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GETTING WHERE WE’RE GOING

Just as scientists are constantly striving to unlock the secrets of the external world to discover the nature of reality, Siddhartha dreamed of unlocking the secrets of the inner world of the mind. When he left the palace, he left behind a young wife, a child, and his life of luxury. He was determined to conquer his ignorance and meet reality face-to-face. He went into the forest with no guarantee of a roof over his head, no means of sustenance, and no one to protect him.

At that time, Indian society was at an interesting point. The social structure was very rigid. A caste system decided your place in society, your duty in life, your occupation, and your spiritual standing. All this was set up by the condition of your birth. On the other hand, it was also a time of intense excitement. Intellectuals and philosophers were persistently engaged in lively debates that produced a number of competing spiritual traditions. Groups of young people began hanging out in the forest, joining one or another of these groups, which existed outside of society. Siddhartha, too, joined in, studying with two of the most renowned forest sages. As it happened, he quickly outstripped his teachers’ understanding and then joined a group of five ascetic practitioners. More determined than ever to reach his goal, he abandoned all comfort. He took on the torturous practices of the ascetics, including starvation, with the intention of transcending the physical body and exhausting the desires of the mind. After six years of this, Siddhartha was near death. At that point, he let go of his belief that this path of intense deprivation would lead him to freedom. He collapsed by the bank of a river.

Though he didn’t know it, Siddhartha was very near his goal. A young girl carrying a bowl of rice milk was passing by and offered him this food. He accepted it, breaking his six-year fast. Seeing this, his five ascetic brothers thought Siddhartha had given up his discipline. Furious, they vowed never to speak to him again and left. Siddhartha contemplated his situation while gradually regaining his strength. He realized that neither his life of self-indulgence in the palace nor his life of self-mortification in the forest was a genuine road to freedom. They were both extreme paths, and attachment to either extreme was an obstacle. The true way lay in the middle of these two. Recognizing this, he was ready for the final push. He sat on a grass cushion beneath the sheltering branches of a tree and took a personal vow to remain there until he knew the truth about his mind and the world.

Siddhartha meditated for forty-nine days, and at the age of thirty-five, he attained the freedom he sought. His mind became vast and open. He saw the truth of the suffering of all beings and the cause of that suffering. He saw that freedom is a reality within the reach of all beings, and he saw how they could attain it. He became known as the Buddha, the Awakened One, and he taught whoever came to him for the next forty-five years. Others followed his instructions. They attained their own freedom, and a lineage of awakening had begun.

But that was then, and this is now. What about Sid? What about his dreams? If he knows where he wants to go, then what he needs is a map and someone to talk to who’s been there. A lot of roads look alike, and it’s easy to get confused along the way. Some roads change direction; others just peter out. Sid might start out for Alaska and end up in a Chicago blues club or in the suburbs with a wife and three kids. He could become a novelist, a scientist, or president of the United States. Or he could start a new movement, a revolution of mind, and inspire a generation. There are endless possibilities for each of us.

For more information on this and other books from Shambhala, please visit www.shambhala.com.

Table of Contents

I NTRODUCTION

L ESSONS FOR THE L IVING

T HE W HOLE W AY

T HAT B IRD H AS M Y W INGS

Y OU A RE H ERE

A NSWERS