Buddha

Buddha
Buddha, from Ultima IV
Species:	human
Appearances
Ultima IV Description: great philosopher Location: Skara Brae Transcript: Buddha

Buddha is a great philosophical teacher present in Skara Brae during Ultima IV.

Description

This enigmatic sage could be found near the Mystic Heal in the city of Spirituality. If spoken to he would hint at the corpus of his beliefs but in brief, stating simply that his purpose was to teach. If asked about such teachings, Buddha could elaborate that he believed nobility was to by found in sympathetic pity for all living creatures, and that, once an individual finds himself capable of pure speech, pure action and pure thought, happiness will naturally follow his words, actions and ideas – like a shadow that never leaves.

Trivia

NES remake

• Buddha is likely a characterization of Siddhārtha Gautama, the founder of the Buddhist religion, although it is possible that the character is merely intended to be an individual other than Gautama who has attained buddhatva (Buddhahood) independently. Whatever this figure's identity, his discussion of "pure speech, action and thought" touches on the basic components of the Buddhist Eightfold Path, a central teaching of the religion which seeks to end the perceived cycle of mortal suffering through forcing oneself to abandon the temporal things (greed, illusions, desire) which bind it.
• In the Nintendo remake of Ultima IV, a sheep occupies the location where Buddha would normally be found. Instead, the sage can be identified with the ranger in a symmetric location in the north of town. Instead of quoting Buddha, he quotes Confucius, a philosopher that is equally known in Japan (where the remake was developed).
• While there has been a natural assumption that the Eight Virtues of Ultima may have been inspired by the Buddhist Eightfold Path, Richard Garriott has explicitly denied this connection.