Siddhartha’s mother, who had a vision of an elephant holding a white lotus in its trunk the night of his conception, died seven days after he was born and then, by most accounts, ascended into the heavenly realm ( Tusita) from which her son had come. But when trying to weave together the historical and mythological elements of Siddhartha Gautama (more familiarly known as the Buddha)’s story, we quickly learn that truth (that which is historically verifiable) and reality (living and lived traditions) are different yet at the same time, completely inseparable.Įven the oldest versions of the Buddha’s story begin with that of a boy born into a ruler/warrior caste ( ksatriya) family of the Sākya people under an astrologically auspicious full moon. Stories change to fit cultures, times, and populations as quickly as they arrive. Like all stories of great teachers, some details have become mythologized as they cross cultures. Siddhartha Gautama’s story, across its many forms and translations, is remarkably consistent in the details.
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