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by Anura Guruge

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Related posts:

>> Happy Vesak 2014>— May 13, 2014.
>> Vesak 2014 Pandols>— May 13, 2014.
>> Pope’s 2014 Vesak greeting — May 10, 2014.
>> 2014 Vesak post — May 4, 2014.
>> 2013 Vesak post — May 16, 2013.

++++ See Category ‘Sri Lanka‘ or search on ‘Sri Lanka‘ & ‘Buddhism‘  for other related posts >>>>

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All the above posts on Vesak and yesterday’s post on Gandhi got me thinking whether there is a Buddha’s bloodline — i.e., folks that are descendant from Buddha. This is far from idle speculation, sacrilegious or even disrespectful in the slightest.

Unlike Jesus there is no question or doubt as to whether Buddha, or to be precise Gautama Buddha, had been married. [Actually given that I am not aware of any record of him getting a ‘divorce’ or equivalent he probably remained married — and should not be a problem. Marriage is not a bad thing.]

Siddharta Gautama’s wife was Yaśodharā — a cousin. They got married when they were both 16.

So that he was married is a incontrovertible fact.

He was also a Prince and he had, at a minimum, ‘handmaidens‘ — though most don’t pussyfoot around this and admit flat out that he had an harem.

So here are TWO extracts from the well regarded “” by Hermann Oldenberg. [Click to ENLARGE.]

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So, as you can clearly see, that he was married and definitely had access to other women is no secret — though Buddhists, in particular Sri Lankan Buddhist who tend to be uncharacteristically prudish when it comes to all matters sex, despite the fact that they must mate like rabbits because the population of Sri Lanka has and is still exploding.

I even found this at www.ancientindia.co.uk/buddha/explore/friezeb2.html and it is a Website specializing in ‘Ancient India‘  as opposed to the Karma Sutra.

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Now, at least for me, things start getting interesting.

Buddha’s ‘GREAT DEPARTURE‘ was when he was 29.

The day that his son was born.

You know it is funny. When you are little ‘they’ indoctrinate you that this was a NOBLE gesture by the Buddha — and YOU buy it.

I am a father — a father of 4. I got separated and then divorced when my two oldest were 8 & 5. So I did leave them — BUT I never abandoned them. I provided for them, lavishly, till quite recently, saw them as much as I could and they always knew how to get hold of me. I think it is this more than anything else that allows me to empathize with this. To me there is no ‘if and buts’: the Buddha was a deadbeat dad! I am sorry if that offends SOME Buddhists but that is a fact. He abandoned his son — for at least 6 or 7 years. That, to me, is not kosher. It is interesting that NOW you can find, mainly Westerners, raising this and I recommend that you Google “buddha deadbeat dad“. This was taboo, among Sri Lankan Buddhists even just a few years ago. So, I am glad that others have started to raise this valid point.

My next point. Siddharta Gautama’s was married since he was 16 and in 13 years ONLY had one child!

And he had access to handmaidens!

Doesn’t that sound strange.

I actually have a stance on this. I am willing to believe it. I have come to the conclusion that Buddha was not that fond of women.

That explains a lot … right?

Notice that women were NEVER a temptation for Buddha. Hhhhmmmm.

So is it possible that he only had ONE CHILD — a son, who we are also told did NOT procreate.

Seems very strange to me.

But, if you want to argue with me that Buddha was a normal, healthy, All-Indian stud — were there OTHER descendants.

You can’t have it both ways.

Buddha, over a period of 13 years, with access to many women only had one child (who he then promptly abandoned) or he, as would be perfectly normal, begat a number of descendents.

That is THE question.

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