| Gautama Buddha (560-480 B.C.E.)was born a prince in | | | | he became the Buddha, the Enlightened One. |
| the Sakya or warrior caste, the second highest in the | | | | Followers became drawn to him from the great and |
| Hindu faith of India. His mother died when he was | | | | ancient Hindu religion, which caused consternation |
| young and the boy was brought in luxury with | | | | among the ruling courts. The caste system which |
| servants in a palace. | | | | Buddha rejected held that all were born into one of |
| When Gautama was 29 and just after the birth of | | | | five levels of caste, with the ruling court on top. |
| his son he felt the need to leave and felt great | | | | Next were the warrior caste to protect the court, |
| sorrow at leaving his family. He wandered across the | | | | then down to merchants who were needed for |
| fertile Ganges plains to the tree covered hills of | | | | trade and wealth, the higher skilled laborer, and at the |
| Vindhya hills where he lived for six years. | | | | bottom the Untouchables. They were all stuck in their |
| Here Buddha practiced the usual ways of the ascetic | | | | positions for life, an Untouchable could never work his |
| then common among holy men in India. He shaved his | | | | way up into court. This is changing now in modern |
| head and beard, put on the yellow robes and | | | | India finally. |
| tortured his body with long fasts and every known | | | | Buddhism exported better in other nearby lands, |
| form of physical mortification. | | | | where the gentle teachings allowed all to reach |
| He became known as a pure man yet the truth | | | | heaven, or Nirvana by living pure lives and forgoing |
| seemed to escape him until he awoke from a fainting | | | | excess. Buddha has long since taken on more oriental |
| fit from hunger he awoke as light came like a flash | | | | eyes and the fat belly in south east Asia, Japan and |
| to his mind. | | | | again now in China. |
| All the fasting, the suppression and control of the | | | | It seems the feeling of empty lives is driving young |
| breath, the fasting were leading him to enfeeblement | | | | affluent coastal Chinese to be meditating in city parks |
| of mind and body. To reach unclouded reason, | | | | and the authorities are so far able to realize this is |
| flawless thinking, surveying the processes of thought, | | | | not threat. |
| acquire clarity of vision and unadulterated experience, | | | | People are reporting happier lives and feeling more |
| a person must have proper food and lead a healthy | | | | calm. What came to the West in a faddish wave in |
| life. | | | | the 1960 era and has shown evidence of reducing |
| Buddha was thrilled by his discovery but his disciples | | | | high blood pressure and many calming effects. Good |
| were so shocked that their master would turn away | | | | news circles the world in way and waves that can be |
| from constant suffering and all left him. The day that | | | | very good news. |
| followed has been said to be one of those defining | | | | We will carry these thoughts into further articles that |
| moments in history. | | | | had Gautama be the first to break through the Hindu |
| Left to himself Gautama walked the forests in now | | | | anger about his greater freedom to a rather court |
| Bihar and sat by the banks of the River Neranjara | | | | style Nirvana that was not sure Untouchables were |
| where he sat under a wild fig tree. Here a lady | | | | ever going to more than the septic brigade. |
| presented him with a dish of milk which invigorated | | | | Buddha overlapped their eight steps which might |
| him. | | | | have you become a cow or monkey on your steps |
| And it is said there, after his ranging through every | | | | through reincarnation. He added a fast track that |
| emotion known to humanity from blackest despair to | | | | anyone could choose to make it to Nirvana or Eternal |
| sublime hope. Gautama found at last the peace and | | | | Bliss or Heaven in this life if one lived a pure life and |
| certainty he sought. Truth was revealed to him and | | | | learned the four basic truths. |