautiful
young dancing girls, and the chefs in the kitchen were instructed to werve
a never-ending variety of delicious food.
Nothing was allowed into the palaces that might disturb the Prince's mind
and make him want to leave.
And so for many years Prince Siddhartha lived in these heavenly surroundings.
From morning to night he was entertained in a thousand ways. He never saw
anything that was not beautiful, nor ever heard any sound that was not
sweet and pleasant. For instance, if one of the servant girls became ill,
she was removed from the palace and not allowed to return until she was
better again. In this way the Prince never saw sickness or anything that
might disturb his gentle mind. The King ordered that no one speaking to
the Prince should ever mention anything sad or depressing. And even if
one of the plants in the garden began to droop or wilt, it was immediately
snipped off by a special gardener. Thus the Prince never even saw a faded
or dying flower! In all these ways, then, he was kept ignorant of the suffering
and unpleasantness in the world.
Time passed as if in a dream. Yasodhara gave birth to a son, Rahula (9),
and everything seemed perfectg. The King was very pleased, glad that his
plans to keep the Prince interested in the royal life were working out
so well. But it was not meant that Siddhartha, whose birth was the cause
for all the world's rejoicing, should pass his life in such idle splendour.
Eventually, when the time was right, he would discover the true purpose
of his life.
6
A SONG OF BEAUTY
One evening after dinner, Prince Siddhartha lay reclining on his couch,
his head resting in Yasodhara's lap. The musicians were playing sweet melodies
and the servant girls were whispering and laughing quietly to each other.
The evening was like so many the Prince had known since moving into the
pleasure palaces. But this night he felt a bit restless. Turning to one
of his favourite singers, he requested, "Please lull us to sleep with a
song. Choose a tune you have never sung for me before."
The singer graciously agreed and began to make up a new song from words
that floated through her mind; all the while accompanying herself on a
stringed instrument. She sang of the beauties of the world, of the distant
lands where she had travelled as a child, of golden cities where happy
people lived.
The song enchanted the Prince and when it was over he asked the singer,
"Tell me truly, are there really such beautiful places beyond these garden
walls? What kind of lives do the people in the city live? Are there things
in this world more lovely than what I have seen in these magnificent palaces?
Please, tell me all you know."
"O Prince," she answered, "surely these palaces of yours are most magnificent;
but there are many other beautiful things to be seen in this wide world.
There are cities and
towns,
mountains and valleys, distant lands where people speak strange languages.
There are many things that I have seen, and many more that I have only
heard about. Your palaces and gardens are indeed beautiful, but there is
much to see outside their walls."
Hearing this, the Prince became interested in seeing all these strange
and wonderful things for himself. For so many years he had been content
to live within the pleasure palaces and gardens, completely forgetting
about the world beyond. But now he desired to journey out, and so he sent
a message to the King requesting him to arrange a travel party into the
city beyond the garden walls.
The King received his son's message and thought to himself, "So now my
son wishes to see our kingdom. So be it! He has stayed long enough inside
his pleasure palaces. It is time for him to see the kingdom he will someday
rule."
7
an unexpected sight
The King still wanted to be certain that his son would not see anything
on his trip that might disturb his mind. This might make him want to leave
the kingdom and follow the holy life. So the day before the Prince was
about to travel to the city, the King sent his servants and soldiers out
with this message: "By order of the King! Tomorrow the royal Prince Siddhartha
will visit the capital city of Kapilavastu (10). Decorate your houses and
the streets and let everything be colourful in his honour. Let those who
are sick or old or in any way unhealthy stay indoors tomorrow. Nothing
should be seen in the city that is not young and fair and beautiful." And
then, very gently, the soldiers took all the street beggars and brought
them to a part of the city where the Prince would not visit.
When morning came, the charioteer Channa (11) groomed the Prince's favourite
horse, Kantaka (12), and drove out through the palace gates with his royal
passenger.
It was the first time the Prince had seen Kapilavastu since he was a small
child, and it was the first time that most of the citizens of the city
had ever seen their Prince. Everyone was excited and lined the newly decorated
streets to catch a glimpse of the handsome young man as he rode by.
“How
tall and good looking he is! “they said to one anorther. How bright his
eyes and his brow! We are indeed fortunate that someday he will be our
king."
And the Prince, too, was delighted. The city was sparkling and clean and
everywhere he saw people laughing and cheering and even dancing. The streets
where he rode were covered with the flower petals the citizens joyously
threw towards the beloved Prince. "The song was true," he remembered happily.
"This is indeed a golden, beautiful and wondrous city!"
But as the Prince and his charioteer were riding by they spotted an old,
bent, sad-looking person among the joyous crowd. Curious-for the Prince
had never seen anything like this before-he turned and asked, "Channa,
who is that person over there? Why is he stooping over and not dancing
like the others? Why is his face not smooth and shining like everyone else's;
why is it pale and wrinkled? Why is he so different from the others?"
And Channa pointed to that man who remained unseen by everyone else, and
answered the Prince, "Why Sir, that is just an old man."
"Old?" the Prince questioned. "Was this man always 'old' like this before,
or did it happen to him recently?"
"Neither, O Prince," Channa answered. "Many years ago that wrinkled man
before you was young and strong as all the others you see here today. But
slowly he lost his strength. His body became bent, the colour faded from
his cheeks, he lost most of his teeth, and now he appears the way he does."
Surprised and saddened, Siddhartha asked again, "That poor man, is he the
only one suffering the weaknesses of old age? Or are there any others like
him?"
"Surely you know, O Prince, that everyone must experience old age. You,
me, your wife Yasodhara, Rahula, everyone at the palace-we are all growing
older every moment. Someday most of us will look like that man."
These words so shocked the gentle Prince that for a long time he remained
speechless. He looked like a person who had just been frightened by a sudden
lightning flash. Finally he regained his voice and spoke, "O Channa, I
have seen something today that I never expected to see. In the midst of
all these happy young people this vision of old age frightens me. Turn
the chariot back to the palace; all my enjoyment of this trip has fled.
Turn back; I wish to see no more."
Channa did as commanded. When they arrived back home, the Prince entered
his palace without greeting anyone, hurried upstairs to his own room, and
sat by himself for a long time. Everyone noticed how strangely he acted
and tried hard to cheer him up. But nothing helped. At dinner he did not
touch any of his food, even though the chef prepared his favourited meal.
He paid no attention to the music and dancing, but sat by himself thinking,
"Old age, old age, old age..."
8 the
Second journey
The King heard about his son's unhappy mood and wondered what could have
gone wrong. "He needs more variety," the King thought. "I'll plan another
trip for him, but this time to an even more beautiful section of the city."
And so Channa prepared Kantaka again, and again they rode out into Kapilavastu.
The streets were decorated as before, and the people were again happy to
see their Prince. But this time, seen only by Siddhartha and his charioteer,
a vision of a sick person appeared in the crowd of laughing people.
"Look, Channa," the Prince called out. "Who is that man who coughs so violently,
who shakes his body and cries so pitifully?"
"That is a sick person, O Prince."
"Why is he sick?" he asked.
"People become sick for many reasons, Sire. Perhaps he ate some bad food
or let himself become too cold. Now his body is out of balance and he feels
feverish."
"Do even happy people like those in the crowd ever become sick?"
"Oh, yes," answered the charioteer. "A person might be
healthy
one day and sick the next. No one is safe from
illness."
For the second time the Prince was deeply shocked. "I cannot understand,"
he said, "how people can be so carefree and happy knowing that sickness
might strike them at any time. Please, turn back the chariot. I have seen
more than enough for one day."
When he returned to the palace the Prince was even more unhappy than before.
Nothing anyone did could make him smile, and he did not want to speak to
anyone. When the King found out about his son's unhappiness he became very
worried and confused. "I have tried everything to make my son happy, but
lately his heart is filled with gloom. I must ask my ministers what I can
do to brighten my son's spirits."
They suggested that the next time the Prince wanted to leave the palace
grounds, he should not go alone. Rather, he should be accompanied by singers,
dancers and nobles from the court. And they should plan to visit a specially
prepared garden where the Prince could be amused and distracted by all
sorts of entertainment.
And so, when Prince Siddhartha again requested to visit the city beyond
the garden walls, many arrangements were made to make the journey as enjoyable
as possible. The city was beautified even more than before. All unpleasant
sights were removed and a special park was prepared with all manner of
delights.
9
The Final Shock
Siddhartha and Channa again left the palace by chariot. With their accompanying
ministers, musicians and servants they looked like part of a ceremonial
parade. As before, the people lined the streets and feasted their eyes
on the grand, royal procession.
But for a third time a vision appeared that only the Prince and his charioteer
could see. A group of sad-eyed people, carrying a long box in which a body
covered in a white sheet lay, appeared from one of the houses and slowly
made its way down one of the side streets.
"Channa, why is that man in the box lying so still? Is he asleep? And why
are all those people crying? Where are they taking him?"
"He is a dead man, Sire. They are going to the river where they will burn
his body."
The Prince was confused. "What do you mean by "dead"? And if they burn
his body, will it not hurt him? Please, Channa, explain what you mean so
I can understand."
And so Channa explained, telling the Prince the truths his father had tried
to hide from him all these years. "That man was once alive, as you
and I are now.
He
was born, grew into a child, then he became a young man.
He experienced the many pleasures and pains of life, raised a family, worked
for a living and grew older. Then he began to get weaker and weaker. He
was confined to his bed. Soon he was unable to recognize even his closest
friends. He grew worse and eventually his breath left his body. And with
his final breath, his understanding and life-force also left. Now he is
dead. All that is left behind to see is the body he cared for so much while
he was still alive. It lies there cold and without feeling. When his family
burns the body he will not feel anything, because he has already
left it behind."
"Tell me, Channa, is it unusual for people to die like this?" The charioteer
answered, "No, my Prince, not at all. It is true that there are some people
who never get the chance to grow old, and there are some who are very rarely
sick. But everyone, without exception, must one day die."
These words, uttered innocently by the charioteer, shocked the Prince deeply.
"Do you mean," he exclaimed passionately, "that one day my wife, my child,
my friends and myself will all be dead? And all these people I see here
today, all dressed up and so radiant, will also die? Oh, how blind is the
world that it can dance and sing while death is just waiting for everyone!
Why do they all bother to dress themselves in such fine clothes if one
day they shall be wearing nothing more than a simple white sheet?
Do people have such short memories that they forget about death? Or are
their hearts so strong that the thought of death does not bother them?
Come, Channa, turn the chariot around. I wish to return to the palace and
think."
But instead, Channa drove the chariot to a beautiful garden. There all
the most charming singers and dancers from the palace were waiting, along
with musicians, ministers and a large feast prepared by the palace chefs.
They all welcomed the Prince joyfully and cheered when he stepped from
the chariot. But the Prince did not smile, nor did he say anything. His
thoughts were totally absorbed in what he had seen that day.
10
Fading Pleasures
Everyone tried his or her best to amuse the Prince. The dancing girls flirted
with him, hoping to win at least a smile from his handsome but saddened
face. Yet Siddhartha did not even seem to notice them. He could not get
the visions of old age, sickness and death out of his mind.
One of the ministers, seeing that the Prince was not enjoying any of the
splendid arrangements that had been made for him, came over to the Prince.
In the joking manner of a friend he said, "Siddhartha, it is not right
that you ignore these lovely dancers and refuse to join the festivities.
Come on! You are young and healthy; you should be enjoying yourself. What
is the matter? Aren't these women pretty enough for you?"
But the Prince answered him in a voice as strong and low as thunder. "You
have misunderstood me. I do not dislike the lovely people and things I
see here. But when I think of how quickly their beauty will disappear,
how everything changes so fast, I cannot find much pleasure in them anymore.
"If there were no old age, sickness and death, then I, too, could find
great pleasure in such lovely objects. But in the middle of such unhappiness,
knowing what awaits us all in the future, how can I be satisfied with pleasures
that will fade so quickly?
"You, my friend, must have a stronger heart than mine if you can be amused
so easily. But for me, everything I see is on fire with suffering. Until
I find a way out of this suffering, such wordly amusements do not interest
me at all."
And so, unable to brighten the Prince's mood, everyone returned sadly to
the palace. When the ministers told the King that his son could not be
entertained or distracted by anything, he felt so much grief that he could
not sleep, "O, my beloved son," he thought to himself, "what else can I
do to keep you here in my kingdom with me? What other pleasures can I provide
so that you will stay?" And with such worried thoughts, fearful that he
would soon lose his only son, the King spent the night in despair.
11
A vision of Peace
The Prince sank deeper and deeper into gloom. He seemed to lose interest
in everything. He hardly ate anything anymore, and as a result began to
look pale and unhealthy. The King and everyone else were very upset that
these unhappy changes had come over their beloved Siddhartha.
One day he appeared before the King. "Father," he began, "lately my mind
has been very troubled. I feel restless and would like your permission
to leave the palace once again. Perhaps a change of scenery will do me
good."
The King was quick to agree to his son's request, for he would do anything
to please him and make him happy again. But, as before, he asked some of
his most trusted ministers to stay close to the Prince and keep an eye
on
him.
This time Siddhartha saddled Kantaka himself and rode out of the palace
grounds in search of some beautiful countryside. Finally he came to the
edge of some farmland and dismounted. The ministers followed close behind.
They tried to gain his attention with stories, news and gossip of the court.
But the Prince had no interest in such idle talk, and soon the ministers
left him alone and walked away, still chattering to themselves.
Siddhartha looked out over the farmland. A man and his oxen were plowing
the field, the birds were singing and the sun was shining brightly. "It
is so beautiful here," he thought. "The plowed rows in the field look like
ripples on a lake."
He sat down, and his mind relaxed for the first time in a long while. But
as he looked closer at the scene before him, he began to notice things
he had not seen before. Where the plow had come by and cut rows into the
soil, he saw the bodies of hundreds of small insects that had been killed
by its blade. He saw hundreds more running back and forth in confusion
now that their homes had been destroyed.
He also noticed that the birds were not just gayly singing. They were constantly
searching for food, swooping down to snatch up the frightened insects.
And the smaller birds darted about in fear, scared of the hawks and other
large birds who circled hungrily above them.
He noticed that the oxen laboured heavily while trying to drag the heavy
plow through the ground. The lashes of the farmer's whip cut painful blisters
into their sweating sides. And the farmer, too, worked hard. Like the beasts,
his rough and sun-burnt body glistened with sweat.
"Such a circle of misery," thought the Prince. "This farmer, his animals,
the birds and the insects-they work all day trying to be happy and comfortable,
to have enough to eat. But, in fact, they are constantly killing and hurting
each other, and themselves! How pitiful the worldseems to me."
The Prince's heart was filled with compassion for all these suffering creatures.
He hated to see them so unhappy. He found a shady place to sit under a
rose-apple tree and began to meditate deeply on what he had seen. As he
looked deeper and deeper into the nature of the suffering he saw, his mind
became more and more concentrated and calm. He experienced a quietness
unlike anything he had known before.
With his mind now at rest he began to think, "Every living thing is searching
for happiness. Yet most are so blinded by their ignorance and desires that
they find nothing but misery. Fear, diappointment, hunger,old age, sickness,
death-these are the rewards they find for all their trouble!
"Now that I have seen this, I have no more interest in the small and changeable
pleasures of this world. I must find something that will bring me lasting
peace and happiness. But how can I be content to free only myself from
suffering? I must figure out a way to help all other living creatures as
well. They have been so kind to me, and they are suffering so much! I must
search for a way to end all this suffering and then share it with everyone
else."
When Prince Siddhartha had finished this compassionate meditation he opened
his eyes. Standing before him, dressed like a poor beggar, was a man he
had never seen before. His eyes were calm and bright and he had the look
of great peace on his face.
"Please tell me," the Prince asked, "who you are?"
The man answered, "I am someone who has become frightened by the sufferings
of the world. I have grown tired of the so-called pleasures to be found
in the company of others, so now I wander about alone. I have given up
my home and now live and sleep in caves, in the forest or
whatever
I find myself. My only interest is in finding the highest and most perfect
happiness." When he had spoken these words, the man disappeared as if by
magic, leaving the Prince both astonished and overjoyed.
"At last I have found the true meaning for my life," he thought. "I, too,
shall give up my home and begin my search for true happiness and the end
of all suffering!"
And
so, with a firm mind and a steady heart, he mounted his horse Kantaka and
rode back to the palace.
12
A Father's Fear
Upon his arrival home the Prince immediately went to the King's room. Pressing
his hands together, as was the custom when making an important request,
he announced, "I wish to become a homeless wanderer and search for the
end of all suffering. Grant me your permission, Father, to leave the palace."
From the time his son was a baby, the King had feared that someday he would
have to hear this dreaded request. But still his son's words came as a
great shock to him. In a voice choked with tears he replied, "Dearest Son,
forget this idea of leaving. You are still much too young to follow the
lonely life of a holy man. Wait until you are older. Meanwhile stay here
in Kapilavastu and rule my kingdom."
"O Father, I shall stay here only if you can promise me four things. Tell
me that I shall never grow old, that I shall never become ill, that I shall
never die and that I shall never be unhappy. If you cannot promise me these
things, then I must leave immediately."
The King was shocked by these strange words and began to get angry. "Forget
these foolish ideas, Siddhartha," he said loudly.
But the Prince remained firm. "Father, if you cannot save me from the sufferings
of old age, sickness, death and unhappiness, then you must let me go and
try to save myself. It is not right to keep me a prisoner here."
But the King would hear no more. "Do not let the Prince leave! Set a guard
around the palace grounds!" he shouted to his ministers and then stormed
out of the room angrily.
13
Escape
Siddhartha left the King's room and returned to his palace. He passed through
the beautifully decorated rooms, the magnificent hallways, past the sparkling
fountains and into his rooms on the upper storey. He walked among the talented
musicians and past the beautiful serving girls. But none of these delights
affected his mind. He had only one thought, and that was to leave.
That night after dinner a strange force seemed to enter the palace. One
by one the musicians and dancers and servants became drowsy and fell asleep.
Finally even Yasodhara fell asleep next to her baby Rahula. The Prince
saw them lying there and thought to himself, "I would like to hold my child
in my arms one last time before I leave, but that might awaken Yasodhara.
Then it would be very difficult to depart. No, I must go quickly and quietly
before anyone wakes up."
Stepping carefully around the sleeping bodies, he reached the window and
climbed out onto the roof and then down to the ground. He went to where
Channa, the charioteer was sleeping and gently woke him up. "Hurry, Channa,
saddle my horse. I wish to ride tonight."
Channa was surprised that the Prince would want to go out in the middle
of the night, but he did as he was asked. He saddled Kantaka and led him
to the Prince. Siddhartha patted his horse and whispered, "Kantaka, my
old friend, we must be very quiet. I don't want to wake up any of the guards.
Tonight is a very special night."
As the three of them approached the heavy gates at the edge of the gardens,
the doors suddenly opened by themselves. Silently they rode out into the
night. When they reached the edge of the city, the Prince looked back and
vowed, "Until I learn how to conquer all sufferings, I shall not return
to this fair city of Kapilvastu!"
They rode all night. Just as the morning sun was about to rise they reached
a quiet forest where many holy people lived. The Prince was happy and thought
to himself, "Now my real journey has begun." Then he turned to Channa and
said, "My friend, I thank you deeply for your help. I have reached the
place I wanted. Now it is time for you to take my horse and return to the
palace."
Channa could not believe that the Prince would not be returning to the
palace with him. He stood there confused, tears beginning to fill his eyes.
The Prince understood his grief and spoke to him again very softly, "My
faithful Channa, do not cry. Sooner or later we all have to say good-bye.
Here, take these royal jewels I am wearing; I shall not need them anymore.
Return to the palace and tell my father that I have not left in anger.
It is not that I do not love my family anymore. Rather, it is because I
love them all so much that I must leave them for now. If I ever discover
the way to end all suffering, I shall return to them. If I fail, then it
really makes little difference that I am leaving them now. Sooner or later
death would pull us apart anyway. Go now, and let me begin my search."
Channa realized that there was no way he could change the Prince's mind.
He took Kantaka's reins from the Prince and slowly led the horse away.
Many times both the charioteer and Kantaka looked back at the Prince with
tears in their eyes. Eventually they reached Kapilavastu where Channa had
the sad duty of telling everyone that Siddhartha had left the royal life
forever.
14
The Journey Begins
As Siddhartha stood alone in the forest, ready to begin his great adventure,
he thought, "From today onwards I am no longer a prince. Therefore, it
is not right that I continue to look and dress like one." He took his knife
and cut off his long, flowing hair, a sign of royalty. Then he met a poor
hunter and said to him, "Sir, I have no more need of these silke clothes.
If I am to live in the forest I should wear something rough like yours.
Let us switch." The hunter was surprised and delighted to receive such
expensive clothing in exchange for his own and quickly agreed to Siddhartha's
suggestion.
Now that he was properly dressed as a poor seeker of the truth, Siddhartha
began to look for a teacher who could show him the way to end all suffering.
He wandered through the forests and spoke to all the many holy men he found
there. Everywhere he went he was welcomed with respect. Even though he
now wore ragged clothes and ate only the poor food he could beg, he was
still a very handsome and striking looking man. When the people in the
forest saw him coming they said to each other, "Here comes a very special
person. His face is so strong and determined! If such a man is looking
for the truth, he is sure to find it."
Siddhartha studied with several teachers, but was not satisfied with what
he learned from them. "What they teach is helpful," he thought, "but it
does not lead to perfect happiness." Finally he heard that some very wise
men lived in the kingdom of Magadha (13) where King Bimbisara (14) ruled.
So he decided to travel far to the south and east to find them.
One day, as he was walking through Rajagriha, (15) the capital city of
Magadha, he passed near the palace gates. One of King Bimbisara's ministers
saw him and immediately ran to the King.
"Sire", he said excitedly, "I have just seen a most unusual man in the
city. He is dressed in rags and begs his food from door to door, but I
am sure he must be a great person. His face is so strong and he walks with
such dignity. It almost seems that a special light shines from him!"
The King was very interested and asked that Siddhartha be brought before
him. They talked together for a while and the King was very impressed by
his intelligence, modesty and kind manner. Then the King said, "I have
never met a man I felt I could trust more than you. Please settle here
in Rajagriha and help me rule my kingdom."
But Siddhartha replied politely, "O King, I have already had the chance
to rule a kingdom, but I had to refuse.
I am
not interested in wealth or power, only in the path of truth. I thank you
for your offer, but I have come to your kingdom only to find teachers who
can help me with my search."
Then the King bowed to the man in rags and said, "I wish you luck in your
journey. If you do find what you are looking for, please return here and
teach it to me. But even if you fail, you are always welcome to return
to my palace."
Siddhartha thanked him very much and continued on his way.
15
Six Years Of Struggle
Eventually Siddhartha came to the forest where the wise men lived. He studied
first with Arada (16) and then with Udraka (17). In a short time he mastered
everything they had to teach him. But still he was not satisfied. "My teachers
are holy people, but what they have taught me does not bring an end to
all suffering. I must continue to search on my own."
He continued his travels until he came to the Nairangana (18) River, near
the holy town of Gaya (19). He crossed the river and entered the forests
on the other side. There he found a group of five men. Their life was extremely
simple. They ate very little food, lived out int the open, and sat perfectly
still for many hours each day.
"Why are you doing such painful things to your bodies?" the Prince asked
these men.
"Most people in the world treat their bodies very gently," they answered,
"yet still experience much suffering. We feel that if we can learn to master
pain, we shall have found the way to control all sufferings."
Siddhartha thought to himself, "For so many years I lived in those luxurious
pleasure palaces. I was treated very gentle, yet still my mind did no find
peace. Perhaps these men are right. I shall join them in their practices
and see if this leads to the end of suffering."
And so he began these difficult and painful practices. He sat for hours
and hours in the same spot. Even though his legs and back hurt very much,
he would not move a muscle. He let himself be burned by the blazing summer
sun and chilled by the winter winds. He ate barely enough food to remain
alive. But no matter how difficult it was, he thought, "I must continue
and discover the way out of all misery!"
The five men were amazed at Siddhartha. They said to themselves,"Never
have we seen anyone with as much determination as this man. He drives himself
on and on and never quits. If anyone is ever going to succeed in these
practices it will be Siddhartha. Let us stay near him so that when he discovers
the true path we shall be able to learn it from him."
Siddhartha treated his body more and more harshly. In the beginning he
slept only a few hours each night, but eventually he stopped going to sleep
altogether! He stopped taking even the one poor meal a day that he used
to eat, and would only eat the few seeds and berries that the wind blew
into his lap.
He grew thinner and thinner. His body lost its radiance and became covered
with dust and dirt. Eventually he looked like little more than a living
skeleton. But still he did not give up his practices.
Six long years passed. Siddhartha was twenty-nine years old when he left
his palaces and all their pleasures behind. Now he was thirty-five, having
spent six years with hardly any food, sleep, shelter or decent clothing.
One day he thought to himself, "Am I any closer to my goal now than I was
six years ago? Or am I still as ignorant as before? When I was a Prince
and lived in luxury, I had everything a person could desire. I wasted many
years in those prisons of pleasure.
"Then I left and began my search. I have lived in forests and caves and
have had nothing but poor food and much pain. But I still have not learned
how to put an end to suffering. I can see now that it was a mistake to
punish my body like this, just as it was a mistake to have wasted so much
time in those palaces. To find the truth I must follow a middle path between
too much pleasure and too much pain."
He remembered that many years ago, after he had seen the dead man, he had
meditated under a rose-apple tree. "After that meditation," he thought,
"my mind was very calm and still. I was able to see things clearly for
the first time. I shall try to meditate like that again now."
But when he looked at himself he realized, "I have been sitting here for
such a long time with no food that I am tired, dirty and weak. I am so
thin that I can see my bones through my skin. How can I meditate when I
am too hungry and dirty even to think clearly?"
And so he slowly pulled himself up and went to bathe himself in the river.
He was so weak, however, that he fell and was almost drowned. With great
effort he just managed to pull himself to the shore. Then he sat for a
while, resting.
16
An Offering
In a small village at the end of the forest lived a herdsman and his wife
Sujata (20). She had just given birth to her first child and was very happy.
She took the finest milk from her husband's cows and prepared a delicious
meal from it. Now she was taking this food into the forest as an offering
to the spirits she thought lived there. She had often prayed to these spirits
and wanted to thank them for helping her have such a healthy baby.
As she entered the forest she saw Siddhartha sitting there. His body was
thin and weak, but his face was radiant and handsome. Sujata gazed at him
in surprise. "I have never seen anyone like that before," she thought to
herself. "Perhaps it is the king of the tree spirits himself!" And so she
took the specially prepared food and placed it before him.
Siddhartha slowly opened his eyes and saw the bowl in front of him. Smiling
silently to Sujata he lifted it up to his lips and began to drink. To her
amazement, his body grew more and more radiant as he drank. When he was
finished he placed the bowl down and thanked her saying, "You thought I
was a spirit, but I am only a man in search of the truth. Your offering
has made me strong again. Now I am sure that I shall find the truth. Much
good will come from what you have done today. Thank you."
The five men who were living in the forest with Siddhartha saw him accept
this special food from Sujata. They were very disappointed and said to
themselves, "Siddhartha has given up his search. He is no longer following
the holy life. Look, he bathes himself and takes rich food again. How can
we stay with such a man any longer? Come. Let us leave this forest and
travel to Benares (21). We can continue our practices in the Deer Park
(22) near there."
And so they left, thinking that Siddhartha was no longer interested in
discovering the truth. But Siddhartha, strengthened by his meal and prepared
to meditate, was now ready to find what he had been looking for all these
many years. He stood up, waded across the river and headed towards what
would be known in later years as the Tree of Enlightenment.
17
The Great Battle
The moment that the world had been waiting for was now at hand. Siddhartha,
who had given up a kingdom in search of truth, was approaching the tree.
On his way he passed a man carrying freshly cut grass and asked him for
a small bundle. This he would use as his seat.
As he drew closer the air became very still. It was as if the whole world
was holding its breath, anxiously awaiting what would happen next. The
branches of the tree bent down as if welcoming him to come and sit down
under its shade.
Siddhartha carefully arranged the grass into a small cushion and sat down,
facing the east. He crossed his legs in a firm meditation posture and rested
his hands in his lap. Then he made a bold and determined vow. "I shall
not arise from this position until I have reached my goal, even if I die
sitting here!" And all the spirits of the air looking on rejoiced, hearing
Siddhartha's great pledge. It was the full moon day of the fourth month,
and the sun was about to set.
But the ancient stories tell us that not everyone rejoiced at this moment.
There was one force, called Mara (23), who was terrified and angry. For
Mara is the name the ancient Indian people gave to the evil forces that
disturb our minds. Mara is our greed, hatred, ignorance, jealousy, doubt
and all the other poisons bringing people unhappiness and grief.
Thus, when Mara saw Siddhartha seated under the Tree of Enlightenment,
he was enraged. Calling his sons and daughters around him he shouted, "Look,
all of you. Prince Siddhartha is seated in meditation. If he is successful
and discovers the way to end all suffering, what will happen to us? Don't
you understand that we shall lose all our power? We cannot harm people
if he teaches them the truth. We must disturb his meditation, or else we
are doomed!"
So Mara and his evil forces tried everything to disturb Siddhartha. They
produced a fearful storm and hurled lightening bolts down around him. They
churned up a great wind until everything around seemed ready to crash down.
But beneath the branches of the tree everything remained calm, protected
by the force of Siddhartha's meditation.
Mara saw that the storm had no asffect so he turned to his troops and shouted
"Attack!" The whole horde of evil spirits, demons and nightmare shapes
turned against Siddhartha. They ran towards him wildly, yelling blood-curdling
screams. They shot poisoned arrows of hate at him. But as these arrows
flew towards the Prince, they turned into lotus petals and fell harmlessly
at his feet. Nothing could disturb the peace of his meditation.
"If these weapons and fearful shapes do not distract him," Mara thought,
"perhaps a vision of beauty will disturb his mind." All at once the frightful
demons turned into the most beautiful and alluring of women. These bewitching
creatures dance in front of the meditator, but even they could not affect
him. Memories of the pleasure palaces, visions of his own wife and son,
heavenly music, delicious food - nothing could break through the calm determination
of this seeker of truth.
Mara felt defeated. But he had one last plan. Dismissing his attendents,
he appeared alone in front of the Prince. Addressing him in a mocking voice
he said, "So you are the great Prince Siddhartha? You think you are a great
meditator. So many holy people have failed to find the truth, but you think
you will succeed!
"How foolish you are! Don't you know that it takes a lot of preparation
to find the truth you are looking for. What have you ever done to be worthy
of success? First you wasted twenty-nine years pampering yourself. Then
you wasted six more years starving yourself. Now you sit here thinking
that wisdom will just come to you.
How foolish! Quit this meditation, or at least show me a witness who will
swear that you are worthy of succeeding where all others have failed."
These scornful words failed to bother Siddhartha. Silently he lifted his
right hand from his lap, reached in front of him and touched the earth.
Yes, the earth itself was Siddhartha's witness! For countless lifetimes
he had appeared on this earth in various forms. He had practiced generosity
and patience, he had acted lovingly and had avoided harming others, and
he had meditated on the truth. He had done all these things - sometimes
as a man, sometimes as a wome; sometimes rich, sometimes poor - over and
over again. He had done this all, just for the sake of discovering the
end to all suffering. And the earth was his witness.
Mara realized that now he was truly defeated, and faded away like a bad
dream. Siddhartha was left completely alone. The storm clouds parted and
the moon shone brightly in the sky. The air smelled sweet and a light dew
glistened on the tips of the grass. Everything was ready.
18
Awakened!
Siddhartha's mind was calm and relaxed. Slowly his concentration deepened
and his wisdom grew brighter. In his mind's eye he saw far into the past.
He saw that when one life ended, another began. Death only brought the
body to an end; life itself continued on and on finding a new body again
and again.
He saw that when a person did evil in one life - such as harming another
he or she experienced sadness in the future. But when a person acted with
love, happiness and joy followed. Nothing anyone did was ever lost, but
was carried on from life to life, bringing happiness or pain.
As he discovered how all life is linked together in this way, deeper truths
appeared to his mind. The sun, planets, all the stars, the galaxies of
the universe - they all appeared in his meditation. He saw how everything,
from the smallest speck of dust to the largest star, was linked together.
Everything was constantly changing: growing, decaying, and growing, again.
Nothing happened without a cause, and every cause produced an effect.
Then he saw all the sufferings of the world. He saw how everyone – from
the smallest insect to the greatest king - ran after pleasure, only to
end up with unhappiness. And he discovered the reason for all this unhappiness.
He saw that people do not really understand that everything is always changing.
They are blind to this truth. In their blindness they fight and steal and
kill for the things they want, but these things can never bring them lasting
happiness. Soon they change or decay, and the search starts again.
He saw that people fight against the things they dislike. Their whole life
is filled with hatred and anger. And every time they harm someone else,
they suffer for it later. They go from lifetime to lifetime creating more
unhappiness for themselves. They are searching for peace, but find nothing
but pain. Finally he discovered the way to end all this suffering. If a
person could see the truth clearly - as he himself had seen it this night
- all running after pleasure and away from pain would stop. There would
be no more greed or hatred in the person's mind. He or she would no longer
do anything to harm anyone else. Thus, there would be no more unhappiness
to be felt. With all hatred finished, the person's heart would fill with
love. And this love would bring a peace and happiness unlike anything else.
When Siddhartha had seen all this, even the last speck of darkness disappeared
from his mind. He was filled with a radiant clear light. He was no longer
an ordinary person. He had become fully enlightened to the truth. He was
now a Buddha (24). He had reached his goal!
With a calm and peaceful smile, he arose from his meditation. It was morning,
and the sun was rising in the east.
19
Whom To Teach?
All of nature rejoiced that glorious morning. Fresh flowers blossomed everywhere
and sent their sweet perfume into the air. Birds sang joyfully and creatures
everywhere forgot their fear. Rainbows and beautifully coloured clouds
appeared in the sky, and people marveled to see such wondrous sights.
Buddha himself was filled with the highest happiness. His mind, free from
all darkness and pain, felt a boundless joy. For days and weeks he stayed
near the Tree of Enlightenment, enjoying the bliss and happiness only a
Buddha knows.
Then he thought, "It was so difficult for me to reach the end of suffering
and become a Buddha. I had to work so hard for so long. When I see how
blind and ignorant most people are, I wonder if there is anyone who can
understand the truths I have discovered. How could I possibly teach them?
Perhaps it is better for me to live the rest of my life in the forests
alone and enjoy the happiness of being a Buddha myself."
Then he heard an inner voice which said, "Please do not forget us! We are
suffering beings of the world. We have been waiting for this moment ever
since your birth, and even before that. We have hoped and prayed these
many years that you would leave the princely life and discover the way
to end all suffering. Now that you have found this path, please teach it
to us. Unlike you, we are still suffering."
But another thought arose in Buddha's mind: "Who will be able to follow
the teachings I have to give? Who is strong and brave enough? Who will
try hard and long enough?"
And the inner voice came again: "It is true that our minds are clouded
in ignorance, O Buddha. But for some people this ignorance, is not so thick.
They will be able to understand you. For their sake, please teach us all
the true path!"
And the Buddha smiled and said, "Of course, of course, I shall teach. The
only reason I left the princely life was to find a way to help others.
Now that I have become a Buddha, I shall do everything I can.
"But even a Buddha cannot remove the sufferings of others if they do not
try to help themselves. People must want to get better before a doctor
can cure them. In the same way, they must want to hear the teachings of
the truth before anyone can help them. But whoever comes to me with an
open mind will find that I am ready to teach them in every way I can."
Then he thought, "Who, among all the people in the world, should I teach
first? Who is the most ready?" He remembered Arada and Udraka, the two
teachers he had met six years
before. "They would be the best to teach, but I can see that they have
already died and left this world."
Then he thought of the five men who lived with him for so long in the forest.
"They are ready to understand the truth," he thought. "I shall teach them
first."
He knew that he would find these men in the Deer Park near Benares, the
holiest city of ancient India. "I shall go there," Buddha procclaimed,
"and begin the work I came to do."
20
The First Teaching
It was a long way to Benares and Buddha walked slowly through village and
farm. Everyone was immediately attracted to him. He was tall and handsome
and moved with dignity and grace. Just seeing him brought calmness and
joy to the people. He spoke kind and gentle words of comfort to everyone
he met. Whether they were rich or poor, simple or intelligent, of noble
birth or low, Buddha treated them all equally, with great love and respect.
Finally, he reached the Deer Park. From a distance the five men saw him
approach. Quickly they whispered to one another, "Here comes that good-for-nothing
Siddhartha. Let us have nothing to do with such a quitter! Ignore him if
he come near."
But as Buddha approached the men immediately felt that there was something
very special about him. Forgetting their plan to ignore him, they automatically
stood up as he drew near. With great respect they prepared a seat for him,
took his robe, brought him some water and said, "Welcome Siddhartha, to
the Deer Park. We are honoured that you have joined us here."
Buddha answered, "I thank you for your kind welcome, O monks. But you should
know that I am no longer simply Siddhartha, and it is no longer right for
you to call me by
that
name."
"By what name should we call you then?" they asked.
"The whole world is asleep in ignorance," he answered. "When someone discovers
the truth, he or she is asleep no longer. Now I am awake, having discovered
the truth. All such Awakened Ones are called `Buddha'."
Then the five men, with great respect, said, "O Buddha, please teach us
what you have learned so that we too may awaken."
And
so, in answer to their request, Buddha delivered his first teaching. It
is called "Turning the Wheel of the Dharma" and "Dharma" is the truth he
discovered. "O monks," he began, "you must know that there are four Noble
Truths. The first is the Noble Truth of Suffering. Life is filled with
the miseries of old age, sickness, death and unhappiness. People chase
after pleasure but find only pain. Even when they do find something pleasant
they soon grow tired of it. Nowhere is there any real satisfaction or peace.
"The second is the Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering. When our mind
is filled with greed and desire, sufferings of all types follow. For example,
if a rich man is attached to his wealth, his miserliness will bring him
nothing but pain.
"The third is the Noble Truth of the End of Suffering.When we remove all
craving and desire from our mind, suffering will come to an end. We shall
experience a peace and happiness that is beyond words.
"Finally, the fourth truth is the Noble Truth of the Path. This path leads
to the end of all suffering. If we avoid harming all other living beings,
if we sharpen and focus our mind, and if we gain wisdom, each of us can
reach perfect happiness, the end of all misery."
When they heard these words the five men felt as happy as if they had found
a great treasure of gold. "O Buddha," they said, "you have indeed found
the truth. Please teach us the path to perfect wisdom and happiness and
we shall be your followers."
It is said that many unseen spirits also heard these first teachings and
flew to the ends of the earth crying, "The Buddha has begun to teach. Let
all the world rejoice!"
21
A Mother's Grief
Buddha taught in many different ways. To simple people and to children
he taught by telling stories. To those of high intelligence he gave detailed
explanations of the path. To others he taught without speaking any words
at all. But, perhaps, his most powerful teaching was his own example, the
very way he lived his life. He always acted with kindness and love. He
was patient with everyone, even the most ignorant and foolish.
Very soon, many people were attracted to him and became his followers.
If someone had a problem, he or she would go to Buddha and ask his advice.
There was one woman, named Gotami, whose child had just died. She was so
sad that she became crazy. She went everywhere trying to bring her child
back to life. Her friends felt sorry for her and said, "Gotami, you should
go and see the Buddha. Perhaps he can help you."
She went before Buddha still holding her child in her arms. "Please bring
him back to life for me," she cried. Very gently Buddha answered her, "I
can help you, Gotami, but first you must bring me something. I need one
small mustard seed. However, it must come from a house where no one has
ever died."
Gotami quickly went out in search of a mustard seed. She asked at one home
and the woman there answered, "Of course you can have a mustard seed. You
can have whatever you want. . . . But you should know that last year my
husband died."
"Oh," Gatomi replied, "then I must search elsewhere" and ran off to the
next house.
But everywhere she went, the same thing happened. Everyone wanted to help
her, but someone had died in every family she visited. One person told
her, "Three years ago I lost my daughter." Another said, "My brother died
here yesterday." It was always the same.
At the end of the day she returned to the Buddha. "What have you found,
Gotami?" he asked. "Where is your mustard seed? And where is your son?
You are not carrying him any longer."
She answered, "O Buddha, today I have discovered that I am not the only
one who has lost a loved one. Everywhere people have died. I see how foolish
I was to think I could have my son back. I have accepted his death, and
this afternoon I buried him. Now I have returned to you to hear your teachings.
I am ready to listen."
Then Buddha said, "Gotami, you have learned a great deal today. Death must
come to everyone sooner or later. But if you learn the truth you can live
and die in happiness. Come, I shall teach you." And so he taught her, and
soon she found more peace and happiness than she had ever known before.
22 A Rude Man
Another day Buddha was walking through a village. A very angry and rude
young man came up and began insulting him. "You have no right teaching
others," he shouted. "You are as stupid as everyone else. You are nothing
but a fake."
Buddha was not upset by these insults. Instead, he asked the young man,
"Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take
it, to whom does the gift belong?"
The man was surprised to be asked such a strange question and answered,
"It would belong to me because I bought the gift."
The Buddha smiled and said, "That is correct. And it is exactly the same
with your anger. If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted,
then the anger falls back on you. You are then the only one who becomes
unhappy, not me. All you have done is hurt yourself.
"If you want to stop hurting yourself, you must get rid of your anger and
become loving instead. When you hate others, you yourself become unhappy.But
when you love others, everyone is happy."
The young man listened closely to these wise words of the Buddha. "You
are right, O Blessed One," he said, "Please
teach
me the path of love. I wish to become your follower."
And Buddha answered, "Of course. I shall teach anyone who truly wants to
learn. Come with me."
23
Words Of Praise
Soon Buddha had a great number of followers, or disciples, who followed
him from place to place. One day one of them came up to him and said, "O
Blessed One, you are certainly the greatest of all teachers who ever lived!"
Buddha was not flattered by this praise. Instead he asked the disciple,
"Tell me, have you met all the great teachers who have appeared in the
world?"
"No, of course not," he answered.
"And do you know all the teachers who are alive now or will be born in
the future?"
"No, I do not," he answered again.
And so the Buddha said, "Then it is foolish to say that I am the greatest
of all teachers. You have no way of knowing if this is true or not."
"But I only wanted to praise you because your teachings are so excellent
and helpful," the disciple replied.
Then Buddha said, "If you find my teachings helpful, the best thing to
do is practice them. Do not waste your energy praising me. The only reason
I have come into the world is to teach others. If you want to please me,
follow the teachings.
This
will please me much more than praise."
At another time Buddha asked a disciple, "If you want to buy some precious
gold, will you pay for it without testing it first?"
"No, of course not", was the answer. "It might be fake, and then I would
be wasting my money."
"It is exactly the same way with my teachings," Buddha replied. "You should
never accept what I say as true simply because I have said it. Rather,
you should test the teachings yourself to see if they are true or not.
If you find that they are true and helpful, then practice them. But do
not do so merely out of respect for me.
"Also, do not criticize the teachings of others and say they are no good.
There are many other great teachers in the world and they all have their
own way of helping people. So do not insult any of them. This is not your
business. Your only business is to find happiness and help others find
it, too."
In such ways, then, Buddha taught his followers to think for themselves,
to be kind to others and to respect everyone.
