Circa 560 BCE:
King Suddhodana Gautama ruled the Shakya clan kingdom of Kapilvastu in the foothills of the Himalayas. He and his queen, Maya, lived in the great citadel of Tilaurakot. They were sadly childless for many years. However, the Queen became pregnant after an odd dream about an elephant. The joy was short lived, as she died shortly after giving birth. The prince was given the name Siddhartha Gautama.
King Suddhodana Gautama ruled the Shakya clan kingdom of Kapilvastu in the foothills of the Himalayas. He and his queen, Maya, lived in the great citadel of Tilaurakot. They were sadly childless for many years. However, the Queen became pregnant after an odd dream about an elephant. The joy was short lived, as she died shortly after giving birth. The prince was given the name Siddhartha Gautama.
Shortly after the birth, custom demanded that a wiseman predict the baby's future. A local ascetic hemit, Asita, predicted that the young prince would either become a great king and ruler of "the four seas" or become a supreme religious leader.
On hearing this prediction, the king determined the prince would be raised by holy men, as a supreme religious leader might wield more power than a prince ever could. On reaching his 16th birthday, the king determined that the prince would become a Jain Muni monk.
After several years, the prince-monk was becoming disenchanted with the way that had been set for him. He realised that his ascetic practice had little real effect on the suffering of the people. And so, at age 29, he departed from the way, and set out on a new path...
Comment: This is my first ATL here, and I'm sure I'll stumble along the way, if I haven't already. I hope the POD in the story of the historical Buddha is obvious...
Comment: This is my first ATL here, and I'm sure I'll stumble along the way, if I haven't already. I hope the POD in the story of the historical Buddha is obvious...
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