Buddhist Statues :: Jolly Buddha

All things have a story...

The Buddha was an ordinary man before becoming the "enlightened one". He had a family and was actually a prince. After seeing discontent, disease, death and suffering around him for the first time (outside his palace walls) he renounced his family and set off on a journey to find the truth about life, death, the universe and suffering. In his quest he came across many holy men, but it was only after six long, arduous years that he reached realization.

The Buddha, known as Siddhartha before becoming enlightened, had tried every approach until then and finally became exhausted and despondent. He sat cross-legged under a fig tree, which the Indians call a "bo tree". Siddhartha sat facing the east and made a personal resolution not to move until he was either dead or achieved enlightenment. The month was May and the moon was full. Buddhists still celebrate the full moon days of May, as it was the time of Buddha's enlightenment. Siddhartha had to resist the temptations of the evil Mara, who is much like the devil in Western culture. Mara claimed the grass "throne" that the Buddha was sitting upon was his. The Buddha challenged Mara and pointed to the grass, calling upon the earth to witness that the grass was indeed his. This one gesture has been captured in countless artistic representations of Buddha and is very popular in Buddha art.

Mara sent his three daughters of temptation at Buddha in one final attempt to persuade him. But Buddha held steadfast, saw through the illusion of Mara and his daughters and ultimately reached an enlightened state where he could see all of his past lives and understand the causation of life. When he came out of his state, he was a changed man, a Buddha or "awakened one". He awoke with two important and fundamental understandings, that of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.