Reading Notes: The Life of Buddha, Part A

Image information: Sculpture of Buddha, Image credit: Lion’s Roar

In the story “Siddhartha at the Temple” from the book The Life of Buddha by A. Ferdinand Herold, the author begins the story with King Suddhodana, the king of the Sakya race, pondering to the words of Asita’s where he was told that his son would renounce royalty to lead the life of a hermit. However, the birth of the prince proved to be nothing but a blessing. The great river began to grow in tributaries and fat cattle grazed in the meadows. The land of Kapilavastu was filled with happiness and tranquility.
But the joy came to a halt when the royal family lost Queen Maya as a mother after seven days.  Her sister, Mahaprajapati, equal in beauty and kindness, took the prince under her wing and cared for the boy as if he was her own child.
One day, as the boy was playing in a garden not far from the city, Mahaprajapati thought to herself that the prince was old enough to wear necklaces and bracelets and ordered her servants to wear the jewelry that had been gifted to the prince on him. However, within moments later, a goddess rose from the garden nearby and stated that the necklaces and bracelets should be removed from the prince, explaining that it is only worn by slaves. Furthermore, the prince will have his thoughts, something more valuable than things.
I thought that the goddess ordering Mahaprajapati to take the jewelry off the prince was an significant scene in the story because it shows how material things can be an easy distraction to mankind. The goddess wanted the prince to grow up without temptation and the freedom to think. One thing that I would change in my version of the story is to not have his mother die. I think that by having his mother by his side can be beneficial in the prince’s journey to find his path.

Bibliography:

“Siddhartha and the Temple” by Andre Ferdinand Herold. Website: Freebookapalooza.