Understanding the Buddha: Life, Death, and Enlightenment
The Buddha
Literal Comprehension
An artist needed to paint a picture of the death of Buddha for the village temple. To do this, he had to understand the Buddha. On the first day, he imagined himself as the young prince Siddhartha, living in the palace. He won Princess Yashodhara in a competition and felt no ill will towards his rivals. The artist imagined servants serving him food when his housekeeper arrived with his midday meal. He even imagined his cat as a dancing girl.
On the second day, he became Siddhartha, who renounced everything after seeing an old man, a sick man, and a dead man. Feeling powerless, he sought the cause of suffering. That night, he left his wife and son, secretly leaving his father’s kingdom. The prince’s pain exhausted the artist the next morning.
On the third day, he imagined himself as Siddhartha sitting under a Bodhi tree. Unmoved by temptation, he attained great wisdom. He loved every living thing, even rocks, as his own family. He wandered, making disciples and spreading happiness. Now, at eighty years old, he was about to die. The artist remembered that the cat was not allowed into heaven because it had not paid homage to the Buddha, and he felt sad for the cat. Having understood all this about the Buddha, he slept for twenty-four hours. Afterward, in less than three hours, he painted the picture of the Buddha dying peacefully on his couch.
Interpretation
Through this story, the writer conveys that before undertaking any task, we must fully understand the subject, or we may not succeed. Pre-planning, mental preparation, and devotion lead to success. Thus, achieving success in any field requires deep concentration, observation, and hard work.
The writer also conveys a message about life and death. Death is inevitable and impartial. No living creature knows when, where, or how death will come. When death strikes, we all feel helpless. But no living creature wants to die; they all struggle to live. No one wants to sacrifice anything that brings them pleasure. As this story is about Buddha, the writer also wants to spread Buddha’s message about life, death, peace, and satisfaction. One should be content with what one has. Peace requires self-satisfaction. Without self-satisfaction, people suffer and are never happy. Love the world instead of ‘self’. This can help overcome the ‘terror’ of death. Death is suffering for those attached to worldly pleasures and peace for those who have renounced them.
Critical Thinking
Though the story is informative and teaches us about Buddha’s teachings on life and death, some ideas are less convincing. Is it possible for a man to sleep for twenty-four hours pretending to be dead? Modern readers may doubt the existence of gods, devils, or heaven. If the Buddha loved every living thing, why was the cat refused entry into heaven? Was he so selfish that he needed homage? Is love a give-and-take transaction?
Assimilation
Elizabeth Coatsworth’s story “The Buddha” provided new methods and inspiration. The story taught me to fully and realistically understand something before pointing out, creating, or writing about any subject matter.
One day, I had to write an essay on “Beggars” for an international competition. As a rich and well-educated person who spent my childhood with every comfort, I lacked an understanding of poverty, suffering, pain, and difficulties. I decided to understand the miserable life of beggars. Thus, I left Kathmandu and went to Bhairahawa. I disguised myself as a sage and begged for two days, wandering door to door. Some people called me lazy, some scolded me, and some let their dogs chase me. Finally, I understood what begging is like. I wrote a realistic essay that won the award.