The Story of Siddhartha

King Suddodan of the Sakya clan was married to an extremely beautiful queen named Maya. They ruled the small kingdom of Kapilvastu.

One night, Queen Maya dreamed a white elephant entered her womb. This dream was a sign that there was something special about the baby.

When it was time to give birth, Queen Maya was standing, holding on to the branch of a sala tree. The baby then emerged from her left side without causing any pain or discomfort. The baby immediately took 7 steps to the north and announced that this was his final incarnation.

The young prince, Siddhartha, was born into the Kshatriya, or warrior caste, around 566 BCE. After the young prince's birth, a sage predicted that the child would grow up to be either a Buddha or the ruler of the world. His father wanted Sidhhartha to become a world ruler. So, he made sure the prince lived a sequestered life of ease and luxury in the royal palace, where his every wish would be instantly gratified. He hoped that if his son remained ignorant of the world outside he would not turn his mind to the calling of a holy man.

When Siddhartha was sixteen, he married the beautiful princess Yasodhara. They had a son, named Rahula.

In his twenty-ninth year, Siddhartha became increasingly unsatisfied with his sheltered palace life. He finally convinced his father to let him out of the palace for a short trip to visit a garden. For his first trip outside, he left the palace through the eastern gate and was troubled by the sight of an old, decrepit man.

On the second day, he left through the southern gate and came upon a man suffering from a debilitating illness.

On the third day, he left by the western gate and beheld a corpse surrounded by weeping mourners.

Finally, on the fourth day he left through the North gate and saw a monk sitting under a tree. The holy man told Siddhartha he was looking for peace within himself because there was so much suffering in the world. Siddhartha then resolved to leave the palace to follow this holy man's example.

Siddhartha was now aware of the sorrow that pervaded the world outside the sheltered life of the palace. He vowed to abandon his opulent life as a prince and to seek a way out of suffering through austere practices. Siddhartha told his wife he had to leave her and find a way to stop suffering in the world. He then left the walls of his rich, safe home forever

He cut his hair with his sword and traded his silk clothes for a patchwork robe of rags. He took the heavy gold earrings out of his ears, and he took off his shoes to walk barefoot.

For six years, Siddhartha studied with five gurus. He quickly mastered their meditation techniques, but no one could answer why there was suffering in the world. He practiced austerities, but was unable to find a way out of suffering. He refused food and water, until he was in a state of near death.

One day, a peasant girl named Sujata saw this starving monk and took pity on him. She begged him to eat some of her milkrice. Siddhartha then realized that these extreme practices were not working and that it might be better to find some ‘middle way.’

Strengthened by eating and drinking, Siddhartha went to Bod Gaya, made a mat from grass and sat under a Bodhi tree facing east. He resolved not to rise until he attained enlightenment.

Mara, the evil one, tried tirelessly to distract Siddhartha - he sent his attractive daughters to distract him and storms to disturb him. He even sent demon armies to attack him, but their swords turned to flowers through the powers of compassion. But, the mind of Siddhartha did not move for even a moment.

Siddhartha then touched the earth, thereby calling it to witness the countless lifetimes of virtue that had led him to this place of enlightenment. He entered into a state of deep meditation. Three days and nights passed.

In the first part of the final night, Siddhartha developed the mental power to recollect his past lives. In the middle of the night, he developed the mental power to see the past lives of others. From this he understood the law of karma. Finally, just before dawn, the Buddha realized that all things arise dependent upon causes. Suffering is caused by desire and ignorance. Therefore, when these are removed, suffering does not arise. After this realization, he became enlightened – free from desire and ignorance and rebirth. Siddhartha became the Buddha, meaning the "Enlightened One."

The Buddha knew he had to teach the world that the only way to stop suffering was to stop wanting things. So, The Buddha decided to teach his five former ascetic associates. At first they rejected him, but when they saw his radiance they realized that he had attained enlightenment, and they came to hear his first sermon. This sermon is considered to be very significant by the Buddhists because it contains the essence of Buddhism and the most fundamental teachings of the Buddha.