The Buddha 🔴

He was a Prince, who knew no sorrow, no pain,

For his father had kept reality out of his domain,

He grew up among riches, surrounded by beauty,

And became a warrior, strong, brave and fearless.

When he was born, a wise man made a prophecy.

He will either be an emperor or an enlightened soul,

Who will shine like a million suns and lead the world,

To salvation and enlightenment by his word and deed.

His father then kept him in a gilded world,

No pain, no suffering, could pass through its door,

If he saw no suffering, he will not give up a King’s life,

And become an ascetic was his firm belief.

The young Prince then married a beautiful girl,

Yasodhara by name and royal by birth,

He lived in his happy, blissful world,

And soon had a son to call his own.

But the three sights changed his life forever,

An old man, a sick man and a dead body,

Which he saw on his first ride outside the Palace,

He could rest no more, could get no solace.

He pondered about the human birth,

The reason for pain, the reason for sorrows,

And his restless mind could get no relief,

And his thirst for the Truth, grew manifold.

One night, he set out to seek the Truth,

A way to find salvation from birth and rebirth,

Lofty was his goal and deep his vision,

To elevate the suffering of humanity was his mission.

But what about young Yasodhara and her little son?

Was her life not one of sacrifice and penance?

She let him go, though it broke her heart,

And lived like an ascetic within the Palace walls.

He went on to become Budha, the enlightened one,

Who taught the Four Noble truth and the eightfold path,

To free oneself of the cycle of birth and rebirth,

By freeing oneself of desire, the reason for bondage.

We all play our parts in this grand cosmic drama,

Some take centre stage, while some play supporting roles,

But we are all cogs in this great cosmic wheel,

Some, History remembers, some get lost in time.

PUSHPA SUBRAMANIAN