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COLLECTED BY
Collection: Wide Crawl started April 2013
| Śuddhodana | |
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 Śuddhodana and his court |
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| Spouse(s) | Maya Mahapajapati Gotami |
| Children | Gautama Buddha Princess Nanda Prince Nanda |
| Parents | Sihahanu Kaccanā |
| Part of a serieson |
| Buddhism |
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King Suddhodana (Sanskrit: Śuddhodana; Japanese: 浄飯王 Jōbon-ō) was the father of Gautama Buddha.[1] He was a leader of the Shakya people, who lived in northern India and southern Nepal and was a righteous king.
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Suddhodana’s father was King Sihahanu. Śuddhodana won a battle against his father, thus gaining permission to marry the two sisters of his cousin Suppabuddha.
Suppabuddha in turn married Śuddhodana’s two sisters.
Mother of Śuddhodana was Queen Kaccanā.
Śuddhodana’s son Siddhartha married his cousin Yasodharā, daughter of Suppabuddha and his father’s sister.
Śuddhodana’s consorts Maya and Mahapajapati Gotami were Buddha’s mother and stepmother.
Other children of Śuddhodana were Princess Sundari Nanda and Prince Nanda.[2]
The sage Asita visited Siddhartha when he was just a baby, and was surprised when the infant prince placed his feet on top of the sage’s head. After Asita examined the prince’s feet, he kneeled and paid homage to the infant. Suddhodana copied his action.
Siddhartha later received his name from the Five Forest Brahmana, Kaundinya, Mahaanaama, Baspa, Asvajita, and Bharika, who later became Buddha's companions during his ascetic practices, and his first five followers after his enlightenment.
It was prophesied by the Five Forest Brahmana that Siddhartha would become a great chakravartin or "universal monarch". However, if he saw four signs—an old man, a sick man, a cadaver and a monk—he would instead become a great sage. Kaundinya disagreed with the other four Brahmana and predicted that Siddhartha would become a Buddha. After hearing this, Suddhodana tried to keep Siddhartha shielded from the outside world so that he would never see the four signs, and become a powerful ruler instead. However, his plan did not succeed and Siddhartha became a sage, leaving luxurious palace life for a humble journey in the search of enlightenment.
Śuddhodana lamented his son’s departure and spent considerable effort attempting to locate him. Years later, after word of Siddhartha’s enlightenment reached Śuddhodana, he sent a messenger with 10,000 companions to invite Siddhartha back to the Shakya land. The Buddha proceeded to preach to the messenger and all 10,000 companions, who in turn decided to join the Sangha.
Śuddhodana then sent a close friend of Siddhartha, Kaludayi, to invite him to return. Kaludayi also chose to become a monk, but kept his word to invite the Buddha back to his homeland. The Buddha accepted his father's invitation and returned to visit his homeland. During this visit, he preached the Dharma to Suddhodana.
Many years later, when the Buddha heard of Śuddhodana's impending death, he once again returned to his homeland and preached further to Śuddhodana at his deathbed.
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