The Life of BuddhaMy interpretation of the life of Buddha would take the form of a parable. It would begin with a mother's desire to have a child. For the good woman had been married for a long time to a good man, and although both were happy, they longed for God's blessing for a child. One day, a spirit in the form of a white elephant visited the woman and entered her womb. Buddha had been born many times before, due to the suffering of human beings. Legend predicted the birth of a son whose greatness would lead him to become king or the greatest being in the entire world. He was born into his rich family. His earthly father gave him everything. He did not want his son to leave the life he had prepared for him because he feared for his life. The son's name was Siddhartha "the wish-fulfiller" or "the one who achieved his goal" (Fisher, 129). His heavenly father reminded his son of a vision of his true path. The son left his wealthy earthly family and set out in search of the truth. Renouncing all earthly comforts, he allowed his mind to occupy itself with the truths of life and death. His inner search for a higher state of liberation from suffering led him to meditation. Buddha entered the light of reunion with his heavenly father. Others who had known Buddha repeated his lessons of simple living and seeking a state of perfection in this unrewarded life. We gain insight into the paths of existence and the path to freedom. He who follows the path will be saved into eternal happiness with the heavenly Father. The parable is that of the path taken versus the path to wealth not taken. Sometimes it is better to do the nobler thing rather than the easy thing. The teachings of Buddha that I find most interesting are that life inevitably involves suffering, is imperfect and unsatisfying. Life is always a question of choices and the path not to take. We have a choice and this choice triggers other events. Second, suffering originates in our desires. Western culture suffers from its emphasis on individual freedom. The Constitution part of one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and liberty for all, is often forgotten in the pursuit of wealth. Third, there is a state of non-suffering for all types of pain and finally, there is a way to achieve this state without pain..