The Buddha — a re-telling of Buddha’s life story — is adapted from the Buddhacarita by Asvagosha. The historical Buddha was born Prince Siddhartha Gautama in a prosperous North Indian kingdom over 2,500 years ago.
As an infant, holy men predicted that he would become a world-conquering ruler or a great saint. His father King Suddhodana provided every pleasure and luxury to prevent him from a spiritual calling, but Siddhartha wasn’t satisfied. Venturing outside the palace, he saw old age, sickness and death.
Overwhelmed by the suffering of the world, and spurred by his great love for all beings, Siddhartha gave up his kingdom and embarked on a spiritual journey that led him to the ultimate destination — enlightenment, the state of being free from suffering and at blissful peace. Thus he became Buddha, the Awakened One and founded Buddhism, one of the world’s greatest faiths.
Reading about the lives and deeds of holy beings is recommended by H.E. Tsem Rinpoche because it blesses us. These stories uplift us, give us hope and let us know that we can make it, that we can achieve our goals.
Even though we may encounter problems along the way, we will be inspired, strong and steady to overcome the odds and succeed in our life journey. For Buddhists, these stories also show us the way to practise, the qualities to cultivate and the ultimate spiritual goal.
This is a recommended read for both adults and children.
- Concept: H.E. Tsem Rinpoche
- Format: PDF
- Extent: 40pp
- Publication date: 2023