Readings source: All notes are from stories in part b of the Buddha unit. Story source: The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold (1922).
In the first story of part B, the Buddha is preparing to leave his father's house and set out on his own. As he reaches this moment, he utters these words: "The deep joy I feel, the indomitable strength that now sustains my will, the assurance that I have a protector even though I am alone, all these things tell me that I am about to attain my goal." I found the phrases in this short speech striking. Siddhartha clearly senses some sort of grand destiny is in reach. The confidence of these words reflect a person who has found a calling toward something higher.
In the following story section in the unit, the Buddha has set out on his own and is in a land near the hermits. He states this piece of philosophical wisdom: "Unhappiness is born of desire; that man is to be pitied who is a slave to his passions." I'm not very familiar with Buddhist philosophy, but I found this idea quite compelling. As humans it seems that the more we desire for our circumstances to change or to live out our often inelastic dreams, the more we make ourselves miserable. I've found in my personal experiences that the less I focus on desire the more I find serenity and stability.
A subsequent story involves the Buddha entering the area of another kingdom as a destitute beggar. The king's reaction to seeing him was filled with awe: "The king paused near the tree, and, speechless with wonder, reverently gazed at the beggar." I loved that the king was humble enough to realize that he was in the presence of someone truly great, even though the Buddha was impoverished and he was the king. This sentence reflects the openness of the king and the compelling nature of the Buddha.
I enjoyed this unit a lot!
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| Painting of the Buddha by artist Otgonbayar Ershuu. 2004. Source: Wikimedia |
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