Prince Siddhartha (Si Dat Ta) was born about 560 BCE at Lumbini (Lam Ti Ni) park into the royal Shakya clan of a small kingdom located near the Himalayan Mt. in what is today the country of Nepal. His mom, Queen Maya, died after given birth to him. And thus, the young prince was raised by the Queen's sister,Mahipajapati Gotami, At his birth, the old, renown soothsayer Asita (A Tu Dda), who had spent most his life meditated alone on a recluse mountain, came to pay homage to the young prince. After observing the infant prince, the old medicant started to laugh & cry hysterically. Puzzled by such mingled reactions, king Suddhodana (Tinh Phan), asked for explainations. Asita then replied, "I am happy because the Prince will become an enlightened being and help to save others from this painful, endless cycle of life. But I cried here because I am very old now and will die soon. I, thus, wont be able to benefit from the wisdom & teaching of the Enlightened One."
-----> To listen about this momentous eevent, click here to hear tan co: "Loi Tien Tri cua A Tu DDa" sang by Huu Tho & Bich Phuong.

Hence, predicted the future of Prince Siddartha: He would either become the greatest king or renounce the world & become an enlightened being.

King Suddhodana, upon hearing such prediction, began to set up plans to prevent the latter fact from taking place. He wanted his son to only become the universal monarch. Therefore, he made it such that Prince Siddhartha surrounded by all the luxuries & pleasures in life. He married Princess Yasodara when he was 16. And they had a son whom they named "Rahula" (La Hau La). The young Prince had all that he can ask for & never once get the chance witness any suffering of life. That wass...until one day when Prince Siddhartha decided to take a stroll outside the royal palace w/out telling his father.

He saw: 1) an aged old man, 2) a sick person, 3) a death body, and 4) a smiling mendicant. Never before has he seen such sights. The Prince was shocked & remorseful by the first 3 omens. They made him realize that all his worldly, materialistic pleasures wont be able to help him to escape from old age, deteriorate health, and imminent death one day. And that no wealth in the kingdom can help him attain such peaceful expression as that of the mendicant. He began to question the meaning of life & the endless cyle of rebith & death. The Prince then came to the decision: To renounce all his worldly luxury and go find the way to be like a smiling mendicant & able to help end others' sufferings.

That same night, he silently came to kiss his sleeping wife & young son good-bye, and asked Channa (Sa Nac) to saddle his horse. He then left the palace in the dead of night. Reaching a small stream, he cut off his hair, took off his royal attire to trade for a rag w/ a beggar. and went off into the forest. He was then 29 yrs. old.

For 6 yrs, he wandered about, practiced extreme ascetism, trying to find the answers. Despite endless adversities, temptations, & hardships, Siddhartha was determined to find the end to human suffering. With the hand touching the earth, he swore: "May my body wither on this seat, my skin, bones and flesh decay; until I have attained the Wisdom so hard to achieve in many eons, my body shall not be moved from this spot!" Under the Bodhi Tree (Bo Dde), he achieved Buddhahood at the age of 35 and became known as the "Buddha" or "Enlightened One," the being who has awakened.

Forty-nine days after his profound awakening, the Shakyamuni Buddha (Phat Thich Ca) arrived in the Deer Park at Benares to deliver his first sermon. Called the "Turning of the Wheel of the Law" (dharmachakra), the Buddha's first exposition of his realization under the Bodhi Tree consisted of the "Four Noble Truths" about suffering as well as the "Eight-Fold Path" that provides the means whereby one’s salvation from the perils of human suffering is obtained. Over the remainder of his lifetime the Sakyamuni continued to preach his message of salvation while traveling around upper India. Along the way, he attracted a legion of followers and founded spiritual communities of the faithful called "sanghas." Shortly before the Buddha's death at the age of 80, an impatient merchant asked the great sage to briefly summarize his message of salvation. "Do that which is good, avoid doing that which is not good," replied the great sage. "But any young child knows that!" replied the impatient merchant. "Yes," agreed the Buddha, "but difficult even for an 80-year-old man to accomplish!"

Forty-five years after his spiritual awakening underneath the Bodhi Tree, the Buddha informed his disciples that it would soon be time for him to depart this world. Upon arriving in the town of Kusinagara, the Sakyamuni delivered his final sermon to his followers, picked a spot between two great trees, laid down on his right side, faced the setting Sun, and obtained the eternal peace called "Nirvana" (Niet Ban). http://www.serve.com/cmtan/LifeBuddha/buddha.htm

-- 4 Noble Truths (Tu Dieu Dde)> --
1) dukka (kho dde) - Life is suffering. ("Ddoi la be kho.")
2) samudaya (tap dde) - The arising of suffering is because of craving & desires.
3) nirodha (diet dde) - There is a way to end suffering.
4) magga (ddao dde) - End suffering through the middle way or aka the noble 8-Fold Path.

-- 8-Fold Path --
1) Right View: recognize suffering as it enters our lives. When we are able to recognize suffering as it enters our lives, see that our own desires have brought us this pain, and understand that letting go of this desire can bring us peace we have attained Right View.
2) Right Thought: restraining from poisonous thoughts, tolerating all adversities, developing skills of peacefulness
3) Right Speech: speak words of honest, kindness, nurturing, and worthy
4) Right Action: DO NO HARM, respect all lives
5) Right Livelihood: practicing the ways of Peace
6) Right Effort: discipline and diligence
7) Right Mindfulness: being mindful of hearty matters
8) Right Concentration

-- Triple Gems (Tam Bao) --