The Life of Buddha by Andre Ferdinand Herold (1922)
Buddha (Source)
I know most sects of Buddhism have supreme respect for animals to the point they don't eat them. There is one sect, I can't recall its name, that has its devotees become nomadic beggars. Because they are begging, they took whatever food they can get. Siddhartha talking to his horse, Kanthaka, like a human being reminds me of this respect. I also forgot how Siddhartha abandons a wife and a child. This version of the story doesn't make that super obvious. I wonder if he ever sees them again?
Siddhartha's mission is to defeat death and old age. Dang the horse dies just like that. The king was so sad, and yet he couldn't help but appreciate his son's virtue. That's pretty cool. That's the same kind of feeling I've had when I broke up with someone. I was sad, but I knew it needed to happen, so I was grateful.
Siddhartha refusing to teach Arata Kalama's doctrine is really cool. Reincarnating is the evil that must be stopped in the Buddha's mind. Those who suffer for a better life in the next are doing so for the reward of a better life. That life is also ended with death. Those who gratify their flesh also die and brought down to a lower caste for their misdeeds.
Mara, the evil one. I know there's evil gods in Hinduism, but I didn't know there was a bad guy in this story other than death and old age.
I have an idea I could write about. Two actually. The first I had centered around the gods interventions when Siddhartha visited the city. I wanted to make those visions instead Siddhartha had instead of the gods creating actual events. My second idea is to start out a traditional story, but then have it revealed that the story being told is about a guy writing a story about the Buddha. The connection for me is the Tree of Knowledge. This writer would be saying the Buddha deceived himself by his awakening under the tree. That he tricked the world or something. Gosh, it would be so ridiculous. I don't want to think about actually writing it now, but I could make something out of it.
Mother Earth was a character I wasn't expecting in this story. Mara's attempt at trying to destroy Buddha because he'll be robbing him of his subjects in his kingdom is cool. I don't remember how that works in Hinduism/Buddhism. Is there a hell or a Hades? Isn't an existence in a lower caste hell?
I have trouble tracking his causes and effects.
"Who drinks salt water increases his thirst; who flees from desire finds his thirst appeased."
Meeting one desire makes a person want to meet the next. It's an endless cycle. Drinking salt water has a similar effect.
ab·ste·mi·ous: not self-indulgent, especially when eating and drinking.
obdurate
You find some great words when reading these.
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