Reading Notes: The Life of Buddha Part B

In the second part of the reading Siddhartha sees the real truths about life. He thinks the world is all happy places, where everyone is joyous. Then one day he decides to go out of the palace to see the nature and admire its beauty however, gods sends a a man who is sick to his way to enlighten him. He sees a sick man and becomes disturbed of how the life is and how it could end for him. He goes out again and sees old age and is greatly disturbed by the thought of loosing beauty. The third time he goes out he sees death, when a group of people are carrying out a dead man. He had lived most of his life in a palace sheltered by his dad, but then he sees the real truths of beauty, old age and death. He becomes troubled with those thoughts and seeks to give up pleasure so he leaves his palaces. The queen becomes really sad for his lover leaving her behind without any words. I think this was one of the sad scene and I would change it around by maybe letting Siddhartha and his wife go together in the forest like Rama and Sita to seek peace and answers to the question of life.

Bibliography: The Life of Buddha by Herold

Buddha leaving his family and luxury behind 

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Reading Notes: The Life of Buddha Part A

For this week's reading I decided to do the life of Buddha. It was interesting how Buddha came to be. I like the part of the queen going to the forest for peace and gives birth to a god like child in the forest with the help of gods blessings and king. King comes to the forest to see his child and names him Siddhartha. It was also interesting to see him meditating for the first, how on a random day he walks through a village and finds a tree with a shadow and starts pondering eventually loosing himself into meditation. Many people who passed him spoke great words on how his laws of life will change the way of living for many. IfI try to recreate a story, it will be on medication and how it plays a huge role not only into Hindu religion but also Buddhism. Maybe come up with a better way of Siddhartha finding himself meditating. Another scene that I found interesting was the way Siddhartha found his wife Gopa, it was similar to other epics, where the princes face each other to see who has the most potential to marry the girl. It shows us how long arrange marriage had been going on and how it still is.

Bibliography : The Life of Buddha by Herold

Siddhartha meditating under a tree

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