7.   THE BUDDHA.

Preparation.  Display Table;  Pictures of India, Buddhist monks and temples. Read beforehand some of the sayings of Buddha.  Crayons. Paper for each child as in Diagram 7.

Prayers.

Song.  God is One, Man is One, from the Bahá'í song book.

News Time and Birthdays.

Revision of the previous week, linking up with today's lesson.

Introduction.  Buddha was a Messenger of God.  He was a Mirror (refer to lesson on the Kingdom of the Messengers).  Use the articles on your Display Table to give the children an idea of life in India at the time of Buddha.

Story.  Tell in your own words, or read from "God and His Messengers" by David Hofman, (page 12), or use the following.

SIDDHARTHA GUATAMA - THE BUDDHA

Siddhartha Guatama was a prince.  His father was the King of part of India. His mother, Queen Maya  died a week after her son was born.  As He grew up He learned to ride and hunt and to read the Holy Books of India.  He was a very clever child and very strong.  His father was rich so Siddhartha had many fine clothes, delicious food to eat and lots of books to read and fine gardens to play and walk in.  Life was very good and He thought everybody had a happy life like himself.  When He grew up He married a lovely girl called Yasodhara and they had a son called Rahula.  Then, one day, He went for a walk, outside the palace gardens and on the way He saw four men - a helpless old man, a sick man, a dead man and a holy man.  Siddhartha began to wonder why people became sad or had to suffer terrible illnesses.  Could a man do anything to stop these things happening,  He thought?  The holy man He had seen, although poor and in rags, his face had seemed calm and peace­ful, so perhaps he had found a way to be happy.  Siddhartha decided that He must give up His wealth and happy life and go round India seeking the answers to His questions.

In the middle of the night He woke up and took a last look at His wife and baby before leaving the palace.  People say that He had a servant called Channa and a horse called Yanthaka, both of whom He loved very dearly. Siddhartha mounted His horse and galloped away with Channa holding on to the tail.  When He was far away from the palace He sent His faithful servant back to the palace, with Kanthaka.

Siddhartha was now very poor and He had to beg for food, which villagers placed in His little wooden begging bowl.  On His travels He met five monks, who led a very hard life.  They did not believe it was good for a person to be comfortable, so they did not live in fine houses or eat very much. Siddhartha tried to live like them but He just became thin and weak, so He left the monks.  He then met a girl who gave Him a bowl of sweet rice to eat, and then He realised that it was just as wrong not to eat all the time as it was to eat too much.  Finally, He sat under a Bo tree to pray that He might find the answers.  He stayed there, without moving, for seven days and when He got up He knew all the answers, because God told Him.

Now He was called The Buddha, which means the Enlightened One.  He found His five monk friends and after He had told them how to live a useful, happy life, they became His disciples.

Many people became His followers, including King Asoka of India.  They promised to try and live a good life, and not to become very rich.  They did not own any belongings, just a needle and thread, a begging bowl, a rosary and a razor to shave their heads with.  At first they were only allowed to have one yellow robe to wear, which was made from rags, until one cold night the Buddha had to put on extra clothes, and after that He allowed His followers to have three garments.
Buddha loved to spend His time in the forest with the animals.  There are stories about Him;  one is that a monkey brought Him a honeycomb from a beehive, and another is that a poisonous snake slept in His begging bowl.

He was eighty years old when He died, and had still been walking around India. He had a bed made between two trees and as He lay down His body shone like gold.  A disciple was fanning Him and Buddha asked him to move away so that He could see the angel who was coming for Him.  "Work hard."  He told His friends before He died.
Pilgrims go to visit the spot where Buddha is buried, to leave flowers.
It is very peaceful, with monkeys wandering around and a huge statue of The Buddha.

Reading.           Overcome anger by gentleness, overcome evil by good, overcome the miser by being generous, overcome lies by the truth.

Creative work.  Diagram 7 is divided into two parts (by a brick wall). On the left is the palace  for the children to draw in all the fine things Buddha had.  On the right is, outside the palace wall, for the children to draw in some of the people Buddha saw after He left.

 Diagram 7.

 Last modified: May 17, 2001

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