The Life of Lord Buddha

Pranams at the lotus feet of Lord Buddha!

Chapter – 3

As usual the next day, Channa and Siddhartha left the palace in the chariot.  It rolled through the pathways of a village,  Siddhartha could witness a sick old man sitting on the patio of a house.  Seeing this, Siddhartha asked Channa to stop the chariot.  “What’s that, Your Highness?”  Siddhartha said “ Channa, why is that old man is shivering so badly and finding difficult to breathe?”  Channa said, “ He is sick, Your Highness.”  Siddhartha was curious to know what is sickness.  Channa continued “ The sickness is a natural part of life, whoever born on the Earth has to undergo these challenges several times in their lives, none can protect themselves from this for a long time. In fact, every one of us has to experience it several times in our lives.”  On that night after returning from outside of the palace, Siddhartha has nothing to think other than the grave situation of the man who was shaking hardly for breath.  The thought of aging and illness put him gloomy and depressed.  He has not witnessed any of these miserable sights in all these years, there are several people and physicians to serve in the palace.

The next morning, Channa and Siddhartha left the palace a little early.  As usual, they have witnessed the beauty of nature, people, and village.  Siddhartha could see a person fully covered in a white robe, a few of his relatives were standing around and shedding tears.  Siddhartha could not resist himself; he jumped out of the chariot and rushed to the people who were mourning.  Channa requested “ Oh! Your Highness, please come back.” But Siddhartha could not hear Channa.  Soon Channa joined with the Siddhartha who asked: “ Channa, why this man is wrapped in a white robe?”  Channa replied “ Your Highness, that’s a dead man, all the living things have to die.  This is also one of the natural processes, whoever take births has to die one day, no one can escape from it.” Siddhartha asked bluntly, “Even me has to undergo death?” Channa said, “ Yes, Your Highness, everyone is subject to death.”   That night Siddhartha returned home extremely disappointed, he pondered over the things he had witnessed in the last three days.  There was not much appealing sight he could witness other than the beauty of nature.   All that he had been witnessing were terrible realities of life those are aging, sickness and death.