The Traits Of Character Found In The Early Life of Siddharth Gautama.

Early Traits

• Whenever  Siddharth Gautama went to his father's farm and found no work he repaired to a quiet place, and practised meditation.
• While everything for the cultivation of the mind was provided, his education in the military science befitting a Kshatriya was not neglected.
• For Suddhodana was anxious not to make the mistake of having cultivated the mind of his son at the cost of his manliness.
• Siddharth was of kindly disposition. He did not like exploitation of man by man.
• Once he went to his father's farm with some of his friends and saw the labourers ploughing the land, raising bunds, cutting trees, etc., dressed in scanty clothes under a hot burning sun. 6. He was greatly moved by the sight.
• He said to his friends, can it be right that one man should exploit another? How can it be right that the labourer should toil and the master should live on the fruits of his labour?
• His friends did not know what to say. For they believed in the old philosophy of life that the worker was born to serve and that in serving his master he was only fulfilling his destiny.
• The Sakyas used to celebrate a festival called Vapramangal. It was a rustic festival performed on the day of sowing. On this day custom had made it obligatory on every Sakya to do ploughing personally. 
• Siddharth always observed the custom and did engage himself in ploughing.
• Though a man of learning, he did not despise manual labour. 
• He belonged to a warrior class and had been taught archery and the use of weapons. But he did not like causing unnecessary injury.
• He refused to join hunting parties. His friends used to say : " Are you afraid of tigers ? " He used to retort by saying, " I know you are not going to kill tigers, you are going to kill harmless animals such as deer and rabbits."
• "If not for hunting, come to witness how accurate is the aim of your friends," they said. Even such invitations Siddharth refused, saying ; "I do not like to see the killing of innocent animals."
• Prajapati Gautami was deeply worried over this attitude of Siddharth.
• She used to argue with him saying : " You have forgotten that you are a Kshatriya and fighting is your duty. The art of fighting can be learned only through hunting for only by hunting can you learn how to aim accurately. Hunting is a training ground for the warrior class."
• Siddharth often used to ask Gautami: " But, mother, why should a Kshatriya fight ? And Gautami used to reply : " Because it is his duty."
• Siddharth was never satisfied by her answer. He used to ask Gautami : " Tell me, how can it be the duty of man to kill man ? " Gautami argued, " Such an attitude is good for an ascetic. But Ksha-triyas must fight. If they don't, who will protect the kingdom ? "
• " But mother ! If all Kshatriyas loved one another, would they not be able to protect their kingdom without resort to killing?" Gautami had to leave him to his own opinion.
• He tried to induce his companions to join him in practising meditation. He taught them the proper pose. He taught them to fix their mind on a subject. He advised them to select such thoughts as " May I be happy, may my relations be happy, may all living animals be happy."
• But his friends did not take the matter seriously. They laughed at him. 
• On closing their eyes they could not concentrate on their subject of meditation. Instead, some saw before their eyes deer for shooting or sweets for eating.
• His father and his mother did not like his partiality for meditation. They thought it was so contrary to the life of a Kshatriya.
• Siddharth believed that meditation on right subjects led to development of the spirit of universal love. He justified himself by saying : "When we think of living things, we begin with distinction and discrimination. We separate friends from enemies, we separate animals we rear from human beings. We love friends and domesticated animals and we hate enemies and wild animals."
• "This dividing line we must overcome and this we can do when we in our contemplation rise above the limitations of practical life." Such was his reasoning. 26. His childhood was marked by the presence of supreme sense of compassion.
• Once he went to his father's farm. During recess he was resting under a tree enjoying the peace and beauty of nature. While so seated a bird fell from the sky just in front of him. 
• The bird had been shot at by an arrow which had pierced its body and was fluttering about in great agony.
• Siddharth rushed to the help of the bird. He removed the arrow, dressed its wound and gave it water to drink. He picked up the bird, came to the place where he was seated and wrapped up the bird in his upper garment and held it next to his chest to give it warmth.
• Siddharth was wondering who could have shot this innocent bird. Before long there came his cousin Devadatta armed with all the implements of shooting. He told Siddharth that he had shot a bird flying in the sky, the bird was wounded but it flew some distance and fell somewhere there, and asked him if he had seen it. 
• Siddharth replied in the affirmative and showed him the bird which had by that time completely recovered.
• Devadatta demanded that the bird be handed over to him. This Siddharth refused to do. A sharp argument ensued between the two.
• Devadatta argued that he was the owner of the bird because by the rules of the game, he who kills a game becomes the owner of the game.
• Siddharth denied the validity of the rule. He argued that it is only he who protects that has the right to claim ownership. How can he who wants to kill be the owner? 
• Neither party would yield. The matter was referred to arbitration. The arbitrator upheld the point of view of Siddharth Gautama.
• Devadatta became his permanent enemy. But Gautama's spirit of compassion was so great that he preferred to save the life of an innocent bird to securing the goodwill of his cousin. 
• Such were the traits of character found in the early life of Siddharth Gautama.

Buddha and Devadatta