The Buddha

I have been watching an amazing documentary called "The Buddha -- The Story Of Siddhartha", narrated by Richard Gere, a Buddhist himself, and produced by David Grubin. I am really enjoying the depth and information in this video, including some amazing cinematography. 

Lumbinī is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi district of Nepal,. It is the place where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama, who as the Buddha Gautama founded the Buddhist tradition. 

The Buddhas mother, Queen Mayadevi had a dream in which a white elephant entered her side. He turned into a white lotus flower and blossomed into a son in her womb. When she gave birth to her son; from her side also, she only lasted one week herself, dying and leaving Siddhartha alone, to be raised by Mayadevi`s sister, Mahaprajapati. 
The name Siddhartha means "one who has accomplished his aim", Gautama being the family name. His father was a king, named Suddhodana, he was told by astrologers that his son would either become a universal monarch (which his father wanted) or become an enlightened soul who would teach mankind how to become enlightened, a Buddha, a monk. 
There were four signs that would start the events happening, predicted that Siddhartha would see “A decrepit old man, a diseased man, a dead man and a monk.”, his father the King took great pains in keeping him from the real world and seeing these signs take place. Lavishing Siddhartha in luxury, building giant walls around the palace area, so he could not see out... Suddhodana looked after his son's every whim, supplying him with education, wonderful food, wine and women. When Buddha was 16 years old, he married Yasodhara, whom then gave birth to a son, Rahul. Still living within the enclosed palace walls, he has yet to set foot outside of his luxurious and  indulgent compound, or way of life, until his 29th year. 
In his 29th year, Siddhartha, after much thought and emotional upheaval, decides to leave behind Yasodhara and Rahul, to find out what it is that is needed to reach enlightenment, to stop the cycle of death and rebirth, to become The Buddha. He spends many years wandering as spiritual seekers do, the renunciation of all things self,    from place to place, always asking and wondering just what it is he needs to find, to find out, before becoming enlightened. Asceticism was something he tried for approximately 5 years, depriving himself of everything but one grain of rice per day...

NOTE |TO SELF ADD THIS FARTHER IN: When he has become so emaciated in his quest for this knowledge, he finally understands that it is not the deprivation of food, water and worldly goods will bring him enlightenment, it is from within. So when a young girl comes by with rice pudding, telling him to "eat" , he does. He slowly becomes healthier and ends up in Bodhgaya, where he finds a bodhi tree and sits under it, meditating. Tempted by Mela, the god of desire, he is tormented and tempted by him for hours, never once moving. Siddhartha finally touches one finger to the ground, which causes the earth to tremble, sending away all of Mela's demons and Mela himself. For the rest of that night, Siddhartha meditates and sees for the first time all the lives he has lived previously, but not as in a past dreamlike life, as if they are occurring at that moment, gaining the power to see, birth, life and death as they really are, the continuum of reincarnation, and as he sees these lives, he can finally understand all of this. He remains under the tree all night, and by morning...by the light of the morning star, he roared like a lion," my mind he said, is at peace". shaking the bodhi tree, as the tree rained down flowers upon him... he became, the enlightened one, The Buddha. At the same time, under that tree, the world became enlightened as well. This was approximately 45 days from when he first sat under the tree, in his 35th year.  After Brahma comes and beseeches him to help with the teaching of his enlightenment, that Buddha decides to share his teachings. The first teachings are referred to as "setting in motion the wheel of the Dharma" , and is finally taught to his previous 5 cohorts whom were still living an ascetic life, trying to starve themselves into enlightenment. 

Buddhism is an educational system...(best description I have heard so far)...including the art of meditation as part of the learning. 
106:00 movie time