'LIFE OF BUDDHA'

The life of Buddha has numerous meaningful messages while contemplating each stage of his transformative journey. The story begins in Lumbini, Nepal, around 2600 years ago, where Siddhartha Gautam was born into a royal family to his father, King Suddhodhan, and his mother, Queen Maya Devi.

According to Buddhist scripture, Queen Maya Devi dreamt of a white elephant entering her womb from Tusita heaven, symbolizing the conception of a divine child. After ten months, she gave birth to Siddhartha in the garden of Lumbini. As a child, he was prophesied to become a great conqueror or a holy person. Upon hearing this, King Suddhodhan sheltered him from the harsh realities of the outside world and wasn't exposed to political affairs. He possessed great compassion, exceptional talent, striking looks and various skills.

One day, driven by curiosity, Siddhartha ventured outside the palace and encountered - an older man, a sick person, and a dying man. He realized the universal suffering everyone, including himself, would eventually experience. Despite having wealth, power, beauty, and loved ones, Siddhartha felt intense dissatisfaction and sorrow. The realization let him renounce his princely life, relinquish his possessions and responsibilities and embark on a journey to discover truth and alleviate suffering. His departure from the royal palace conveyed that material possessions bring temporary happiness but not lasting peace and contentment. At 29, Siddhartha decided to leave the palace and sought renowned gurus to learn and practice meditation. He initially practiced extreme austerity, to the point of starvation, believing that abstaining from food would aid his meditation. However, he soon realized it marked the beginning of the Middle Path, which emphasizes the balance between mind and body. Siddhartha understood that both aspects needed to be valued and cared for.

Siddhartha dedicated himself to meditation for six years, gradually freeing himself from the shackles of desire, anger, ignorance and lust- known as Maras. Sitting under the Bodhi Tree in Bodhgaya, he experienced a profound realization of the true nature of an existence. At 35, Siddhartha attained enlightenment and was after that known as Budha, meaning the awakened one. For the remaining 45 years, he devoted himself to teaching sentient beings. His teachings on the four Noble Truths, emptiness and Buddha nature emphasized the significance of empathy,kindness, and compassion.

At 80, the Buddha reached Parinirvana symbolizing the temporary nature of everything. It Carries the message that all things, regardless of wealth or beauty, have an end. It highlights the impermanence of existence and the transient nature of worldly possessions.

The life of the Budhha offers many philosophical insights, such as impermanence, the middle wat, non-attachment,compassion, and mindfulness. He taught that everything in life is impermanent, and by recognizing this truth, we can let go of attachment and find peace in the present moment. The middle way involves finding balance and avoiding excess, while non-attachment frees us from the cycle of craving and suffering. Compassion and kindness are essential to leading a meaningful life and mindfulness helps us develop greater clarity and understanding of our inner selves.