Story of the Buddha in five minutes

The Scythian Prince Siddhartha: The Buddha

(Dhamma Super Rich) Here is the life of the Buddha, or at least an attempt at the highlights, told in five minutes. Sadly, it makes the usual mistake of emphasizing the wrong thing while giving a gist of the allegory that is the Awakened One's life. The Buddha literally means "the Awakened One." Where does it go wrong?

Anyone listening to this summary might conclude that the reason the wandering ascetic Siddhartha was able to "awaken" (become enlightened) is because he made a strong determination (a vow to sooner shrivel up and have his blood turn to dust before getting up from) under the Bodhi tree. He determined to awaken by a massive effort.

Clear vision happens if we strain and strive?

Anyone familiar with the story of in detail of how Siddhartha became the Buddha might notice that this is exactly why for nearly seven years he failed and could not awaken, not breakthrough, not bring about ultimate realization (penetrating insight).

It was only when he, in a sense, "gave up" pushing (extreme asceticism) and muscling (efforting) -- and instead surrendered self will -- that awakening happened on its own.

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  (By Sayalay Susila, Dhr. Seven)

  The Truth is always there. It's just that we do not notice it, do not comprehend things as they really are, do not penetrate what we have learned and memorized to the heart of the matter. What is missing is not the Truth to be perceived. What is missing is our clear-vision, our undistorted knowing-and-seeing. And this will not be accomplished by more and more effort. That would be like straining and squinting the dust-covered eye as if by mere effort-of-will things would become clear. They will not. We must first purify the mind/heart that knows and sees. That is temporarily by the absorptions. CONTINUED

• Dhamma Super Rich (video); text by Dhr. Seven; Amber Larson (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly