Shakyamuni mantra
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The Buddha’s biography: The Four Sights and the Going Forth
Siddhartha apparently grew up in conditions that were considered luxurious at the time, and had a sheltered life. It’s said in fact that he was completely protected from any hint of old age, illness, or death, by being confined by his father to three palaces, one for each of the Indian seasons.
However, at one time in his early adulthood he became curious to see life outside the palace walls and he took a journey with his charioteer to see the sights of Kapilavastu.
It was at this time that the Buddha-to-be first saw an old person, a sick person, and a corpse. In each case he was shocked to realize that these fates were inescapable: that he too would get old, become prey to illness, and would die. We can certainly take this story metaphorically.
It’s likely that the Buddha did in fact have a privileged life, giving little thought to his own mortality or to those around him, although we can consider the problems inherent in literally hiding the fact of death from a young man when his mother has died, or in keeping him from an awareness of illness in a premodern culture with primitive medicines and an abundance of infectious diseases.
The Buddha-to-be surrounded by female attendants as he lives in luxury.
And it’s also likely that at one occasion, as if for the first time, the Buddha had the shocking realization that life was short and that he was one day going to die. This realization jarred him into thinking about what the purpose of life was. How best to live when you know that one day you’re going to be on your deathbed? “How,” he asked himself, “do I find security and wellbeing in this world when everything is impermanent? How can I find reliance in an unreliable world?”
The Buddha goes forth into the homeless life.
Along with the sights of an old person, a sick person, and a corpse, the Buddha-to-be also saw a sadhu, or wandering holy man. This sight gave him the idea that a life or religious and philosophical questing might be a way to find out how best to live, might in fact be the best way of living. So he began a new life by cutting off his hair, swapping his finery for common robes, and wandering off into the forest to seek spiritual Enlightenment.
In later texts Siddhartha is described as leaving home in the middle of the night, creeping away unseen, but in the Ariyapariyesana Sutta — a major source of biographical detail — he talks, as was seen above, about his parents weeping as he left. Although the later tradition may be seeking to dramatize the story, I can’t help feeling that the period of conflict with his parents as Siddhartha came to the decision to leave home was in itself sufficiently dramatic.
These incidents are said to have taken place when Siddhartha was 29 years of age, but this, like most other “facts” of the Buddha’s life, is open to question. The Buddha, looking back on his life, described himself at the time of his Going Forth as “a black-haired young man endowed with the blessings of youth in the first stage of life.” While 29 can be considered as relatively youthful today in the West, where the average person can expect to see his or her late seventies, a 29-year-old would probably have been considered to be well into adulthood at that time in India.
Comments
Comment from Vicki
Time: August 9, 2007, 12:45 pm
Only page 1 of this article will print.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: August 9, 2007, 4:02 pm
Hi Vicki,
Have you tried clicking on the “print this page” at the top right of the page? That formats the entire article for printing, including all the pages.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from Dr. Waldemar C. Sailer
Time: January 23, 2008, 8:42 pm
I find your site attractive and interesting. I think I would appreciate your reaction to The World of Buddha Footprints. I will await your reply.
Dr. Sailer
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: January 24, 2008, 8:38 pm
The World of Buddha Footprints looks very interesting. Thanks for suggesting it. I haven’t had time to do more than glance at it as yet, but I’m looking forward to reading it at leisure.
Comment from Varsha
Time: April 30, 2008, 5:17 am
Please also add the detail of Vipassana
Technic. It is use for our mind and body
healthy and happy wich Buddha taught us.
Thanks
http://www.vri.dhamma.org.
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