REL 150 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Mahayana, Four Noble Truths, Bodhisattva
4 Apr 2016
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The buddha"s original name is siddhartha gautama. He was born a kshatriya (warrior caste) to the emperor suddhodana and queen maya. On the night of his conception, the queen dreamt of a white elephant with 6 white tusks entering the side of her body and 10 months later. At siddhartha"s name giving ceremony, the brahmins predicted he would either be a great leader or a holy man. His father feared he wouldn"t follow in his footsteps and rule the country so his father forbid him from leaving the palace gates. Siddhartha was very talented and brilliant at everything he did, and his father made sure all his needs were met, and lived the most luxurious life. At age 16, siddhartha married his cousin and they had a son. Siddhartha spent 29 years living as a prince in what is now present day nepal.
