The Buddha - Story of Siddhartha Before Age 29

I'm watching this documentary movie called: "The Buddha - Story of Siddhartha" and the first 20 minutes focus on his life BEFORE he left his palace (at the age of 29). I learned quite a bit.

For example:

- Did you know he left a wife and new-born son behind?
- Did you know he was a bit of a play-boy in the mansion before marriage?
- Did you know that when he was born it was said he was destined to be a great King OR a very enlightened being?
- Did you even know he left when he was 29 - I thought it was much younger.

** Interesting, even Jesus started his preaching at 30. What's with this age, I almost wonder if there is some significance to it?

Anyways, here are my notes from the movie (the first 20 minutes only so far):

1. Before the birth of Buddha, his mother had a dream (interesting, so did Mother Mary).

2. When experts were asked in that time to analyze her dream, they said she would give birth to a son who was either destined to become a great ruler or a great holy man.

3. The Queen died only 7 days after giving birth to the Buddha.

4. Interesting - Dale Lama says… "You are your own master, the future it depends on you and rests on your shoulders. The Buddha can only show you the path." 

Interesting, this would fall in line with most religions. Even in Christianity, Christ can only show you a path, you have to follow it.

5. Born 500 years before the birth of Jesus.

6. The Buddha's name was "Siddhartha" - he was the son of a King born in a palace with every imaginable luxury. He was a Prince among a clan of warriors.

7. He was brought up very delicately as a child, protected at all times from even the Sun and dust.  

8. His father wanted him to be a great King and be the ruler of India. At that time India had 16 rulers, but his father felt that he could become king of all Kings.

9. His father never wanted him to know that anything was wrong with the world because he wanted him to be a great King, and feared that his son may go the other path (as predicted at his birth) as a enlightened being. 

10. His father married him to his cousin and he fell deeply in love with her. 

11. He indulged himself for 29 years before the bubble of pleasure finally burst. One day he went outside as he traveled through the Kingdom and had his first foreign encounter.  He saw an old man and wanted to know what that was. His attendant explained that men get old.  He eventually saw a sick man and attendant said "oh everyone gets sick - even you will one day."

Now he goes out multiple times, seeing more horror. On his 3rd trip, he sees a corpse and he immediately he sees the suffering, the death - the real world he had been kept from.

He was shocked and he realized that this is my fate, I will become old, ill and I will also die - how do I deal with these things. These are Universal questions in almost all beings.

12. His 4th trip outside, he sees a spiritual seeker, someone who has decided to live a life other than his to escape suffering and all. 

13. At 29 he resolved to leave the palace and seek the answer to suffering.  His wife had just given birth to a son.

14. When he tried to leave the God of Desire tried to get him to go back by telling him that he would one day rule a great Empire. Siddhartha refused. 

** The desire of God almost resembles some kind of DEMON in this story. Once I finish watching this movie I really want to draw some parallels between this story and the story of Jesus. There seem to be uncanny matches.