Ep.8 : The Golden Tray | The Life of the Buddha

Ep.8 "The Golden Tray" Siddhartha practiced various forms of asceticism for six years. One day, while meditating alone he fainted, exhausted by the ascetic practices. At that time, a shepherd boy with a goat walked by. He saw Siddhartha and realised that without any food Siddhartha would die very soon. So he quickly fed him some warm goat's milk. Soon Siddhartha regained consciousness and began to feel better. He realised that without the boy's help, he would have died before attaining enlightenment. From then on, Siddhartha began eating normally. Soon his health was completely restored. It was clear to him now that asceticism was not the way to enlightenment. However, his five friends continued with their ascetic practices. They thought that Siddhartha had become greedy and so they left him. One morning, a girl named Sujata offered Siddhartha some delicious milk-rice porridge and said to him: "May you be successful in obtaining your wishes!" On the same day, Siddhartha accepted an offering of straw from a straw-peddler, made a seat from it and sat down to meditate under a large bodhi tree, facing east. He made a promise to himself: "I will not give up until I achieve my goal, until I find a way of freedom from suffering, for myself and all people."