Reading Notes: The Tree of Knowledge, Part B

• Siddhartha = Hero
• Has 10 women that cater to him; Sujata (one of the women), one of her slaves died
• She wrapped him red shroud to put him in the cemetery
• Hero needed clothing & saw the shroud & took it.
• The Gods above helped him make it into a piece of clothing.
• Sakra - giving him a pool of water & wash-stone to wash it
• Mara (the Evil One) - steepened the pool so he couldn't get out
• There was a nearby tree & Hero prayed to the Goddess to let down a branch to help him get out, she did so.
• He sat under the tree and began to sew his new shroud
• Night fell & he had 5 dreams:
1. Lying on the whole bed of Earth; Head on Himalaya, right hand on western sea, left on eastern & feet on southern sea.
2. Saw a reed grow out of his navel, so fast that it touched the sky
3. Worms crawled up his leg covering them
4. Birds flew toward him from every horizon, appeared of Gold
5. He saw a mountain of filth & excrement; he climbed to the summit, descended & was not phased by the filth.
• He knew after the dreams that he would obtain supreme knowledge & become Buddha
• Went back to Uruvilva to beg; Sujata made milk w/ rice flour & honey, put into a golden bowl.
• He arrived to their house & received the bowl while Sujata cleansed his feet.
• Unsure of what to do w/the bowl, it's understood that those before him that become Buddha have their last meal in a golden bowl.
• He bathes in the river & finishes his meal; lets the bowl float & states that the bowl will go upstream if he is to become Buddha & float downstream if he is not; so it floats up.
• Night falls & he walks towards the Tree of Knowledge, sees the Reaper Svastika & asks for grass in return to teach him the law, so he hands the Hero 8 handfuls
• Using the grass, he bows to the tree from the east side, 7 times & sprinkles the grass for then a seat appears for him to sit; no matter what happens, he'll obtain the supreme knowledge.

(Buddha experiencing Bodhi (The Awakening). PBS.)

I could tie this story in with The Great Truths, he could still be a lion or even just a poor man struggling in life to understand the world and universe.

Rather than the servants and the Gods catering to help him, on his journey he can run into random strangers that want to help.  Much like the book/movie 'Into the Wild'.

The supreme knowledge that can be obtained in life can be that of life's simple pleasures.  Just being an honest, good person.  Accepting life's faults and enduring pain and suffering when necessary. 

Bibliography:  Life of Buddha: The Tree of Knowledge.  Link to reading.