This blog is aimed at those, like me, who have an interest in Buddhism but really aren’t sure what it is or, more importantly, what it isn’t. Again, I caution the reader that I am not professing any special insight or knowledge. I don’t have The Diamond Sutra memorized. I’m a traveler looking for the Middle Path. So, let’s start at the beginning.

Who was/is Buddha?

In the West we are conditioned to think in terms of a G-d, or a Son, or a Prophet when we talk about spiritual beliefs. In Buddhism, not so much. “Buddha” is actually a title and it means “Awakened One”. There are lots of Buddhas, you’re a Buddha too. But when we refer to The Buddha, the historical man who first discovered and taught the philosophy/religion of Buddhism we are talking about a figure known as Siddhartha. Born a prince to King Suddhodana in what is now Nepal in or around the year 560 B.C.E.

The familiar story is of a prince sequestered from the harsh realities of life and death by his protective father. It was King Suddhodana’s hope that his son never have to set eyes on the unpleasant aspects of the world. Siddhartha, a brilliant young man, wanted to see what was beyond the palace walls. When the prince was allowed to travel through the countryside, his route was carefully orchestrated by his father to keep ugliness, pestulance and death out of Siddhartha’s sight. But, as any parent will tell you, its impossible to shield our children from reality, even if you’re a king.

Siddhartha had caught a glimpse of the real world and saw that there was illness as well as health, he saw death as well as life, he became aware of old age. In short, he learned of his, and everyone else’s, inescapable mortality.

So, the prince gave away his royal robes, shaved his head with his sword leaving just a top knot and went out into the forests to find out what IT is all about. He came across many other seekers and teachers on his journey and learned all he could from all of them. Usually, his understanding surpassed that of his teachers and many began to follow him.

He lived the life of an ascetic, he trid self-denial and inaction until he realized that such a path could only lead to self-destruction. Too extreme. He realized that to understand the true nature of life that one would need to walk The Middle Way. Not too extreme one way or another. He meditated, and meditated, and began to see things with clarity. Sitting under the Bodhi Tree in meditation, Enlightenment came to him. He became The Buddha, and rather than keep this new-found knowledge to himself he decided to spend the rest of his days bringing this enlightenment to all sentient beings. This made him the first Bodhisatva.

TO BE CONTINUED