Reading Notes: Life of Buddha, Part A

Birth of Buddha in the garden of Lumbini.

Painting in Laotian temple.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

First Encounter

This section deals with the loss of innocence. It is not that Siddhartha has lost innocence by doing something wrong or impure himself, but he loses his joy and rosy outlook on life by discovering that old age exists and will come to everyone.

I found it interesting that the gods were jealous when they had previously been so supportive of Siddhartha.

The father is extremely protective; he delivers special orders to make sure that no old, sick, or crippled people are on the streets. He did so out of love for his son, and the gods broke the illusion out of jealousy, but I think the gods actually helped Siddhartha more in the long run. He would have kept his joy if he had never been exposed to the harsh truths of life, but he never would have been able to discover the “Supreme Truth” and become the Buddha without knowing the reality of life. His father celebrates Siddhartha’s destiny and loves him very much, but he almost holds him back from his destiny because of his love.

Siddhartha’s attitude toward life changes so quickly upon learning of old age. Before he sees the old man, he is very joyful. After he sees the old man and learns what old age is and that it will come to all, he is so upset that he cannot even continue on his journey. He has to return home because he cannot think of anything besides old age. I think one of his most important characteristics is not being able to ignore the truth. Most of us can compartmentalize our lives; we know that we’ll die someday, and we’ve suffered and will suffer in various ways, but we can still smile and laugh because we are able to put these things out of our heads. Siddhartha, on the other hand, refuses to overlook or forget about the tragedies of the world.

The Great Truths

I was struck by the life-changing effect that seeing misery had on Siddhartha. The story says that he “could no longer find peace” and that “he was unhappy.” As in “First Encounter,” he cannot overlook the pains of the world. They deeply affect him, which I think shows that he is an honest and caring man.

The monk serves as an example for Siddhartha, and Siddhartha immediately decides to become a monk after he discovers what it requires. Sometimes I think being a monk or nun would be nice, but it would be very difficult for me to renounce all pleasure and live in solitude with very little. It is such a different way of thinking that Siddhartha knows he can only be peaceful and happy if he gives up all pleasures.

Actually, Siddhartha describes monkhood as his “duty” rather than a path to happiness, although I think that he does regard it as a path to peace.

The second-to-last paragraph, where Siddhartha’s wife’s friends die, is very strange. Why does this happen and what does it mean that all these beautiful women died as Siddhartha decided to leave his life as a prince? Is it a symbol of him renouncing pleasure and society?

Bibliography: The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold. Link to the reading online.