Buddha

Taken from the book “Lives of Saints” by Swami Sivananda (reproduced in various locations on the web):

“In the sixth century before the Christian era, religion was forgotten in India. The lofty teachings of the Vedas were thrown into the background. There was much priestcraft everywhere. The insincere priests traded on religion. They duped the people in a variety of ways and amassed wealth for themselves. They were quite irreligious. In the name of religion, people followed in the footsteps of the cruel priests and performed meaningless rituals. They killed innocent dumb animals and did various sacrifices. The country was in dire need of a reformer of Buddha’s type. At such a critical period, when there were cruelty, degeneration and unrighteousness everywhere, reformer Buddha was born to put down priestcraft and animal sacrifices, to save the people and disseminate the message of equality, unity and cosmic love everywhere.

Buddha’s father was Suddhodana, king of the Sakhyas. Buddha’s mother was named Maya. Buddha was born in B.C. 560 and died at the age of eighty in B.C. 480 which is a long time for those days.  On the birth of Siddhodana an astrologist claimed that when Siddhodana approached manhood he would become the monk Buddha “perfectly enlightened soul, for the salvation of mankind” so Suddhodana kept Siddhodana in a room so that he might like one of these objects and not leave it but this one time Siddhodana escaped and sore a crippled old man then a Monk came and helped him and he then realised that he would become old and he sore how sincere the monk was and at that moment he decided to become a monk.  When he tried he got rejected so he knew where not to go or what to do until a young village girl came and asked can I feed you sir and when she did as he finished his hunger was not full but he noticed a tree which became the Pipal Tree and he sat under there for days and nights chanting.  Once he finished he stood up and danced for 7 days and was fully enlightened.”

Buddha didn’t perform miracles but he did bring peace to a war torn country and many other people and he isn’t a God but a prophet who came to bring peace and wellbeing to his country.  Buddha isn’t a monstrous person he is the complete opposite and kind, gentle man who never raised his voice and was the wisest person in all the land.  Buddha is one of the best persons in all the land. He came before Jesus and didn’t do any miracles but what he did was spread peace all across his land even to the people who never met him and whenever people hear his name they feel a sense of relief.

– by Jesse Robinson, 10ENG