Interesting Characters And Details Reading the Life of the Buddha Edited By Bhikkhu Nanamoli

Ñāṇamoli Bhikkhu died in 1960. He led an interesting life, he was an intelligence officer during WW2. He and his friend Ñāṇavīra Thera went to Sri Lanka and ordained as a monk. My heart warms so much when a friend is mentioned in a Wikipedia entry about a person's life. 

He was taught by Nyanatiloka, German born, who was among the earliest western monks in Sri Lanka. Nyanatiloka went off to Sri Lanka in 1903 at the age of 25, and went on to Burma. You can read about him in a biography that is online. 

Nyanatiloka met U Dhammaloka, Irish born, who ordained in 1900.

Nanamoli left us an amazing modern edited book from the Pali Sources about the life of the Buddha. 

How it is that I can read these awesome texts in English today is amazing to me.

People Gotama met before enlightenment and his family

Ananda remembers the discourses, what the Buddha said. It is his great memory that comes down to us. He was a first cousin to the Buddha.

Upali remembered the monastic rules. "He was ordained before the princes, putting humility before caste." He was a low caste barber. 

There is Asita, an ascetic who laments he will not live enough to see the Buddha. "Among the bipedal race he is unique."

King Bimbisara offers the Buddha a lot of money to be a general in his army.

Alara Kalama was a teacher who taught Gotama everything he knew on his spiritual quest, but he kept going.

Uddaka Rāmaputta was his second teacher. The teachings do not lead to dispassion, fading of lust, cessation, enlightenment. 

Tapussa and Bhalluka: Two merchants who came upon the Buddha while he was freshly consolidating the insights of his enlightenment under the Mucalinda Tree. They gave him some food. The Buddha wasn't really into eating but the Four Devine Kings persuaded him with food from the 4 corners of the world, rice cake and honey. His first meal after enlightenment. Tapussa and Bhalluka took refuge in the Buddha and the Dharma, but there was no Sangha yet to get the three jewels. They were the first disciples of the Buddha. 

Details:

Gautama talks about the need to go forth from home life: crowded and dusty. 

I would add crumbs. My daughter eats pretzels in bed before she goes to sleep, and there are crumbs.

Gautama went off and was in nice parks where deer came up to him and peacocks were around. I can hear their cries. He talks about hair standing on end, what an amazing detail, fear and dread arose, which he subdued. I kind of like these details of the struggle. 

The Buddha's family includes his father Suddhodana and mother Maya and his foster mother Mahapajapati Gotami.

There are bits where they say he went forth young, and don't mention a wife. It is possible that that whole story line cropped up later, but in the legend his wife has a name, Yashodhara.

What does it add to the myth that he went for not as a late teen but as a father at 29? Does that add more gravity, more drama? Does that make it more relatable?