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

Week 6B Reading

Week 6B Reading will be from Part One of The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold

Siddhartha Leaves -
Siddhartha leaves his family and has zero regrets!?!?!

Siddhartha the Hermit -
He is presented with robes and he's ecstatic about it. He felt like he was the king of the mountain because of it.

Gopa and Suddhodana Grieve -
Chandaka says he will not return until he's conquered old age and death. And his father loses it when he leaves the city.

Arata Kalama
The most interesting part about this section is when it talks about or rather lack of is the lack of fear of death even though it talks about death three times in a short span of time.

Siddhartha and King Vimbasara -
Rudraka's disciples join Siddhartha at the end of the section.

Siddhartha Deserted by His First Disciples -
They weren't loyal to him so they left him to join or go to Benares. Moral of the story is not to trust anyone that joined you recently.

The Tree of Knowledge -
There is great depiction in the section. Particularly the description leading to the tree of life:

The road was sprinkled with gold-dust; rare palms, covered with precious stones, lined the way. He skirted the edge of a pool whose blessed waters exhaled an intoxicating perfume. White, yellow, blue and red lotuses spread their massive petals over the surface, and the air rang with the clear songs of the swans. Near the pool, under the palms, Apsarases were dancing, while in the sky the Gods were admiring the hero.

Mara's Defeat -
Mara had an army that commanded respect and fear of their opponents. This did not matter as the mother of the Earth came and won the day. Mara broke down because they had lost.

Siddhartha Becomes the Buddha -
There is a new Buddha!

He has come, he who brings light into the world; he has come, he who protects the world! Long blinded, the eye of the world has opened, and the eye of the world is dazzled by the light. O conqueror, you will give all beings that which they hunger after. Guided by the sublime light of the law, all creatures will reach the shores of deliverance. You hold the lamp; go now and dispel the darkness!

Baby Buddha

Week 6A Reading

Week 6A Reading will be from Part One of The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold

Maya's Dream -
There is a lot dialogue between Maya and Suddhodana in this first of the story. I liked the part where she basically became a god and let the blind see, the deaf hear, the dumb speak, and the dying actually die.

Birth of Siddhartha -
This part covers the birth of the son of Maya and Suddhodana. Suddhodana as any parent would, is full of joy and happiness. He led a caravan of people to his sons birthplace.

Asita's Prediction -
Asita is a hermit and he broke down into tears when he saw baby Buddha.

Siddhartha at the Temple -
Maya's sister basically becomes a babysitter for the young Buddha. She mentored him a lot in this section.

Siddhartha's First Mediation -
In this part of the story Buddha begins to age. He begins to learn how to write and other necessary traits he needs to become a king.

First Encounter -
The Prince stumbles upon someone and appears that he is cursed as all the joy and happiness he had leaves his soul and becomes depressed speaking about nothing else other than old age.

Two More Encounters -
The King notices his son is now depressed but the child has already shut himself off from the rest of the world. Now the King does not want his son to ever leave the palace as he worries something awful will happen to him.

The Fair Maidens and Gopa's Dream -
The King heard that his son wasn't the only one acting weirdly so he went to investigate. Something weird happened as Gopa was stripped naked with her hair cut.

The Great Truths -
The Prince is still in a depressed state at the end of the first part of the story. While everyone was having fun and laughing he didn't care and he went to palace stables. We'll find out what happens next tomorrow!

Queen Maya - Mother of Buddha