Life of Siddhartha

Siddhartha Gautama was born in 583 BCE, in the area of what is now Nepal.

When he was a child, his father, King Suddhodana, a religious leader, sheltered him and kept him devoid of experience beyond the walls of his palace. But despite his lack of experience, he was highly knowledgeable, familiar with the rituals and Hindu wisdom being followed in his community, and was widely believed to be destined for greatness. As he grew up, though, he began to question the teachings and practices of his religion. He felt a sense of discontentment with the realization that one could study and practice Hinduism all of ones life and still not reach true enlightenment.

When he was 29 years old, he finally took the freedom to leave the palace, and explored the countryside. On one of his journeys, he saw three men: one who was old, one who was sick, and one who as dead. It was then that he learned from his friend and charioteer, Chandara, the simple truth that we all grow old and eventually die.

It was after this trip into the countryside that he decided that he could no longer go on living the life of luxury and comfort that he was accustomed to. The experience of witnessing suffering firsthand had invoked within him a desire to learn to overcome it. He escaped from his palace, and in many ways, abandoned his past. He cut his long hair, gave away his fancy clothes, and even sent back his horse after leaving.

He, accompanied by his best friend Govinda, went on to live and travel with a group of ascetics who had passed through his town in the past. He and Govinda quickly became immersed in and dedicated to this new lifestyle. They began practicing the renunciation of pleasures of the flesh and dedicating themselves fully to a life of self-mortification. The central goal of the ascetics was to negate the Self and everything associated with it. This includes letting go of all attachments, desires, goals, and dreams, in order to awaken the true Self that lies underneath the illusion of Self, or “ego”.

Eventually, Siddhartha decided that the ascetic lifestyle wasn’t doing him any good. Both he and Govinda felt that they had progressed spiritually during the time they spend with the group, but Siddhartha became doubtful that self-denial would benefit him any further. He also couldn’t help but notice that not one member of the group, including the eldest member, had reached enlightenment. But it wasn’t until three years after joining the group that they left. Through word of mouth, they had learned that an enlightened man, known as Gotama the Buddha, was in the area. Govinda was eager to seek him out, and while Siddhartha had lost interest in being taught as a student, he agreed that it was a good reason to leave.

When Siddhartha and Govinda reached Gotama, they were both impressed by the level of spiritual enlightenment he had reached. However, while Govinda was quickly convinced that