The Good Life - A story based on the biography of the Buddha
About 2,500 years ago, in land over 8,000 miles from here, a young King and Queen were expecting a child. As with most other parents – then and now – as they waited for their baby, they dreamed: What kind of life would their child have? Would he be happy? Would he be kind? Would he be wise?
Just as their baby boy was born, they were offered some guidance into their child’s future. One particularly well-reputed wise man made a prediction. This child had a special calling, he said. He was chosen by the Universe for great things.
The parents were thrilled, and started anticipating the good life their son would have. They thought of riches, and power, wisdom, and luxuries – and they beamed with pride.
Except, see, there was one little issue in this wise man’s predictions. Though he was clear that this child would grow to be very successful – he could only predict this success would occur in one of two ways: On the one hand, he might grow to be a great King – ruling over vast lands and peoples – a King of Kings. On the other, he might follow a spiritual path, renouncing material wealth and worldly power in favor of spiritual wisdom and religious truth.
You can imagine which path the parents preferred – which path they thought really represented a successful life, a good life. And no, it didn’t include hours of silent meditation and begging for food.
Although no one could say for sure just how much influence these parents would have on shaping their child’s ultimate destiny, they certainly gave it their best shot, just in case. They did whatever they could to ensure their son would become the King of Kings, so that he could have not just a good life, but the best life.
To start, they offered him a name which they felt signified his true destiny: Siddhartha – that is, one who attains the goal, or one who is successful. Next, they decided to shelter him always from any and all pain and grief, from old age and sickness, from death and loss. They thought if they could just keep him from knowing suffering, he would surely lead a happy life.
But, just as they were concocting this plan, it seemed to fall apart. Tragedy struck – the Queen died, suddenly, just a week after she gave birth.
Though some might take this as reason to doubt the wisdom in their plan, the King persisted – so much did he want for his son a great life. He asked another woman – another of his wives, and the Queen’s sister – to step in as the child’s mother.
They never told young Sid about this early loss, and instead continued on, creating for him a life of pleasure and joy. As he grew, he was offered a great education, access to all kinds of things – archery, martial arts, wrestling, languages, and had lots of friends and servants – and he was given plenty of freedom to follow his whims – as long as they kept him within the palace walls.
See, within the walls, the King had outlawed any old or sick people – as well as any religious people, just in case. It was a perfect world within those palace walls, perfect for creating his son’s perfect life. Perfect, that is, until…one day…Sid was curious.
He wanted to see beyond the palace walls, see the city he was to inherit. The King agreed, and started transforming the streets immediately.
Old people, hide! Sick people, stay inside! Clean the streets, plant new flowers, paint the buildings. Let all that is ugly be made beautiful! With the streets made safe for his son, the King happily invited the Prince into the city. And all was going well, until a frail old man crossed their path, and began to beg for food.
The Prince saw him, and went into shock. He stared at him, not believing his eyes. Where were his teeth? Where were his clothes? Why was he bent over? Why did he not have all the food he needed? Was he born this way? Were there others like him?
The Prince’s assistants quickly whisked him away, back to the Palace. But it was too late. The spell was broken. He knew his own ignorance, and from then on, he relentlessly tried to understand what he had seen.
In the coming days, the Prince kept leaving the Palace, and each time, he encountered another person who challenged all he had believed about the world – he saw a sick person, and then, he saw a dead person.
With each encounter, his knowledge grew, and he was transformed. The pain and grief that he always felt inside himself, but couldn’t name, came bursting out, hungry and desperate for attention. Until finally, one day in his travels, he encountered a nearly naked man, quiet and still in prayer.
Watching this man, he finally knew what it would mean for him to “attain the goal.” He could no longer live behind high walls, pretending to be beyond the reach of suffering, for suffering would ultimately come to all, palace walls or no.
And so he left palace life, he left his father, his new wife, a newborn son. He left riches and beauty and power, and he set out to start anew, in search of the real, the full, the truly good life.
The parents of this man, Prince Siddhartha, who we now know better by his title of reverence, the Buddha, may seem to us foolish or cruel. But from all accounts, they were kind and intelligent rulers, compassionate and well-intentioned. They simply wanted for their child what we want for ourselves, what we most often want for one another: A good life.
And they took their best guess as to what that would be – a life ignorant of suffering, a life away from pain or struggle. Doesn’t that sound about right? But as Prince Siddhartha discovered, as he may have always known, as perhaps we all know, deep down, a life in ignorance is no way to experience the good.
Just as their baby boy was born, they were offered some guidance into their child’s future. One particularly well-reputed wise man made a prediction. This child had a special calling, he said. He was chosen by the Universe for great things.
The parents were thrilled, and started anticipating the good life their son would have. They thought of riches, and power, wisdom, and luxuries – and they beamed with pride.
Except, see, there was one little issue in this wise man’s predictions. Though he was clear that this child would grow to be very successful – he could only predict this success would occur in one of two ways: On the one hand, he might grow to be a great King – ruling over vast lands and peoples – a King of Kings. On the other, he might follow a spiritual path, renouncing material wealth and worldly power in favor of spiritual wisdom and religious truth.
You can imagine which path the parents preferred – which path they thought really represented a successful life, a good life. And no, it didn’t include hours of silent meditation and begging for food.
Although no one could say for sure just how much influence these parents would have on shaping their child’s ultimate destiny, they certainly gave it their best shot, just in case. They did whatever they could to ensure their son would become the King of Kings, so that he could have not just a good life, but the best life.
To start, they offered him a name which they felt signified his true destiny: Siddhartha – that is, one who attains the goal, or one who is successful. Next, they decided to shelter him always from any and all pain and grief, from old age and sickness, from death and loss. They thought if they could just keep him from knowing suffering, he would surely lead a happy life.
But, just as they were concocting this plan, it seemed to fall apart. Tragedy struck – the Queen died, suddenly, just a week after she gave birth.
Though some might take this as reason to doubt the wisdom in their plan, the King persisted – so much did he want for his son a great life. He asked another woman – another of his wives, and the Queen’s sister – to step in as the child’s mother.
They never told young Sid about this early loss, and instead continued on, creating for him a life of pleasure and joy. As he grew, he was offered a great education, access to all kinds of things – archery, martial arts, wrestling, languages, and had lots of friends and servants – and he was given plenty of freedom to follow his whims – as long as they kept him within the palace walls.
See, within the walls, the King had outlawed any old or sick people – as well as any religious people, just in case. It was a perfect world within those palace walls, perfect for creating his son’s perfect life. Perfect, that is, until…one day…Sid was curious.
He wanted to see beyond the palace walls, see the city he was to inherit. The King agreed, and started transforming the streets immediately.
Old people, hide! Sick people, stay inside! Clean the streets, plant new flowers, paint the buildings. Let all that is ugly be made beautiful! With the streets made safe for his son, the King happily invited the Prince into the city. And all was going well, until a frail old man crossed their path, and began to beg for food.
The Prince saw him, and went into shock. He stared at him, not believing his eyes. Where were his teeth? Where were his clothes? Why was he bent over? Why did he not have all the food he needed? Was he born this way? Were there others like him?
The Prince’s assistants quickly whisked him away, back to the Palace. But it was too late. The spell was broken. He knew his own ignorance, and from then on, he relentlessly tried to understand what he had seen.
In the coming days, the Prince kept leaving the Palace, and each time, he encountered another person who challenged all he had believed about the world – he saw a sick person, and then, he saw a dead person.
With each encounter, his knowledge grew, and he was transformed. The pain and grief that he always felt inside himself, but couldn’t name, came bursting out, hungry and desperate for attention. Until finally, one day in his travels, he encountered a nearly naked man, quiet and still in prayer.
Watching this man, he finally knew what it would mean for him to “attain the goal.” He could no longer live behind high walls, pretending to be beyond the reach of suffering, for suffering would ultimately come to all, palace walls or no.
And so he left palace life, he left his father, his new wife, a newborn son. He left riches and beauty and power, and he set out to start anew, in search of the real, the full, the truly good life.
The parents of this man, Prince Siddhartha, who we now know better by his title of reverence, the Buddha, may seem to us foolish or cruel. But from all accounts, they were kind and intelligent rulers, compassionate and well-intentioned. They simply wanted for their child what we want for ourselves, what we most often want for one another: A good life.
And they took their best guess as to what that would be – a life ignorant of suffering, a life away from pain or struggle. Doesn’t that sound about right? But as Prince Siddhartha discovered, as he may have always known, as perhaps we all know, deep down, a life in ignorance is no way to experience the good.