The Life of Buddha

Long ago, a king and queen lived in a palace near the Himalaya mountains.

On a spring full moon, the queen had a baby boy. They named him Siddhartha. It means “the one whose wishes will come true.”

Siddhartha grew into a kind man who loved all living things.

One day, Siddhartha saw his cousin shoot a swan with an arrow. Siddhartha took care of the poor swan until it healed.

When the swan was well again, he set it free.

Siddhartha wanted to know why living things, like the swan, sometimes suffered so much.

The king did not want his son to think about such matters. He built Siddhartha a big palace. Then, he found his son a wife.

Still, Siddhartha could not forget about sadness and suffering.

He told his servant, Channa, that he wanted to see what life was like for people outside the palace walls.