Chapter 6 Chapter 1 Artificiality and Impermanence

Buddha is not a god in heaven.He is a mortal.But he is not ordinary, because he is a prince.His name was Siddhartha Gautama, and he enjoyed a prosperous life. He had a beautiful palace in Kapilavatthu, a beloved wife and children, loving parents, loyal subjects, a green garden where peacocks roamed leisurely, and a group of talented people. The maid of honor is at the side.His father, King Suddhodana, did his best to keep him safe within the palace walls and to have all his needs met.Because when Siddhartha was still in his infancy, an astrologer predicted that the prince might choose to be a hermit in the future.But King Jingfan was determined to let Siddhartha inherit the throne.Life in the palace was luxurious, safe and quite peaceful, and Siddhartha never argued with his family.In fact, he cared about his family and loved them dearly.Apart from the occasional strained relationship with his cousin, Siddhartha got on well with everyone.

As Siddhartha grew up, he became curious about his own country and the outside world.King Jingfan couldn't resist the prince's repeated pleas, and agreed to let him travel outside the palace.But he strictly ordered the prince's coachman, Gana, to only let the prince see beautiful things.Siddhartha really enjoyed the mountains and rivers and the natural abundance of the land along the way.But just on the way home, the two of them encountered a countryman moaning on the side of the road, and were tortured with great pain.Siddhartha had been surrounded by burly guards and healthy court ladies all his life. Hearing the sound of moaning and seeing the body suffering from disease was a big shock to him.Witnessing the fragility of the human body left a deep impression on his heart, and he returned to the palace with a heavy heart.

As time passed, the prince seemed to be back to normal again, but he was eager to travel again.King Jingfan once again reluctantly agreed to his request.This time, Siddhartha saw a toothless, elderly woman, staggering and walking alone.He immediately asked Jana to stop, and he asked Jana, "Why is she walking like this?" Jana said, "Master, because she is old." "What is old?" Siddhartha asked. "Every part of her body has been worn out after long-term use." Ghana answered him. Shocked by the sight in front of him, Siddhartha ordered Gana to turn around and return to the palace.

Now Siddhartha's curiosity could no longer be appeased. He wanted to know what else was out there, so he went out with the coachman for the third time.This time he also enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the way, with a panoramic view of the green mountains and green waters.But on the way back, he saw four men carrying a bier with a lifeless body lying flat on it.Siddhartha had never seen anything like it in his life.Ghana explained to him that what appeared to be a frail body was in fact dead. Siddhartha asked Kana, "Will other people die too?" Jana replied, "Yes, master, everyone dies."

"Will my father the king, or even my son?" "Yes, everyone will. Whether you are rich or poor, high or low, you cannot avoid death. This is the ultimate fate of all people born in this world." * ** * When we first hear the story of Siddharth's journey towards enlightenment, we may think it is naive.It seemed strange to hear such a simple question from a prince who would lead an entire country.But in fact we are the real naive people.In this information age, beheadings, bullfights, bloody murders, images of decay and death surround us.These images surround us.Instead of reminding us of our ultimate fate, these images are used for entertainment and profit.Death has long since become a consumer product.Most of us don't give much thought to the nature of death.We don't admit that both ourselves and the environment are composed of unstable elements, which will fall apart at the slightest stimulation.Of course we all know that we will die one day, but unless diagnosed with a terminal illness, most people think that they are not in danger for the time being.Occasionally when I think about death, I think about things like "How much will I inherit?" or "Where will my ashes be scattered?"From this point of view, we are naive.

* ** * After returning from his third trip, Siddhartha was extremely frustrated at his inability to protect his people, his parents, and his beloved wife Yasodhara and son Rahura from inevitable death.He has a solution for poverty, hunger, homelessness, and other afflictions, but he has no solution for old age and death. Day and night meditating on these questions, Siddhartha tried to discuss death with his father.For the king, this is a theoretical dilemma. He really doesn't understand why the prince is so brooding.King Suddhodana became more and more worried that the prophecy would come true, maybe his son would really give up the succession to the throne and choose the road of asceticism.Prophecy or not, it was not uncommon in that era for powerful and wealthy Hindus to become ascetics.On the surface, King Jingfan tried his best to eliminate Siddhartha's attachment, but in his heart, he did not forget the prophecy.

However, for the prince, this is not just a short-term sadness.Siddhartha completely sank into it.In order to prevent the prince from getting deeper and deeper, King Jingfan forbade him to leave the palace again, and privately instructed the guards in the palace to monitor him.As any father worried about his son would do, he did everything in his power to keep the prince from seeing any signs of death and decay.