Reading Notes: The Life of Buddha: Reading A
The reading originally starts by introducing the king of Kapilavastu, King Suddhodana, and one of his many wives, Maya. Except, the story introduces Maya as the favorite wife of King Suddhodana. She comes to him in the dining hall in almost a begging way by asking for the holy practice of abstinence and to go to the "lofty apartments" outside of the palace. The king accepts her wish and tells her she may go.
In her new loft, Maya had a dream that the reader can assume is he conceiving a child. When Maya comes back to the palace, she calls for King Suddhodana, and he comes. However he has a weird feeling in his body, but is reassured by the gods that great fortune is about to come to him and his wife.
Maya enters late into pregnancy and knows her son must be born in the garden with the presence of innocent flowers. When the king gets word of his son being born he brings the Sakyas and brahmans to the birth place, very similarly to the Bible, and gives his son the name of Siddhartha.
The great hermit Asita comes to King Suddhodana and assures him of how divine the birth of his son is. He tells King Suddhodana of the great peace, virtue, and pride his family has had, and that it will only become stronger through Siddhartha. Siddhartha will gain true knowledge. He bores the marks of omnipotence.
Siddhartha's mother, Maya dies and Mahaprajapati takes over in his care. She places jewels and other jewelry over his body, but takes it off when a goddess order her to. Siddhartha is then taken to the temple of the gods when the gods and goddesses come to life and sing to the boy.
Siddhartha is sent off to learn from Visvamitra, but he realizes he is not able to teach the young prince, for possesses much more knowledge than him already. Prince Siddhartha meditates under a tree with its shadow, but as the day goes, the shadow does not move. It stays in his exact place.
Siddhartha ends up marrying the daughter of Dandapani named Dropa.
Bibliography:
The Life of Buddha by A. Ferdinand Herold, tr. by Paul C Blum
In her new loft, Maya had a dream that the reader can assume is he conceiving a child. When Maya comes back to the palace, she calls for King Suddhodana, and he comes. However he has a weird feeling in his body, but is reassured by the gods that great fortune is about to come to him and his wife.
Maya enters late into pregnancy and knows her son must be born in the garden with the presence of innocent flowers. When the king gets word of his son being born he brings the Sakyas and brahmans to the birth place, very similarly to the Bible, and gives his son the name of Siddhartha.
The great hermit Asita comes to King Suddhodana and assures him of how divine the birth of his son is. He tells King Suddhodana of the great peace, virtue, and pride his family has had, and that it will only become stronger through Siddhartha. Siddhartha will gain true knowledge. He bores the marks of omnipotence.
Siddhartha's mother, Maya dies and Mahaprajapati takes over in his care. She places jewels and other jewelry over his body, but takes it off when a goddess order her to. Siddhartha is then taken to the temple of the gods when the gods and goddesses come to life and sing to the boy.
Siddhartha is sent off to learn from Visvamitra, but he realizes he is not able to teach the young prince, for possesses much more knowledge than him already. Prince Siddhartha meditates under a tree with its shadow, but as the day goes, the shadow does not move. It stays in his exact place.
Siddhartha ends up marrying the daughter of Dandapani named Dropa.
Siddhartha meditating under the tree. Flickr
Bibliography:
The Life of Buddha by A. Ferdinand Herold, tr. by Paul C Blum
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