Having renounced his former life, Siddhartha
travelled from place to place, begging for his
food
and questioning all the holy men he met about
their religious beliefs and practices.
All the holy men he encountered happened to
seeking the same thing, attaining the
complete
annihilation of mind and body and thus
entering
into the state of becoming a pure being.
Many of these yogis believed that the only
way to
achieve this was by undergoing terrible
penances
such as gazing into the sun until their eyes
would
be dissolved away, by sitting or standing in
rigid
positions until their limbs would become
immobile, or by starving almost to the point of
death.
Eventually the Bodhisattva went to live in a
forest
which was by the banks of the river Nairanjan,
For six years he would fast and perform all
kind
of penances, and although these weakened
his
body, his spiritual powers became strong.
According to the tradition, while fasting, his
radiant skin became dark and due to his
emancipated state he ultimately became very
weak and ill.
One day a milkmaid went past and pitying his
state offered him a bowl of milk, which he
drank.
Then he realised that he needed some food
and
after eating he began to feel strong again.
Eventually it became clear to Siddhartha that
extreme physical discipline would not lead to
intellectual liberation. This could only be
achieved
by calm meditation, an impossible task for
anyone whose body is worn down by hunger
and
thirst.
Malnourished figures, with their ribs clearly
showing are often used to depict the fasting
Buddha in various postures.
- (RL.1671)
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