Buddha also had a lot to say about finding peace. Before Buddha was Buddha, he was Siddhartha, Prince of a Royal Kingdom. He stood to inherit great wealth beyond measure and rule the entire kingdom. You would think he would be at peace with this. But he was not. He wanted to know more about the people and their experiences in the kingdom. He would go out at night without his father's permission and explore the surrounding lands. He spent time visiting many of the poor people and learned about their many sorrows. He had never known such suffering living in the rich palace. This led Siddhartha on a quest to find the meaning in life and why people suffered. After many years of contemplation and meditation, Buddha attained enlightenment. Buddha discovered that the root to all suffering was desire. And the way to find peace was to let go of our attachment to things. It is our attachment to things that causes so much suffering. Our attachments to all our stuff or things on this physical plane; like our house, car, boat, money, and other people. There is nothing wrong at all with having these things. But when you believe that they are yours or part of you, then you become attached to them, and any thought of losing them will cause you suffering. Can you own something without being attached to it? Can you create something without being attached to the end result? Are you able to have friends without possessing them? Buddha had the keys to immense wealth and power, but he let it all go for ultimate peace and freedom.
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