The Life Of the Buddha
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     The Buddha was a human like any of us. However he was an extra-ordinary
human being. As a lay person he was born a prince and named Siddhartha, son of
King Suddodana the Sakyan monarch of Kapilawattu, in Northern India near the
border of Nepal.  His mother Queen Maha-Maya passed away when baby Siddhartha
was just seven days old. The task of nursing little Siddhartha fell on the
hands of Pajapati, Maha-Maya's younger Sister.
 
     From very early days young Siddhartha showed signs of greatness. The
father being the Ruler of a mighty Kingdom naturally wished to raise the
son in a manner befitting a future King.  According to the advisors to the
King, the young Prince was to be shielded from the outside Palace activities
and be raised in luxury, and every attempt was made to make the young
Prince's life pleasent. From early childhood Siddhartha received a liberal
education compatible with that of a future Ruler. He was very clever at
what ever he was taught by the Royal Tutors and he excelled in all the
studies, sports and other activities he did.
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     At a young age the King arranged a marriage for young Siddhartha with
another youthful Royal bride princess Yasodara. Siddhartha's up-bringing was
mainly within the Palace gates and as such he was well insulated from the
real life activities beyond the Palace confines.  As a result of this
sheltered up-bringing Siddhartha did not see and experience any old-age,
suffering, sickness or death until he was fairly advanced in age. However
the moment he came in contact with the realities of life outside the Palace
gates, Siddhartha began seriously to contemplate on life, suffering and allied
human problems.  He was unhappy that his father, the King and his advisors
had kept him away from reality and learning the truth about life.
    This state of affairs triggered his ardent search for the truth and he
resolved that he will not rest until he found the ultimate truth regarding
human existence and the suffering it caused.
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    When Siddharta was in his 29th year, Yasodara gave birth to their one
and only son who was later named Rahula. The day Rahula was born, Siddharta
decided to leave the palace in his quest for the search of truth. This act
of a Husband leaving a young mother and an infant son would normally be
considered as a grave offence if done by any ordinary person. However
possesing the wisdom of a Buddha-to-be he knew exactly what he was doing,
and how his loved ones would react. Naturally his father was very disappointed
that his son deserted his responsibilities and has become even worse than a
commoner.
    Siddhartha, now wishing not to be treated as a prince, donned the robes
of an ascetic and started living the life of a homeless recluse. No matter
what happened to him in the process, his aim was to discover the truth
pertaining to suffering mankind and other beings.
    In his pursuit of the truth, he went and apprenticed himself under many
well known Teachers at that time. He was quick to learn all the known
techniques of meditation that the teachers could show. He tried them all
in the hope of finding the ultimate truth and the answers to life's problems
he was seeking.
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    As was suggested by some of his teachers and fellow seekers he even
tried extreme forms of self-mortification, without success. So here was a
man who during his youth lived in extremes of Royal luxury, and failed to
know of life's problems, and now trying the other extreme, also failing to
realize any truth. At this stage he intuitively knew that these two
extremes are not conducive to seeking the truth and then decided a middle
course. Six years of strenuous wandering reached a climax one day when he
resolved that he would not leave the bottom of the Fig tree under whose
shade he started deep meditation. That night he worked harder than ever
before and at long last reached the goal he was seeking. He discovered the
four noble truths and the law of dependent origination, and he was able
to clearly see what life was about and how and why beings pass through
'samsara' the way they did.  From that moment of enlightenment he knew he
had attained Buddhahood.
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    What he discovered appeared simple but very complex to teach others.
So he was wondering what to do with his newly acquired wisdom.  After
careful consideration he concluded that henceforth he will dedicate his
life to diseminating the Dhamma he had discovered. His first audience was
five of his earlier colleagues he had associated with during his six years
of struggle. He knew where they would be and decided to go and preach to
them. After listening to the Buddha the five ascetics were convinced of the
validity of the doctrine they heard, and were immediately converted to be
true followers of the Buddha.
   From the first sermon which was addressed to the five followers, there
began the spread of the Dhamma both in India and its neighbouring lands,
and even now it continues to do so.
   The Buddha continued his mission of explaining the Dhamma, practicing
compassion and relieving the suffering of every one he came accross. In
a way he was a true revolutionary, for at that time in India, there was a
lot of discrimination practiced by the Hindu Brahamins against depressed
classes based on the cast system. The Buddha's teachings were against the
established cast system, which of course did not please the vested
interests at the time.  The Buddha expressed his loving kindness to every
one, be it a Ruler of a Kingdom or an unfortunate 'Un-touchable'.
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    At the ripe old age of eighty, after a busy forty-five years of strenuous
activity he quietly passed away finally, in a wooded park near Benares, and
was cremated with the honours befitting a King of Kings.