The Buddhist Catechism Part 2

29. Q. _But how did he acquire this boundless love?_

A. Throughout numberless births and aeons of years he had been cultivating this love, with the unfaltering determination to become a Buddha.

30. Q. _What did he this time relinquish?_

A. His beautiful palaces, his riches, luxuries and pleasures, his soft beds, fine dresses, rich food, and his kingdom; he even left his beloved wife and only son, Rahula.

31. Q. _Did any other man ever sacrifice so much for our sake?_

A. Not one in this present world-period: this is why Buddhists so love him, and why good Buddhists try to be like him.

32. Q. _But have not many men given up all earthly blessings, and even life itself, for the sake of their fellow-men?_

A. Certainly. But we believe that this surpa.s.sing unselfishness and love for humanity showed themselves in his renouncing the bliss of Nirvana countless ages ago, when he was born as the Brahmana Sumedha, in the time of Dipankara Buddha: he had then reached the stage where he might have entered Nirvana, had he not loved mankind more than himself. This renunciation implied his voluntarily enduring the miseries of earthly lives until he became Buddha, for the sake of teaching all beings the way to emanc.i.p.ation and to give rest to the world.

33. Q. _How old was he when he went to the jungle?_

A. He was in his twenty-ninth year.

34. Q. _What finally determined him to leave all that men usually love so much and go to the jungle?_

A. A _Deva_[1] appeared to him when driving out in his chariot, under four impressive forms, on four different occasions.

35. Q. _What were these different forms?_

A. Those of a very old man broken down by age, of a sick man, of a decaying corpse, and of a dignified hermit.

36. Q. _Did he alone see these?_

A. No, his attendant, Channa, also saw them.

37. Q. _Why should these sights, so familiar to everybody, have caused him to go to the jungle?_

A. We often see such sights: he had not seen them, so they made a deep impression on his mind.

38. Q. _Why had he not also seen them?_

A. The Brahmana astrologers had foretold at his birth that he would one day resign his kingdom and, become a BUDDHA. The King, his father, not wis.h.i.+ng to lose an heir to his kingdom, had carefully prevented his seeing any sights that might suggest to him human misery and death. No one was allowed even to speak of such things to the Prince. He was almost like a prisoner in his lovely palaces and flower gardens. They were surrounded by high walls, and inside everything was made as beautiful as possible, so that he might not wish to go and see the sorrow and distress that are in the world.

39. Q. _Was he so kind-hearted that the King feared he might really wish to leave everything for the world's sake?_

A. Yes; he seems to have felt for all beings so strong a pity and love as that.

40. Q. _And how did he expect to learn the cause of sorrow in the jungle?_

A. By removing far away from all that could prevent his thinking deeply of the causes of sorrow and the nature of man.

41. Q. _How did he escape from the palace?_

A. One night, when all were asleep, he arose, took a last look at his sleeping wife and infant son; called Channa, mounted his favourite white horse Kanthaka, and rode to the palace gate. The _Devas_ had thrown a deep sleep upon the King's guard who watched the gate, so that they could not hear the noise of the horse's hoofs.

42. Q. _But the gate was locked, was it not?_

A. Yes; but the _Devas_ caused it to open without the slightest noise, and he rode away into the darkness.

43. Q. _Whither did he go?_

A. To the river Anoma, a long way from Kapilavastu.

44. Q. _What did he then do?_

A. He sprang from his horse, cut off his beautiful hair with his sword, put on the yellow dress of an ascetic, and giving his ornaments and horse to Channa, ordered him to take them back to his father, the King.

45. Q. _What then?_

A. He went afoot towards Rajagrha, the capital city of King Bimbisara, of Magadha.

46. Q. _Who visited him there?_

A. The King with his whole Court.[2]

46a. Q. _Thence whither did he go?_

A. To Uruvela, near the present Mahabodhi Temple at Buddha Gaya.

47. Q. _Why did he go there?_

A. In the forests were hermits--very wise men, whose pupil he afterwards became, in the hope of finding the knowledge of which he was in search.

48. Q. _Of what religion were they?_

A. The Hindu religion: they were Brahmanas.[3]

49. Q. _What did they teach?_

A. That by severe penances and torture of the body a man may acquire perfect wisdom.

50. Q. _Did the Prince find this to be so?_

A. No; he learned their systems and practised all their penances, but he could not thus discover the cause of human sorrow and the way to absolute emanc.i.p.ation.

51. Q. _What did he then do?_

A. He went away into the forest near Uruvela, and spent six years in deep meditation, undergoing the severest discipline in mortifying his body.

52. Q. _Was he alone?_

A. No; five Brahman companions attended him.