I came across a book for children recently called Prince Siddhartha which tells the life story of Buddha and aside from being profoundly moved by it I noted how much more powerful it was than the life story of Jesus. My entire childhood was focused on Christianity and I have read the bible multiple times, but not once was I ever taught about Prince Siddhartha and the tale of how he came became a Buddha. Ever the sceptic I would argue there is a nefarious reason behind the admission of this incredibly important story from the education of most Western children and society at large is worse off as a consequence.
Before I get into that I want first to show you some of the pages from this beautiful book which I just finished reading to my children last night.
The mother of Prince Siddhartha depicted here, calmly giving birth.
A large tree bent down one of its branches and the Queen took hold of it with her right hand. Supporting herself in this way, she gave birth to a son. The attendants cradled the baby in their arms and were amazed at how beautiful he was and how peaceful he seemed.
Wonderful art I think you will agree. Always depicting the Buddha with a halo around his head.
I enjoyed so many of the messages within this book but particularly the contrast between the many years spent within his pleasure palaces...
...and the six years spent meditating in the wild & eating only the seeds which fell into his lap.
I had no idea he almost died on his quest for truth!
But only in this manner could he find the middle way and had either of these extremes not been present in his life, his mission would have been unsuccessful.
I also particularly enjoyed the story of his father who wanted so much for his son to stay with him and tend to the kingdom rather than follow the life of a homeless holy man.
So desperate he was to control the fate of his son that he created a fake reality in which old and sick people were removed from sight. Even the wilting flowers were removed at night and the Prince grew up knowing only this reality of consistent youth & perfection.
But eventually of course he ventured outside the palace...
...and even though the King tried his best to continue the illusion everywhere his son went, the Universe ensured the young Prince saw what he needed to see.
A beautiful message which as a father I feel as if I understand better. Indeed, we cannot control the destiny of our children. Only guide them. And if we do try, the Universe will correct the balance.
If you are not already familiar with this story, I should probably mention that the Universe shows our young Prince Siddhartha a sick, an old and a dead person on each of his three trips outside the palace. And finally the illusion is broken.
After meditating on his new reality the Prince goes to his father with the following question:
“O Father, I shall stay here only if you can promise me four things. Tell me that I shall never grow old, that I shall never become ill, that I shall never die, and that I shall never be unhappy. If you cannot promise me these things, then I must leave immediately.” The King was shocked by these strange words and began to get angry. “Forget these foolish ideas, Siddhartha,” he said loudly. But the Prince remained firm. “Father, if you cannot save me from the sufferings of old age, sickness, death, and unhappiness, then you must let me go and try to save myself. It is not right to keep me a prisoner here.”
His father could not make this promise of course and continued to demand his obedience. And so the Universe created the perfect moment for Siddhartha to escape.
On a great quest to put an end to suffering! Which ultimately he achieved.
The death stories of Christ & Buddha
As beings who must live within mortal skins it is impossible to not be fascinated with the subject of death so the way in which our spiritual leaders meet their end is extremely important.
When Jesus was about to give up his life on the cross (after being betrayed by the people he loved) he said this:
"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Father, unto thy hands I commend my spirit. It is finished."
There is a feeling of hopelessness to his last words which seem out of sync with the overall message of his life. Yet that is what we are given.
Personally I was so struck by the crucifixion story that at the age of twelve I painted this image and stuck it to my wall throughout my teenage years to remind me of his sacrifice and keep my behaviour in check.
It isn't an original piece but I'm sorry to say I can't remember where I copied it from.
Regardless, taking the time to copy such a thing and place it on my wall for so many years is evidence enough of how deeply this story affected me.
This and the concept of hell which has the capacity to dominate a young person's life when they are taught to fear it as I was.
So, now let's check out the death of Buddha.
Then Buddha spoke for the last time. “Remember what I have taught you. Craving and desire are the cause of all unhappiness. Everything sooner or later must change, so do not become attached to anything. Instead devote yourself to clearing your mind and finding true, lasting happiness.”
Buddha then turned onto his right side and placed his right hand under his head. He closed his eyes and very peacefully passed away.
The difference between these two deaths is vast and I am wondering if I had been taught the story of Buddha in place of the story of Jesus, what a different life I may have had? Of course, understanding now the importance of extremes on our journey to find the balance, I am able to let it go, but if we apply this thought to the world's largest religion (Christianity) I cannot help but wonder if this hasn't had an effect on pretty much every aspect of life on Earth?
The prison disguised as freedom
Christianity has been permitted to become the number one religion in the world because it subtly teaches servitude over freedom, while also encouraging the ego-based age of materialism.
Who is more free? The man who buys his food every day from the shops with a sense of satisfaction for the cycle of work, money & food on his table or the man who has no money and begs for his food every day with nothing more than humility & gratitude in his heart?
Buddhism encourages a simple life without material possessions or emotional attachments and while Christianity doesn't necessarily encourage the opposite of this, it is very possible to be a multi-millionaire business tycoon with mansions on every continent and a life filled with materialistic possessions & emotional attachments while at the same time upholding the values of a Christian. Come to think of it, wealthy materialistic tycoon Christians are regarded in high esteem by many these days. Trump comes to mind straight away.
Buddhists shave their heads and wear the same clothes so there is no sense of inequality or chance for comparison when they meet. While Christians are encouraged to wear their best suits at church every Sunday so they may get a sense for how well (or not) each family is doing in the money department.
I know it's subtle but can you see how this opportunity for comparison basically just encourages matters of the ego which lead to competition and materialism? While Buddhism encourages the exact opposite. And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we should all strive to look the same! Just making observations about these two religions.
Even the idea of being in debt to Christ (who gave up his life on the cross for our sins) sets us up for a life in which being in debt is considered normal. And living in fear of going to hell is no way to live at all! Yet Christians believe we can expect eternal damnation after death if we don't accept their one 'true' God and stick to his rules in this life. Which basically relaxes us into a life in which sticking to the rules (created by some distant entity) is considered normal.
This is in direct contrast to the teachings of Buddha which not only encourage us to respect other religions & spiritual teachers but more importantly they tell us how the eternal soul is incarnated over and over in multiple physical bodies, ultimately helping us shed our fear of death.
Buddha couldn't care less who we worship and certainly doesn't encourage anyone to worship him. Instead he shows respect to all humans (and animals alike) while keeping his focus on teaching us to live in the here & now, in a way which brings an end to all suffering.
If the USA was full of Buddhists instead of Christians can you imagine what a different place it would be? Perhaps you can't but I would say life would be better there. A lot better!
You see, the ego-based age of materialism goes hand in hand with our current subjugation and the drive towards a new digital era, the Fourth Industrial Revolution. And our obedience is required! But you cannot sell this dream to a Buddhist. While a Christian can remain true to his religion all the way to his transhumanist/cyborg future.
You can download a PDF of the book Prince Siddhartha from here. I highly recommend you get familiar with this story if you don't already know it.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Love & Light everyone 🌱
IMO, there ain't one reason for it. But all religions (or their enlightened leaders) were equally great. Everyone existed in different society with different challenges. So their messages might seem different but ultimately will lead people (or true followers) to same state as theirs.
Last month, I visited several places related to Buddha's life including birth, remains of his father's kingdom, cave where he spent 6 years meditating before enlightenment, bodhi tree under which he got enlightened, place where he spoke his last words, nirvana etc. places and stupas.
It seems Buddhism was the dominant religion of that times. But it probably changed after the arson in the Nalanda University - the largest university & library of that era. Most of the original Buddhist manuscripts were burnt to ashes with that. I visited the remains of this university too. It was huge. It's said that the fire kept burning it for 6 months. I also saw some of the burnt rice grains in its museum. It was all overwhelming. I had a feeling that Nalanda had all the resources that kept the light of Buddha alive for centuries. But after this university was destructed, the message of Buddha got almost lost.
I've heard that Jesus had also received his spiritual knowledge in India in his youth or early years; and later went to spread it to the West. According to one story, he returned to India after his said "crucification" in the final years of his life. I want to visit that place as well but heard that for some years now, it is no more accessible to general public. But I'd like to go there some day to feel the vibes of that place.
I don't think that Christ taught materialism or encouraged ego or competition among people. It all boils down to how his life & messages are interpreted by his followers and what kinds of rituals are enacted by the society in the years that followed. IMHO, there is always a better way to interpret a message.
Excellent to learn of your personal journey to visit so many of these special places, relevant to the life of Buddha. "Feel the vibes" is right! Must have been buzzing.
The bible mentions nothing of Jesus's time in India and a quick internet search tell me this: "No historian takes seriously the claim that Jesus was in India, either in his teens or post-resurrection. There's zero evidence to support this hypothesis." But that's not to say it isn't true! The bible has had many re-writes over the years and perhaps these parts of his life simply didn't fit the desired story. I can see how the teachings of Jesus & Buddha are not all that different at their core. It's just time that can be cruel to our great spiritual leaders it seems!
Sorry to hear so many of Buddha's teachings were lost with the arson of the Nalanda University. Was not aware of this event till now. But it makes sense of course. Religions like this are basically dangerous to the modern establishment.
Like you I don't think "Christ taught materialism or encouraged ego or competition among people" but if we are following closely the teachings of Buddha there is no way a person can end up trapped by such matters. While a Christian has no obligation to relinquish his possessions or emotional connections. And like I mentioned there are plenty of examples of materialistic ego-based Christians. So it was more just an observation that Buddhism (in its purest form) doesn't seem to fit with the goal of the Great Reset in the same way Christianity does.
Thank you for your observations my friend. I wish you all the best on your great journey!
Niiiiice one. One of my teacher saif once to me "you wanna talk about religion with me? Than read all the book from all the cultures.."
So i did... Haha, after that i knew what he meant i had no questions anymore😊💯💕
Rehived. Niiiice post. Siddhartha is great.
Amazing way to approach it!
Very nice book with beautiful illustrations.
Nowadays, most people in my country (Thailand) have forgotten about the Buddha’s teachings. They call themselves Buddhists but they are merely doing the rituals and follow established tradition created by organised religious leaders. They are both stuck in materialism and the pursuit of riches and wealth.
Only serious practitioners of Buddhism would be found in remote area such as forest monasteries with simple lifestyle. Most monks in big cities are just people in monk uniforms to me!
The demise of Buddhism came after the Second World War and the first coup which overthrew the monarchy. New power structure supervised by outsiders had been implemented to change our education system, traditional health care, and the centralised control of monks and temples. Brave monks were thrown into jail while some were banished as communists.
However, there are black sheep monks who broke away to form new sects. But they were often manipulated by outsiders as pawns in political games. Some monks realized later they had been used.
Fortunately, some nice aspects of Buddhist teaching had been embedded into people’s belief system from their ancestors. That’s why Thai people are mostly kind, helpful and afraid of bad karma. There’s so many paradoxes in our culture as it has always been influenced by Hinduism over thousands of years ago. So, you would see statues of Indian gods in Buddhist temples! Some strict head monks had removed these Hindu statues from their temple. But most temples used them to attract devotees and donation. People would pray and perform
Hindu rituals to ask for help and favour from Hindu gods and goddess. This sort of thing had been discouraged by the Buddha’s teaching. Self-reliance and critical thinking are fundamental to Buddhism. The Buddha taught people not to belief in his teaching and they should use their own critical thinking and investigation for reasons that his teaching might be correct and reasonable.
https://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/kalama1.htm
But most people forgot about Buddhist teaching and went along with the deadly jabs.
Have a nice weekend.
Am sad to hear that Buddhism in its purest form only exists now in mountain monasteries! Thank you for explaining this part of the story which I evidently missed. My time in Thailand presented a very authentic view of the Buddhists there. But what do I know? Perhaps they all had mobile phones in their back pockets!
But as you say, something must have stuck from the period in which this way of living was prevalent, because yes, the Thai people were very kind and friendly. Way more than the French are, with their predominantly Christian roots!
As for the deadly jabs, this alone is evidence enough that Buddhism has drifted from its original course because true Buddhists wouldn't just follow blindly. They would do their due diligence! That's my perception anyway ;)
Have a great week!
Thanks for your nice words. I guess things are evolving towards the time of ‘destruction’ or another big flood predicted in old books.
According to the Buddha’s words to his monks: Buddhism would last for five thousand years. Then there would be something like the apocalypse on earth. Time will past, then the fifth Buddha would appear, he would be the last Buddha. But we don’t have the words about what would happen later. I guess something drastic will occur, perhaps everything would be sucked into the black hole one day! 🙀😎
https://odysee.com/@III:6/rtbic:f
Fuck the Agenda2030 covid19 fraud.
Bad karma will catch them eventually.
But right now its our collective karma to go through all this...and for those that died due to the jabs...it was also in their karma to be deceived and poisoned to death.
Did you get to watch the link i sent you?
Yeah. I had to find the spare time to catch up with things.
Collective karma seems very strong at the moment. This reminds me of the Mahabharata.
Why one and not the other?
Probably it is the predilection of northern europeans vs western asians.
In Buddhism everything is suffering.
In Christianity everything is about original sin.
The only thing really better about Buddhism than Christianity is that they preserved the words of their great teachers far better.
Christianity had several cycles where they modified the bible. Naicia, King James...
The other big thing is that Buddhism is not a religion. It is a path of following the Buddha's footsteps.
Or a pathway to godhood. (in Christianity it would be termed, becoming like Jesus)
In the future, all the religions will crumble.
As we are seeing Catholicism crumble now. (even more so after information comes out about how they have lied to all the people, and how badly)
In the future, we will have people who are spiritual, and seek spiritual enlightenment. They will use all the great texts, and not be beholden to any religion.
I learned about this when I studied the gospels at the age of 13 and concluded at that point Christianity was not for me. Thank goodness! My mother wanted me to become a priest ;)
Why one and not the other? Mostly I suppose because I feel as if I just discovered Buddhism and like any new relationship, it is hard to see the cracks at the beginning.
All part of the same agenda to bring us back to a more controlled version of how things were in the past, with one world religion. Only it won't be like the single religion of our past. It will be a perversion of it. Just as modern electric cars are a perversion of the electric cars we had over 100 years ago.
Hopefully the great texts will survive the coming chaos!
Great comparison Sam. Will check out the pdf.
Can't believe it took me so many years to get to this amazing story! It was totally random how the book came to me in fact. Like the Universe was prodding me to read it. So yes, download, read, enjoy!
I already sent a copy to Seb in my excitement when I first started reading it ;)
See what you think of this my man, one of my other vids i hadn't uploaded here...its an hr long.
https://odysee.com/@III:6/rtbic:f
How fortuitous that you should have made this film one month ago!
I am one of those who never had a chance to understand Buddhism so will enjoy watching it tonight.
Love your style as always brother. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing your reading and reflections @samstonehill. There are many spiritual teachers who see the world and reality as an illusion and escaping from it is the way. Religious traditions weigh heavily on us and generally do us no good. Trying to find the way is our obligation. The figure of the Buddha is a great source of inspiration that offers me a very nice vision of the path in the version of the writer Hermann Hesse that I highly recommend for being, in my opinion, his best book and a vision that is closer to the Western mind.
I hope you are encouraged to read it and enjoy it as much as I do.
Health, peace and abundance.
Thank you my friend for your words and book recommendation.
Yes, I really feel the truth in that. And unquestionably I feel inspired by the path of Buddha! What an amazing story.
You are not the first person to mention Hermann Hesse and it is a certainty I will find myself a copy to read...
It is my wish that you find it and enjoy it, Hesse is very depressive in his writings, with the exception of Siddhartha, where in my opinion he sings a song to life.
I hope you read it and are encouraged to write an article on the subject, and if you name me, I will read it and comment on it.
Blessings on you until we read each other again.
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STOPFeels intentional to me. In all my years of education they couldn't just squeeze in one little lesson about Buddha?
Thank you for the Sutra!