Now, news of the birth of Prince Siddhartha had spread joyously
throughout the lands. Throughout his early years he was second to none. The men
admired his strength and agility, the scholars admired his boundless wit, the
women adored his beauty and grace, and the children adored him for his playful
jest. The world was simply a better place after his coming. Beyond just his
peers-the trees grew taller, the grass grew greener, and the birds sang
sweeter. To the Sakya people, the prophecies of their prince's omnipresence
were all too true.
However, the Gods had much more planned
for the young Siddhartha.
Siddhartha's father, Suddhodana, knew that
his son was destined to leave his palace one day for a life of austerity. Now,
this threatened the legacy of his family, and so he did all he could to
entertain Siddhartha and keep him content with his life inside the palace
walls. However, though a mighty king, his will was no match for that of the
Gods.
This became all too true when someone
approached Siddhartha on a quaint Spring morning and described to him the
beauties of a forest rejuvenating after a long winter's rest. Siddhartha was
intrigued and so asked his father if he could take his chariot out and see
these marvelous things.
Suddhodana sent his son out of the gates
with great sorrow, for he knew that this would change the course of their lives
forever. However, before his son left, the king ordered all manners of
suffering, sick, or death to be removed from the streets in order to keep his
son blind from the harshness of life.
Do you remember the Gods and their plans for Siddhartha? The
moment had finally come for their plans to come into action. Annoyed by the short-minded happiness of the Sakya people, they devised plans to expose Siddhartha
to the realities of suffering that took place outside of his lofty palace
walls.
Their first task was to place an old man in the path of Siddhartha’s
chariot. The grey-haired man, with his crippled body and wrinkled skin, hobbled
along the dirt path with the help of his wooden staff. This caught Siddhartha’s
attention and set in motion ripples that would eventually turn into tidal
waves. He could not bear the sight of such suffering, and so returned to the
palace.
However, once back at the palace, he could not get the image of
the old man out of his head. The notion that all people were destined for the
physical, mental, and physiological withering that accompany old age weighed
heavy on his mind and he was unable to enjoy the pleasures of the palace.
Nonetheless, the unsettled Siddhartha decides to journey outside
the palace walls once more. This time, the Gods exposed him to the sufferings of
an ill man. The sight of the man, with his gaunt figure, pale skin, and sad
eyes, gasping for breath on the side of the side of the road filled Siddhartha
with grief. Realizing that he and everyone else were susceptible to illness,
Siddhartha returned home engulfed in his painful thoughts.
Again, the troubled Siddhartha was tormented by these thoughts.
How could he enjoy the pleasures of life when such suffering plagued the world?
Out of a sort of distressed curiosity, Siddhartha decided to
venture beyond the palace walls one more time. This time, the Gods had prepared
the grand finale. They would expose Siddhartha to the realities of death. This
would be the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Once Siddhartha had
come to understand that death was something that awaited all living creatures, the
pleasures of his previous life were forgotten.
From this moment forward, Siddhartha was determined to alleviate
the world of these gruesome sufferings. What his father feared most had finally
come to pass. Siddhartha would leave the luxuries of the palace behind forever in
the pursuit of supreme knowledge. Siddhartha would eventually attain this
supreme knowledge and take on the everlasting title that we know him by
today-Buddha.
Author’s Note. This story is based on The Three Encounters episode
from the The Life of Buddha. This story tells the tale of how Siddhartha
finally makes the transition from the life of a prince to a humble monk. From
his birth it is prophesied that Siddhartha will obtain supreme knowledge and
in him there will be a force that changes the world. I chose this story because it shows that
sometimes people need a little push in the right direction in order to reach
their full potential. I also think another important take away is that it is
often harmful to shelter people too much. If you live in a bubble and are
unaware of what is going on outside of your immediate social circle, you have a
skewed perspective on how things work. It is important to expose yourself to as
much as you can so you can fully understand and appreciate everything that you
have.
