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village, people crowded around him and begged him to teach
them what he had discovered about the meaning of life, death,
goodness, and justice. He was glad to do so and delivered count-
less lectures in which he urged people—both rich and poor—to
avoid greed and the other ills that caused human suffering. If they
followed the Middle Way and exhibited decent, moral behavior at
all times, such misery would begin to disappear.
His Childhood Home
The Buddha traveled onward, along with his growing legion of
followers, for a few years. Eventually, they came to Lumbini, the
kingdom in which he had been born as Prince Siddhartha. His
father still ruled there. The king had heard about his son’s spiritual
transformation and was impressed that he had gained such a
large following. Shuddhodhana therefore invited the Buddha to
visit his family and childhood home.
When the visiting celebrity arrived at the palace, the king
warmly embraced him and told him how proud of him he was.
Then the Buddha caught sight of his wife and son, who was now
a young man. The former Siddhartha was surprised to learn that
As he approached death, the Buddha advised his followers not to spend time mourning him but
instead to further knowledge about how to conquer suffering and how to lead a righteous life. One
of his main teachings was that people shape their own destinies with their thoughts and actions.
