The Story of Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama wasn't born a God, but he wasn't born an ordinary person either. In 563 BCE, in what is known to be Nepal today, a prince by the name of Siddhartha Gautama was born. Being the son of the great emperor Shuddhodana, who governed the lands of the Shakya clan, Siddhartha lived in the lap of luxury.

When Prince Siddhartha came into the world, a holy man prophesized that the prince would either be a great military conqueror or a great spiritual teacher. In fear that his son would choose the latter path, Shuddhodana shielded Siddhartha from any form of tragedy. He even ordered his ministers to give his son everything he wanted. Thus Siddhartha grew, accustomed to riches and sheltered from the harsh realities of the outside world.

At the age of 29, the prince began asking himself questions about life and grew more curious about the outside world. Finally, he asked his father for permission to step out of the palace to see the world. With the holy man's prophecy in mind, Shuddhodana ordered the city to hide every poor, sick and miserable-looking person from his son's passage.

On the prince's assigned path, Siddhartha encountered a sick individual. His servant, Channa, informed him that the unfortunate man has a disease. The following day, the prince returned into the city and noticed a woman's face covered in wrinkles. Channa told the prince that this is old age. Siddhartha went out of his palace a third time to see a man looking like a log. His servant revealed to him that this is death. The realization of humanity's mortality distressed Siddhartha. The dismay eventually pushed him out of his palace, leaving his family behind. He thus traveled eastward in search for a solution for decay and death.

For several years, Siddhartha wandered through a vast forest. With each passing day, he reduced his food intake, eating a grain of rice a day, until he grew so thin that other travelers began noticing him. Admiring Siddhartha's austerity, the other seekers became his disciples. However, from a lack of energy, the Buddha-to-be failed to meditate. As a consequence, the prince rethought his ways and ate until he was satiated. He proceeded to meditate under a sacred fig tree. He warned his disciples that he would not get up until he finds a solution for decay and death. After much meditation and temptation, that solution came in the form of nirvana--the realm where death and decay do not exist. By achieving nirvana, Siddhartha became "he who is awake," in other words he became the Buddha (The Dhammapada).

People gathered around Buddha and asked him if he were a god or an angel. To both questions he simply replied, "no" (The Dhammapada). He said to these people, "I am awake" (The Dhammapada). After experiencing enlightenment, the awakened one shared with others what he learned. He did so by telling them about the four noble truths which are as followed: suffering exists, there is a cause to it, there is an end to it, it can be stopped by following the Eightfold Path.

For over 40 years, the Buddha taught his ways to people of different backgrounds until his death, until the age of 80. On his death bed, the Buddha said, "remember, all things that come into being must pass away. Strive earnestly!" (The Dhammapada). Those were the Buddha's last words. Like that, the-once-upon-a-time prince learned to accept life's fleeting nature and showed the world how to do the same.