Storytelling Week 9: Hear no Evil, See no Evil, Speak no Evil

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.

Siddhartha Retires into Seclusion: Wiki Commons 

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.

Bibliography: The Life of Buddha, by A. Ferdinand Herold, tr. by Paul C Blum [1922], at Sacred Texts. http://sacred-texts.com/bud/lob/lob11.htm