Week Five: Life of the Buddha

This week, I decided to read the unit entitled, "Life of the Buddha." One of my good friends is a Buddhist and I don't know much about the religion or the stories behind it. I am so fascinated by the idea of the Buddha and I am so excited to learn more about the story of the Buddha.

Link to the reading unit: http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-life-of-buddha.html

Maya's Dream 
The story of Maya's Dream began with the dream that the young girl Maya had. The dream was very vivid, showing an elephant coming from the sky and entering her womb. When Maya awoke, she was happy but wanted to know the meaning of her dream. She asked the king to gather brahmans who knew the mystery of dreams. The brahmans told her that she would have a son who would deserve marvelous praise. Maya was happy and became an object of veneration within the kingdom.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-mayas-dream.html

Birth of Siddhartha
The birth of May's son, Siddhartha was a beautiful one. The queen knew it was nearly time for her son to come into the world, and she went to a lovely garden in which she would have her son. The king decked out the garden in gold and silver and all the creatures bowed to the baby, as he would one day be royalty.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-birth-of-siddhartha.html

Asita's Prediction 
The story of Asita's Prediction was very interesting. It told of the hermit, Asita who had a prediction of Siddhartha's future. The prediction was that the child would know great joy and glory. Siddhartha will be all-knowing and will set the world free of torment. This story made me think of ancient Christianity prophecies when there were stories told of Jesus Christ.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-asitas-prediction.html

Siddhartha at the Temple
The story of Siddhartha at the temple begins with the King's confusion of his son's prophecy. The story continues as Maya' Siddhartha's mother dies and ascends to heaven. After the death of Maya, Mahaprajapatir looked after the young prince. It became time to take the prince to the temple of the gods and when they arrived, the statues of the gods came to life. and fell to the child's feet, showing just how magnificent Siddhartha is.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-siddhartha-at-temple.html

Siddhartha's First Meditation
As Siddhartha grew up, it was time for him to begin his lessons with the greatest teacher in the land, Visvamitra. The teacher found that Siddhartha knew more than him, so there was nothing he can teach them. On the way home from the teacher's house, Siddhartha went to a field and was lost in meditation. He sees that he will one day become the Buddha.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-siddharthas-first.html

First Encounter
The story begins with Siddhartha wanting to leave the palace. The king knew that he could not let his son see the evil in the world. So that Siddhartha would not see the sadness in the world, a chariot was prepared and beggars were ordered off the streets. Siddhartha saw only happiness and the gods were not happy, causing an old man to cross paths with the prince. The prince saw that he would one day be plagued with age like the old man. He returned to the palace could not find peace for fear of old age.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-first-encounter.html

Two More Encounters
Siddhartha is plagued with sadness but decides to go through the city again. The prince sees sickness and is baffled by the disease that can conflict us all. The king was sad, knowing that he had let his son go out into the world and see pain. The gods were jealous of the gifts the king gave the prince to make him happy so the gods made a corpse and placed it in the path of Siddhartha. The prince then knew what death was and was devastated.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-two-more-encounters.html

The Fair Maidens and Gopa's Dream
The king arranged, in order to bring happiness to his son, for a group of maidens to gather in the garden where his son would be. The maidens flirted with the prince, hoping to gain his affection, yet he was still pondering death. The prince left, in sadness and went back to the palace. His wife, Gopa, was waiting for him and had a terrible dream. The prince told her that the dream was not a nightmare, but a good dream and said she would be honored.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-gopas-dream.html

The Great Truths
The story begins with Siddhartha being unhappy yet again. The prince left the palace and crossed paths with a beggar, who turned out to be a monk. The monk then ascended into the sky, showing Siddhartha that god came to him. Siddhartha was finally happy and decided to leave the palace for good. Before leaving, Siddhartha saw the friends of his wife all dead and left for the stables to leave the palace.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-great-truths.html

Siddhartha Leaves
This story begins with Siddhartha leaving on the horse Kanthaka, whom his father had rode on and defeated many enemies in battle. He talked to the horse and a friend Siddhartha and Kanthaka left the city in silence. He left saying that until he dies he would not return to the city of Kapila.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-siddhartha-leaves.html

Siddhartha and the Hermit
The horse bravely carried Siddhartha to a wood where many hermits were staying and decided to stay there. Siddhartha gave his jewels to Chandaka to go back to his father in the city and tell him not to grieve, as his son was going to destroy death and old age. Chandaka urged Siddhartha to stay, but his cause was too noble. In order to create the life of a hermit, Siddhartha got less fancy robes, cut his hair, and stayed to live the life of a hermit.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-siddhartha-hermit.html

Gopa and Suddhodana Grieve
This story begins with Gopa awaking to find Siddhartha has left and Gopa was thrown into a fit of despair. She vows to only eat and drink enough to live and to also live the life of a hermit. The king ordered for the gates to the city to be closed and for Siddhartha to be found. When he could not be found, the son was likewise thrown into a fit of despair. Chandaka brought Siddhartha's jewels back to the city and told of his fate to the kingdom. Kanthaka returned to the stable and died of sadness.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-gopa-and-suddhodana.html

Arata Kalama
The hermitage where Siddhartha was staying was in command by the teacher, Arata Kalama. The hermits worshipped Kalama and he told Siddhartha that the prince would help teach the disciples. Siddhartha pondered on the teachings of the hermitage and said that he did not agree with the doctrine and left to find somewhere else to live.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-arata-kalama.html

Siddhartha and King Vimbasara
Siddhartha begins the story by going to the city of Rajagriha. People of the city looked at him and revered him as a hero. The king went to Siddhartha and begged him to join him in the city. Siddhartha tells Vimbasara of his past and his teachings. Siddhartha found another hermitage and again did not agree with the teachings. He then came to the banks of a river and was joined by five disciples.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-siddhartha-and-king.html

Siddhartha Deserted by His First Disciples
Siddhartha was at the banks of the Nairanjana and fell into a deep meditation so much so that he stopped breathing and the gods thought he had died. Siddhartha's mother, Maya, who lived among the gods, feared for her son's life. Siddhartha comforted his mother, noting he would soon have supreme knowledge. The hero stayed on the river banks for six years in meditation and was wasting away. He took more nourishment, realizing he would not reach the knowledge if he did not take care of himself. The disciples left him, noting that he took nourishment and went to Benares.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-siddhartha-deserted-by.html

The Tree of Knowledge
The story begins with Siddhartha walking along a road and seeing a corpse. He wanted to wash the dust and struck the ground, creating a pool of water with the help of Sakra, from the sky. Mara, the Evil One, tries to kill Sakra but is unsuccessful. Siddhartha lies down to sleep and has many dreams, which tell him he is to become a Buddha. Siddhartha goes to a house, eats, and takes the bowl given to him to the river and sees the tree of knowledge. He puts down grass and intends to sit in that spot until he reaches supreme knowledge.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-tree-of-knowledge.html

Mara's Defeat
Mara, the Evil One, found Siddhartha and knew that he would lead others away from Mara. Mara called his troops and went to strike him down at the foot of the tree. The hero's followers to the army to leave Siddhartha alone, as his reign has come, yet the army kept moving. The hero never moved in the anguish that Mara brought in the form of rain, fire, and war. When the army struck, their arrows turned into flowers, and the soldiers fled. The Earth, a woman of great beauty, bowed before Siddhartha and Mara knew he had been defeated.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-maras-defeat.html

Siddhartha Becomes the Buddha
Siddhartha remained in meditation and attained supreme knowledge. He saw all creatures being continually reborn and learned that there is old age and death because there is birth and there is birth because there is existence and so on and so forth until he knew that impression is due to ignorance. He found that by leading a life of holiness, desire is stifled and we cease to endure birth and suffering. At dawn, the hero was a Buddha.

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/life-of-buddha-siddhartha-becomes-buddha.html