Four sights inspire Siddhartha to renounce the world

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

MASTER’S OF APPLIED BUDDHISM

A Term Paper

Submitted to

Lotus Research Center

Affiliated to

Lumbini Buddhist University

Lumbini

By

Name: Pragya Shrestha

LBU Reg.No.

June 2020
 Four sights inspire Siddhartha to renounce the world

Abstract:
The Buddha is renowned super human in the world. Millions of people around the world follow
his teachings. Many Buddhists and non-Buddhists know what made the prince Gautama
renounced the world. The four sights – ageing, sickness, death and ascetic that made the prince
Siddhartha Gautama from home life to homeless. He renounced the world in a search of the
cause and end of suffering (dukkha). This four sights leads the Siddhartha Gautama toward the
path of Buddhahood. This paper represents how the Buddha explained in his own words about
the four sights that inspires him to become an ascetic.

Keywords: Four sights, Buddha words, Renunciation, homeless

Introduction:
2500 years ago, the Prince Siddhartha Gautama was born in Lumbini. His father Suddhodana,
when heard from Brahmins that he would become an ascetic, protected him with luxurious life to
prevent his son from turning to religious life. He was living a luxurious life inside the palace at
Kapilvastu. At the age of sixteen, he was married to Princess Yasodhara. Siddharta in his early
1
twenties (at age 29)2 went out of the palace for the first time and saw old man, sick man,
corpse and ascetic, which is also called four sights that made his life changed from luxurious life
to religious life. In general, many people know what are the four sights that motivate prince
Siddhartha go to the path of Buddhahood. But, one may not know what Buddha said about these
four sights. Therefore, the main objectives of this paper is to provide details of four sights from
the Buddha’s words. These information has been collected from Sutta Pitaka, one of the
canonical Buddhist book, and other e-books. However, this paper is limited to provide
information after the renunciation life of the Buddha.

The queen Mayadevi gave birth to the baby on full moon day of Baisakh (May) at May 563 B.C
in the middle of the small jungle, named Lumbini. The baby was named ‘Siddhartha’. Gautama

1
Siddhartha left the palace in early twenties is mentioned in McFaul, Thomas R. (2006). The future of peace and
justice in the global village. Greenwood Publishing group. pp. 30, 31.
2
The age is mentioned in “A Young People’s Life of the Buddha”, by Bhikkhu Silacara. Access to Insight (BCBS
Edition), 30 November 2013
 is the family name. In the naming ceremony, the Shakya clan Suddhodana called upon eight
Brahmins to predict his son’s future. Among eight, 7 priests predicted that he would either
become a great Monarch or an ascetic and the remaining one priest was confident that he would
renounced the world and become a Buddha. Hearing this, Suddhodana protected him at his best
with luxurious life to prevent his son from turning to religious life.

In the Anugattara Nikaya, Sutta 39 (Sutta Pitaka), the Buddha tells his disciples:
“Bhikkhus, I was delicately nurtured, most delicately nurtured, extremely delicately
nurtured. At my father’s residence lotus pons were made just for my enjoyment: in one of
them blue lotuses bloomed, in another red lotuses, and in a third white lotuses. I used to
sandalwood unless it came from Kasi and my headdress, jacket, lower garment and upper
garment were made of cloth from Kasi. By day and by night a white canopy was held over
me so that cold and heat, dust, grass, and dew would not settle on me.”3

He was then married at the age of sixteen to Princess Yasodhara. Siddharta at age 29. For nearly
thirteen years of happy married life, he did not know much about the world beyond the palace.
Prince Siddhartha reflected thus:
“ I had three mansions: one for the winter, one for the summer, and one for the rainy season. I
spent the four months in the rainy-season mansion, being entertained by musicians, none of
whom were male, and I did no leave the mansion. While in other people’s homes slaves, worker,
and servants are given broken rice together with sour gruel for their meals, in my father’s
residence they were given choice hill rice, meat, and boiled rice. 4 [Angutara Nikaya; Sutta 39]

After 13 years of the married life, princess Yasodhara and prince Siddhartha gave to birth to
Rahula. He, then, went out of the palace for the first time in chariot with his charioteer Chandaka.
The first sight was an old man. The old man had gray-haired, stooped and trembling body.
Siddhartha stared with wide-eyed and asked Chandaka, what manner of person stands before him.
He was told that he was an old man. Shiddhartha asked if the man was unique, but Chandaka
replied all beings have to be old age one day.5

In Sukhamala Sutta of Angutara Nikaya (Sutta Pitaka), Siddhartha reflected thus:

"Even though I was endowed with such fortune, such total refinement, the thought occurred

3
Bhikkhu Bodhi. (2012). The Numerical discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Anguttara Nikaya, ,pg.145
4
Bhikkhu Bodhi. (2012). The Numerical discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Anguttara Nikaya, pg.146
5
Trainor, Kevin (2004). Buddhism. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-517398-8.
 to me: 'When an untaught, run-of-the-mill person, himself subject to aging, not beyond
aging, sees another who is aged, he is horrified, humiliated, & disgusted, oblivious to
himself that he too is subject to aging, not beyond aging. If I — who am subject to aging,
not beyond aging – were to be horrified, humiliated, & disgusted on seeing another person
who is aged, that would not be fitting for me.' As I noticed this, the [typical] young person's
intoxication with youth entirely dropped away. 6

The first sight moved Siddhartha and he realized that nobody will be young forever, he has to be
old one day. However, his exploration out of the palace continued. In the second sight, he
encountered the sick man with his diseased body afflicted with oozing sores.7 He turned to
Chandaka and asked for the explanation. He was told that all beings are subject to the ravages of
disease and pain. He was in deep contemplation of what he witnessed.

Siddhartha reflected thus:

"Even though I was endowed with such fortune, such total refinement, the thought occurred
to me: 'When an untaught, run-of-the-mill person, himself subject to illness, not beyond
illness, sees another who is ill, he is horrified, humiliated, & disgusted, oblivious to himself
that he too is subject to illness, not beyond illness. And if I — who am subject to illness,
not beyond illness — were to be horrified, humiliated, & disgusted on seeing another
person who is ill, that would not be fitting for me.' As I noticed this, the healthy person's
intoxication with health entirely dropped away.”8

The third sight was death. Siddhartha and Channa saw people carrying a dead body. He was told
that the man was dead and no one can escape from death. One day all beings have to die.
Siddhartha reflected thus:
"Even though I was endowed with such fortune, such total refinement, the thought occurred
to me: 'When an untaught, run-of-the-mill person, himself subject to death, not beyond
death, sees another who is dead, he is horrified, humiliated, & disgusted, oblivious to
himself that he too is subject to death, not beyond death. And if I — who am subject to
were to be horrified, humiliated, & disgusted on seeing another person who is dead, that

6
“Sukhamala Sutta: Refinement” (AN 3.38), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (BCBS
Edition), 1 December 2013.
7
Trainor, Kevin (2004). Buddhism. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-517398-8; pg. 28
8
“Sukhamala Sutta: Refinement” (AN 3.38), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (BCBS
Edition), 1 December 2013.
 would not be fitting for me.' As I noticed this, the living person's intoxication with life
entirely dropped away.”9
The three sights proved him the nature of life. The fourth sight was an aesthetic (a monk). The
sight of peaceful and calm nature of the monk influenced Siddhartha to overcome the dukkha. The
prince kept on thinking about these four sights and thus the performance of dancing girls that was
arranged for him in the palace, was not interest for him.

In Ariyapariyesana Sutta No.26 of Majjhima Nikāya (Sutta Pitaka), the prince siddhartha reflected
thus:
“Why do I, being subject to birth, decay, disease, death, sorrow and impurities, thus search
after things of like nature. How, if I, who am subject to things of such nature, realize their
disadvantages and seek after the unattained, unsurpassed, perfect security which is
Nibbana!”10

11
He went to his wife’s chamber, who was asleep with his new born baby Rahula. Then,
parted from the two dear ones. On the full moon day of July he ordered Charoteer Channa to
bring his horse Kanthaka 12
and thus did he renounce the world in the search of truth and eternal
peace.

“…before my enlightenment, while I was still only an unenlightened Bodhisatta, I thought:

'Household life is crowded and dusty; life gone forth is wide open. It is not easy, while
living in a home, to lead the holy life utterly perfect and pure as a polished shell. Suppose
I shave off my hair and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life into
homelessness.”13

During the period of Siddhartha, the Sramana (seeker, who perform acts of ascetic) movement
was popular and he was also one them who got involved in the religious life.14 He shaved his hair
and beard, and handed over his ornaments to Channa. He instructed him to return to the palace

9
“Sukhamala Sutta: Refinement” (AN 3.38), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight
(BCBS Edition), 1 December 2013.
10 Venerable Narada Mahathera. (1998). The Buddha and his teachings. Buddha Education Foundation Taipei,

Taiwan.
11
Prof. P.V. Bapat. 2500 years of Buddhism, the government of India press; pg. 22.
12 Venerable Narada Mahathera. (1998). The Buddha and his teachings. Buddha Education Foundation Taipei,

13
Bhikku Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi. (1995). The middle discourses of the Buddha. A New Translation of the
Majjhima Nikaya. Wisdom Publications, USA.
14
Four sights are mentioned in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_sights
 and sent his horse back so that he began his ascetic life.15 After the renunciation
(Mahavinisraman) of the world, he struggled six years to attend get enlightened and find the way
to overcome dukkha.

Conclusion:
Prince Siddhartha after seeing the four sights – aging, sickness, death and ascetic moved to
renounce the world. Because of his renunciation, his new life begins. His struggles of six years for
the enlightenment, his commitment to help the world to get rid of dukkha, and the 45 years of his
teaching after the enlightenment are the beautiful gifts for the people around the world. This made
him not only the Buddha, but also the Samyaksambuddha, he who liberates the dukkha of self and
all living beings. His words are treasure for us that are preserved in the form of Tripitaka (the
three baskets).

References:
 McFaul, Thomas R. The future of peace and justice in the global village: the role of the
world religions in the twenty-first century. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006.
 “A Young People’s Life of the Buddha”, by Bhikkhu Silacara. Access to Insight (BCBS
Edition), 30 November 2013
 Bodhi, Bhikkhu. “The Numerical discourses of the Buddha” A Translation of the Anguttara
Nikaya. (2012).
 Trainor, Kevin. Buddhism: The illustrated guide. Oxford University Press, USA, 2004.
 “Sukhamala Sutta: Refinement” (AN 3.38), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight (BCBS Edition), 1 December 2013.
 Mahāthera, Nārada. The Buddha and his teachings. Corporate Body of the Buddha
Educational Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan 1998.
 Bapat, Purushottam Vishvanath. 2500 years of Buddhism. Publications Division Ministry of
Information & Broadcasting, 1959.
 Buddha, and Thera Ñāṇamoli. [The middle length discourses]; The middle length
discourses of the Buddha: a new translation of the Majjhima Nikāya; translated from the
Pali. Wisdom Publ., 1995.

15
Venerable Narada Mahathera. (1980). The Buddha and his teachings, third edition, PBS edition, Kandy, Sri Lanka.
 “ F o u r S i g h t s ” W i k i p e d i a T h e F r e e E n c yc l o p e d i a .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_sights. 2 3 A p r i l 2 0 2 0 , R e t r i e v e d o n M a y2 0 ,
2020
 Thera, Narada Mahā. The Buddha and his teachings. Buddhist Publication Society, 1980.