Week 6 Story: The Life and Death of Buddha

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF BUDDHA

Author's Note: For this story we'll be taking original elements from Part One of The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold. Instead of starting from birth to becoming the Buddha, we will start in the middle of Siddhartha's story as he becomes the Buddha and finish with his death/rebirth with more of a humble origin story rather than being a Prince. 

STORY

A depressed Siddhartha looks out upon the world.
He’s shut himself and has isolated himself.
His father does not like the state of mind in which his son is in.
The father decides to throw a party.
Everyone is laughing and happy.
Everyone except Siddhartha.
He doesn’t want any of this.
He thinks there is more purpose to his life than being a farmer boy.
After the party Siddhartha decides.
He decides he’s going to leave home and never look back on his past.
On his journey to find himself he runs into an old man.
The old man handed him an old robe and other clothes to guard his skin from the natural elements.
Siddhartha journey continues up a mountain.
Siddhartha reaches the top of the mountain.
In his new robe Siddhartha feels like he is king of all.
Siddhartha ultimately changes his mind and chooses to return home to his mother and father.
On his way back he encounters invaders from distant lands.
The name of this foe is Mara.
Mara’s army has never lost.
They have a reputation of being butchers to populations that do not surrender.
Siddhartha approaches Mara.
Mara orders Siddhartha to remove himself from the path.
Siddhartha refuses to do so.
Mara orders the army to open fire on Siddhartha.
Before Mara’s army could get of an arrow.
Mother Earth emerged and swallowed Mara’s army whole into the ground.
Mara surrenders to Siddhartha, the new Buddha.
Siddhartha journeys home.
He finds his mother and father.
Tells them of his adventure.
He tells them that he believes his journey in this life is complete.
It was at this moment that his parents finally feared death.
They knew their son was about to part from their world.
They thought it would be a bloody exit.
But Buddha simply disappears into the sunset.

Officially reincarnated into a god.

Siddhartha Gautama

Bibliography: Part One of The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold