Maya's dream |
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There are many Jataka stories
which tell the story of the Buddha in many lives prior to
his human birth [see: ACTIVITIES - SOUND]. However the usual
image that begins the Buddha's story is that of Queen
Maha Maya's dream where she envisioned a white
elephant piercing her right side. [this could be understood
symbolically as immaculate conception].
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After exactly ten months
the Queen set out for her home town but stopped at Lumbini Park
[see: ART - SHRINES - PILGRIMAGE] where
she gave birth to a son,
Siddhattha. Images usually show giving birth standing up holding
onto the branch of a tree. Some images show the baby being born
from her right side [see thumbnail]. Some say this indicates
a caesarian section. It could explain why she
died seven days after the birth. This was about 563
BCE (some say 623). Another popular image of this time is the
baby, having been born perfectly clean, on his feet, then taking seven
steps to the north. With each step a lotus flower sprang from
the ground. He then proclaimed: 'I am highest in the world,
This is my last birth!' [see thumbnail]
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Siddhattha's birth
see also [§] &[§]
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Asita the Sage |
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With the birth of Siddhattha
there were many wondrous signs - stars and lights in the sky,
trees flowering out of season. These were seen from his remote
hermitage by the great sage, Asita,
who traveled to the palace. He predicted that the child would
be a Buddha but wept, knowing that he would dead before the
enlightenment.
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Eight Brahmin
priests were called to read the auspicious
signs and foretell the future of the child. Seven of them raised
a hand with two fingers - indicating that he would either be
a great world ruler or a Buddha. The youngest priest raised
only one finger. This was Kondanna who became one of the five
ascetics.
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Eight priests
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Rose Apple Tree |
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At the annual ploughing festival
King Suddhodana, Siddhattha's father, leads the celebrations
but Siddhattha gets bored and wanders off, eventually settling
under a rose apple tree. He sees death in nature, goes into
meditative absorption. The amazing thing is that when he is
found the shadow of the tree has not moved, but stayed in place
shading the boy.
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Siddhattha's cousin, Devadatta,
is generally presented as the black sheep of the family - the
bad guy. He shot a white swan
which Siddhattha rescued. Devadatta was very angry, claiming
the bird was his as he had shot it. The matter was taken before
the palace council who eventually agreed the bird was Siddhattha's
as he had saved its life. This is one of the classic stories
exemplifying compassion (with the marriage story of the horse
- see below).
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Siddhattha saves the white swan
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Marriage |
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When Siddhattha was 16 (adolescent
stuff!) his father saw that his son was thinking about life
too much and worried about the predictions of Asita and the
8 Brahmins. He thought: 'I want my son to be a King, not a Buddha'.
His ministers suggested: Get the boy a wife, that will bring
his mind more into 'the world'. There are two parts to the story
- selecting the bride & the contest (to prove himself worthy
of the bride) - see thumbnail.
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Siddhattha is 29 and many questions
still trouble him. He goes into Kapilavatthu and sees old age,
sickness, death and a holy man (either sequentially or on separate
visits). After much anguishing it is this that finally decides
him to leave home in search of truth - only to then find that
he is to become a father. Tradition has it that he left on the
day his son, Rahula, was born.
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Four sights
see also [§]
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renunciation
see § &
§ & § |
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There was a party to celebrate
the birth. Afterwards, late in the night, Siddhattha awoke to
find the whole Palace in a deep sleep. The place was in a real
mess after the party and he was disgusted. He called Channa
to prepare his horse and the three of them left the Palace.
It is said that the gods induced the sleep, opened the gates
and (the god Hrideva) muffled the horses hooves. Once across
the River Anoma Siddhattha cut off his hair and gave his regal
finery to Channa. He later swapped clothes with a woodcutter.
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One last look
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MAPS - The Buddha lived and taught
in the area known as the Ganges Plain, a vast area in Northern India. |
| INTRODUCTION | YOUTH
| ENLIGHTENMENT | TEACHING
| FINALE | OTHER
VERSIONS |
