The Life of Lord Buddha
Pranams at the lotus feet of Lord Buddha!
Chapter – 5
At the Palace gate, Siddhartha was met Vasavathimara who
represents Maya/illusion, manifested before Siddhartha to put a hold on his
search for truth. But Vasavathimara was quite sure that he cannot persuade
Siddhartha or his sensual pleasure to deceive him. Vasavathimara threatened Siddhartha to return
to the royal palace where there are only luxuries and happiness, lead a comfortable
life of a Prince, in seven days he will be crowned as Monarch, if he discards
all the royal pleasures he will go through sufferings and agonies. Siddhartha sternly replied to him “I do not
want to be a Monarch, I do not want any royal status, happiness or luxuries which
are not going to provide me bliss, these momentary pleasures are not going to
help my subject, and dear ones from their sufferings and sorrows of worldly
existence. Therefore, move away from my
path and let me go in search of eternal truth.”
Vasavathimara disappeared from the sight of Siddhartha, before leaving promised that he will chase Siddhartha with greed, hatred, delusion and make his life
miserable and follow him like a shadow.
Siddhartha crossed several miles on horseback, Channa dutifully
followed the Prince and finally, they have arrived in the beautiful lush green land
on the riverside of Anoma. Siddhartha
discarded the royal costume, adopted the saffron robe, long hair was rolled and piled-up as a summit,
assumed the form of an ascetic. Channa
was terribly upset and sad, fallen at the feet of the Prince. He advised Channa “ Channa, I am discarding
all the pleasures and royal comfort for finding a way out of sufferings and
sorrows for all the living beings on the Earth.
Therefore do not feel depressed or sad.
You go back to the Palace and inform my father that I will not return to the
Kingdom until I receive the supreme knowledge and the reason for sufferings and sorrows of worldly existence.” That was the beginning of the journey of a
royal Prince Siddhartha to the highest state of spirituality.
