The first story was quite confusing. I understand why this was mentioned, but it started off rocky for me. I notice that the first word of the story is all caps; assuming this is for emphasis. They refer to everyone as “O ____” such as O queen, O master, O Maya.
Siddhartha was born in a beautiful garden.
Asita also starts off confusing. Where are these characters coming from? Big words are used every once in a while. There is something wrong with Siddhartha? He will experience all life has to offer and it is a shame for anyone who will not survive to see his understanding of life.
There are a lot of descriptions of the world and its surroundings. Maya died and her sister, Mahaprajapati, basically took over her duties. Jewels had no effect on Buddha. He made them seem dull. He radiated like nothing they’ve seen before.
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| Siddhartha under a tree by Olivier Thereaux |
Prince went under a tree for shade and got lost in meditation. Random people went by and started singing about how he will become Buddha. His father sent people out to go look for him. A servant found him under the tree in which the shadow has not moved while all the other trees projected a different shadow. The servant called for the father to see this and a little after they arrived, Siddhartha woke up.
More nature talk. King and prince and extravagant way of living. Siddhartha took an interest in observing those less unfortunate. He felt for them. He thought of what it would be like to go through all that suffering. He was sad of sickness/disease and death. All he could think about was death. A monk suddenly appeared in front of him, and spoke about his selfless way of life. This inspired him to become a monk.
Bibliography: Life of the Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold
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