it's Buddha's birthday today so i wanted to write something for him/about him.
it was also the solar eclipse today, so a special day indeed.
Siddhartha "Buddha" Guatama was born on the 8th day of the 4th month about 2500-2600 years ago. His mother, Queen Maya of the Shakya clan became pregnant with Buddha after having a dream in which a white elephant entered her womb through the right side of her body. so Siddhartha was conceived immaculately.
After he was born, a hermit who lived in the mountains noticed a glowing aura about the palace of King Shuddhodana Guatama - Buddha's father, so the hermit came down from the mountains. When the hermit saw the young Siddhartha, he proclaimed that this child would either become a great king and subjugate the whole world, or, if he rejected the royal court life, he would become the Buddha, the Savior of the World.
As Buddha grew up he was confronted with the true nature of things in this world. He realized that suffering is inherent. After becoming so distressed about the presence of suffering in the world, He finally set out to abandon the courtship and pursue the path of Enlightenment.
First he tried asceticism, but it didn't bring him Enlightenment, or the answer to the end of suffering. Then one fateful night, Siddhartha was abandoned by his friends because he accepted some milk from a maiden, which was apparently a very lowly and degrading thing to do. So he decided to sit under a tree and not move until he found Enlightenment.
Demons attacked his mind, but he analyzed each one and rejected each one. after a serious mental battle lasting through the night, fighting off demons and desires, Siddhartha awoke at the first sight of the morning star to become the Buddha, the World-honored one, the Exalted one.
He traveled throughout india, and everywhere he went from then on out, people followed him, became his disciples, and listened to his teachings.
to this day his teaching stands as the answer to the suffering in this world. with his guidance we could have a world with no suffering... in his last words he said, "I have withheld nothing from my teachings. there is no secret teaching, no hidden meaning; everything has been taught openly and clearly." all we have to do is read the teaching and apply it to our own self, and when we all do that, suffering will come to an end in this world.
we should all seek the noble eightfold path, learn the four noble truths, follow the Dharma, and remember the Buddha on this day, April 8, his birthday.
go to a Buddhist temple near you to learn more.