The Biography of Buddha Shakyamuni
From Secular Prince to Spiritual Leader
What motivated wealthy Prince Siddhartha to renounce his worldly posessions and choose to live as a simple monk, teaching how to find happiness and to let go of suffering
Buddha Shakyamuni was born Prince Siddhartha Gautama in or around 560B.C.E. He was the son of Sudhodana, king of the Sakayas located near the border of Nepal and India.
Prnice Siddhartha's Early Years
At twelve years old, it was foretold that Siddhartha would become a great spiritual teacher if he were ever allowed to see sickness, ageing and death. Naturally, his father wanted Siddhartha to rule his kingdom, so he kept him walled up in the castle, surrounded by beautiful things. He even found him a beautiful woman, Yasodhara to be his Princess, who bore him a son.
All King Sudhodana’s efforts were in vain when at about the age of thirty, Siddhartha persuaded his charioteer to help him escape the castle and see the real world. There, as was prophesied, he encountered for the first time in his life people dying and suffering.
Prince Siddhartha Finds His Calling
Suddenly, he realized that even he with all his wealth or power could not prevent ageing and death or sickness. He also noticed how these factors of life produced great suffering within people. Then he came upon a monk who was calm and peaceful despite the hardships around him. This made Siddhartha realize that although he could not stop the external causes of suffering and unhappiness, he could discover how to eliminate the internal causes of suffering within his own life and his own mind and that of others.
From Prince To Monk
Filled with zeal and great compassion to help the world, he renounced his title, left the castle, gave away his possessions and became a simple monk for the purpose of devoting his life to discovering the way to eliminate human suffering.
For seven years, he studied with many teachers and many groups; he meditated and fasted, continuously searching for the answer. After one long period of fasting, he sat down, weak and exhausted. A woman came by and offered him food. After eating it, he regained his strength and resolve and sat down under a Bodhi tree and vowed not to rise from that spot until he discovered how to keep mankind from suffering once and for all.
There he sat for many days in deep concentration. He was tempted by many things, including evil spirits who tried to get him to abandon his quest and rejoin the real world. He did not give in. Finally, all the pieces came together and his mind cleared and the way to pure happiness and liberation from suffering came to him. He had become awakened; The Enlightened One. With great joy, he got up and danced.
How What Siddhartha Found Can Help Us Today
Buddha Shakyamuni realized that if one changes the way one look at themselves and the world, it is possible to attain lasting happiness. He began teaching this to anyone who would listen – young, old, rich, poor, male or female. Soon he had many disciples, including his wife, the princess and son.
He realized and taught that everyone wants to be truly happy and no one wants to suffer. Therefore, his first lessons were on what causes suffering in life, how to recognize it, how to eventually elimante suffering completely and keep it away forever. These lessons were to be known as The Four Noble Truths.
Over the next forty years, the Buddha taught over eighty thousand teachings. As Buddha came to understand the keys to happiness and elimination of suffering he taught people that by meditation one can take control of ones suffering, recognize it and eliminate it. The use of meditation is one of the major precepts for achieving these realizations.
Recling Buddha
Finally, something that the Buddha ate caused him to become quite ill and he lay down to rest and never recovered. Although Buddha died over two thousand years ago, his teachings on eliminating suffering and finding true inner peace live on to this day.
References: Shakyamuni Buddha: A Narrative Biography - by Nikkyo Niwano
Before He Was Buddha: The Life of Siddhartha - by Hammalawa Saddhatissa
