of his palace. His wife welcomed him and entreated him to tell her the cause of his grief. He said, “I see everywhere the impression of change; therefore, my heart is heavy. Men grow old, sicken, and die. That is enough to take away the zest of life.”
The king, hearing that the prince had become estranged from pleasure, was greatly overcome with sorrow.
6. RENUNCIATION
The night after his trip to the city, the prince could not fall asleep. Siddhattha went out into the garden, sat down beneath the great jambu tree and gave himself to thought. Pondering on life and death and the evils of decay, he became free from confusion and saw all the misery and sorrow of the world, the pains of pleasure, and the inevitable certainty of death that hovers over every being. A deep compassion seized his heart.
While the prince was concentrating on the problem of evil, he saw a lofty figure endowed with majesty, calm and dignified. “Who are you?” asked the prince.
The vision responded, “I am a hermit. Troubled at the thought of old age, disease, and death I have left my home to seek the path of salvation. All things hasten to decay; only the truth is forever. Everything changes, and there is no permanency. I long for the happiness that does not decay; the treasure that will never perish; the life that knows of no beginning and no end. Therefore, I have retired to live in solitude and I devoted myself to the search of truth.”
Siddhattha asked, “Can peace be gained in this world of unrest? I am struck with the emptiness of pleasure and have become disgusted with lust. All oppresses me, and existence itself seems intolerable.”
The hermit replied, “Where heat is, there is also a possibility of cold; creatures subject to pain possess the faculty of pleasure; the origin of evil indicates that good can be developed. For these things are correlatives. Thus where there is much suffering, there will be much bliss. A man who has fallen into a heap of filth ought to seek the great pond of water covered with lotuses. If the lake is not sought, it is not the fault of the lake. Even so when there is a blessed road leading the man held fast by wrong to the liberation, if the road is not walked upon, it is not the fault of the road, but of the person.”
A thrill of joy passed through Siddhattha’s heart, and he exclaimed, “Now is the time to seek the truth; now is the time to sever all ties that would prevent me from attaining liberation; now is the time to wander into homelessness to find the path of deliverance.”
The celestial messenger heard the resolution of Siddhattha with approval. “Now, indeed,” he added, “is the time to seek the truth. Go, Siddhattha, and accomplish your purpose. For you are the Buddha; you are destined to enlighten the world. Persevere in your quest for the truth and you shall find what you seek. Pursue your aim diligently, struggle earnestly and you shall conquer.”
Having thus spoken, the vision vanished, and Siddhattha’s heart was filled with peace. He said to himself, “I have awakened to the truth and I am resolved to accomplish my purpose.”
The prince returned to the bedroom of his wife to take a last farewell glance at those whom he dearly loved. There Siddhattha stood gazing at his beautiful wife and his beloved son, and his heart grieved. The pain of parting overcame him powerfully. Although his mind was determined that nothing, be it good or evil, could shake his resolution, the tears flowed from his eyes.
Eventually Siddhattha exited the palace and thus renounced power and worldly pleasures, gave up his kingdom, severed all ties, and went into homelessness. He rode out into the silent night, accompanied only by his faithful charioteer Channa.
7. KING BIMBISARA
Shortly after leaving his kingdom, Siddhartha cut his waving hair and exchanged his royal robe for a simple dress. The prince asked his charioteer Channa to bear a message to King Suddhodana that Siddhartha had left the world to walk with a beggar’s bowl in his hand.
Still the majesty of the prince was not well concealed under the poverty of his appearance. His posture exposed his royal birth and his eyes beamed with a fervid zeal for truth. All the people who saw this unusual sight gazed at him in wonder. There was no one who did not pay him homage.
Having entered the city of Rajagraha, the prince went from house to house silently waiting till the people offered him food. Wherever Siddhartha came, people gave him what they had; they bowed before him in humility and were filled with gratitude because he condescended to approach their homes. Old and young people were moved and said, “This is a noble monk! His approach is bliss. What a great joy for us!”
And King Bimbisara, noticing the commotion in the city, inquired the cause of it. When he learned the news, he sent one of his attendants to observe the stranger. Having heard that the monk must be a Sakya and of noble family, and that he had retired to the bank of a flowing river in the woods to eat the food in his bowl, the king was moved in his heart. He donned his royal robe and went out in the company of aged and wise counselors to meet his mysterious guest.
The king found Siddhartha seated under a tree. Contemplating the composure of his face and the gentleness of his deportment, Bimbisara greeted him reverently and said, “O monk, you hands are fit to grasp the reins of an empire and should not hold a beggar’s bowl. I am sorry to see you wasting your youth. Believing that your are of royal descent, I invite you to join me in the government of my country and share my royal power. Desire for power and wealth should not be despised by noble-minded. To grow rich and lose religion is not a true gain. But he who possesses all three, power, wealth, and religion, enjoying them in discretion and with wisdom, him I call a great master.”
The Blessed One lifted his eyes and replied, “You are known, O King, to be liberal and religious, and your words are prudent. A kind man who makes good use of wealth is rightly said to possess a great treasure; but the miser who hoards up his riches will have no profit. Charity is rich in returns; charity is the greatest wealth, for though it scatters, it brings no repentance.
“I have severed all ties because I seek deliverance. How is it possible for me to return to the world? He who seeks religious truth, which is the highest treasure of all, must leave behind all that can concern him or draw away his attention, and must be bent upon that one goal alone. He must free his soul from greed, lust, and desire for power.
“I recognized the illusory nature of wealth and will not take poison as food. Will a fish that has been baited still covet the hook, or an escaped bird love the net? Would a rabbit rescued from the serpent’s mouth go back to be devoured? Would a man who has burnt his hand with a torch take up the torch after he had dropped it to the earth? Would a blind man who has recovered his sight desire to spoil his eyes again?
“The sick man suffering from fever seeks for a cooling medicine. Shall we advise him to drink that which will increase the fever? Shall we quench a fire by heaping fuel upon it? Pity me not, O King. Rather pity those who are burdened with the cares of royalty and the worry of great riches. They enjoy them in fear and trembling, for they are constantly threatened with a loss of their possessions, and when they die they cannot take along their gold.
“I have put away my royal inheritance and prefer to be free from the burdens of life. Therefore, try not to entangle me in new relationships and duties, nor hinder me from completing the work I have begun. I regret to leave you. But I will go to the
