Page 4 - Understanding Buddhism

CHAPTER ONE

The Origins of

Buddhism

The beginnings of one of the world’s largest faiths—Buddhism—
lie in the now shadowy mists of sixth-century-BCE India. In those
days that vast region was rocked by political turmoil, making life
unstable and uncertain for large numbers of people. Numerous
villages, towns, and small cities dominated by local tribes were
steadily giving way to sprawling, populous kingdoms ruled by
powerful monarchs.

A Sheltered Life
In one of those kingdoms—Lumbini, lying just south of the tow-
ering Himalaya Mountains (in what is now Nepal)—a new royal
prince was born in about 563 BCE. His father, King Shuddhod-
hana, named him Siddhartha. In the local language, Sanskrit,
the child’s name means “a man who achieves his goals.” No
one then realized how prophetic this name would turn out to
be. Neither young Siddhartha’s relatives nor their subjects could
have foreseen that he would one day become the Buddha, the
founder of a new faith practiced by millions of people.
The only thing that King Shuddhodhana knew, or at least
thought he knew, about his son’s future came from some palace
holy men who advised the ruler in spiritual matters. They claimed
that in a vision they saw that the boy’s life had two possible out-
comes. If he spent all his days within the palace walls, he would
someday become a carefree and happy ruler. In contrast, if he
went outside the palace and into the outside world, he would
eventually become a poverty-stricken, lonely hermit.
Hearing this prophecy, the king went to great lengths to try
to keep the second part from coming to pass. He posted doz-

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