The Story of Renunciation



someone asked Buddha why did you leave your palace wife and son and became a renunciate and became a monk shouldn't you be fulfilling your obligations and responsibilities to your wife fathers your foster mother's your baby son Buddha said I asked you a question if your house is on fire what would you do instinctively instinctively I'm saying that is take a jump God get out of the house and then the second would be to think who is out and who is not and what is left in the house if house is on fire then you would like to save yourself first that is the reflex section you don't even have to think that's what you do and Buddha said that's what I have done I was seeing the flames of death everywhere everywhere the death is lurking and I had to take the jump so I took the jump and I went out and I tried to look for that place and space where I can save my mind from this onslaught of death see it's a beautiful story I love it every time when I narrate it I still love it again I can say it million times and I still love it all those things which anyone would dream for Siddharth that's what his name was before becoming a Buddha Siddharth was given all those things he had hundreds of women around him and he had best of food and best of things it best of clothes and the most ravishingly beautiful women of those times the princess Yashodhara was his wife he had a beautiful son in the day he had the son the father was very relieved father of siddharth was very relieved because the soothsayers the astrologers had made a prediction that this boy would either become an emperors or would become a monk and he's the only son and as a norm would be the king decided to create such a situation in his palace that his son never ever sees any misery any pain any disease which may provoke in his mind thoughts about deaths and thoughts about after death so he made such elaborate arrangements the whole palace was converted into a big fun place no old or sick person was allowed to go in the palace all these servants were young and beautiful presentable all the best musicians dancers were invited to be in the palace to entertain the prince soon he was young and and strong and handsome he was the best archers and Siddharth was a best sportsman and he sank so well and beautifully and he danced so well and beautifully and he knew all the nuances of any connoisseurs then he got married he had a son father was now relieved that now my child is totally a householder and has tasted the riches and the beauties and the pleasures of the world and now he would never ever think about being a monk so he loosened up his rules a little bit and one day Prince says that I have never seen my own City allow me to go out father said sure go with his friend channa they went out and for first-time Prince's out of his palace and out of his palace grounds he saw green fields and trees and people and King had ordered that all the streets be decorated all sick diseased people should remain indoors no one should be in sight of the prince and everyone was playing drums and dancing and singing honoring their prince he loved it he came back and after few days he again says to his father I wish to go to City again again King this time was little more relieved so didn't made these orders to prepare for this grand welcome but still the orders were there then it was the third time that Prince Justice sneaked out of the palace with his servant and friend chana and that's the day when he saw the reality of his kingdom first time he saw an old man with the hunched back he was surprised who is he what happened to him Chandler said he's an older man what is old age channa said old age happens to every human being prince was surprised what do you mean would I to become like this all wrinkled hunched back horrible to look generous ideas and even my wife and even my father's and even my son Chandler said old age comes to every human being irrespective of whether you're king or a peasant or a farmer's doesn't makes any difference he was sad he was worried that his beautiful body would change one day won't be able to take one step then he saw a person was really very sick coughing all phlegm and aching and moaning and bathing what happened to him Janice ended his disease the body he has pains in his body would sickness come to me channel said yes you too will be sick one day you can be sick the chariot kept on moving on the ropes and then Siddhartha happened to see a dead body being taken to cremation ground now was the ultimate shock for him what happened to this man why has he been tied with ropes why is he being carried why is he being covered with the white cloth channa said Prince he has died what is this what is death channa said that I can't explain but I know this that when death comes then you don't breathe then you don't walk or talk you cannot eat or sleep all communications gone mine won't work brain won't work and I know this then the body becomes cold like ice and it gets stiff like a wooden log and then it is taken to the cremation ground to be burned see that said I have to I have to go to cremation I have to see what they would do and Prince was crying inconsolably he's crying seeing all these horrible things which are reality of life disease sickness old age will come to all of you too to some it has already come prince went to the cremation ground and the the sight of that body being kept inside the logs of the wood and the huge tree logs were kept on the chest on the head and prince yelled wouldn't he be feeling pain what are they doing he said he doesn't feel any pain because he's dead prince was weeping and he asked would I to die channa said yes with my wife to die Channel said yes would my son also my father also died channa say the yes Prince every burn being would die that's a rule the family members of that dead person were there sitting crying wailing and then the time came everyone left but Princeton was there by the funeral pyre kept on watching those flame eating up that body and soon in few hours there was nobody there left there was no wood left because everything had been turned into ashes Prince picked up a handful of the ashes and he just smeared his face with that Ash channel said what are you doing he said this is going to be me one day me turning into an ash this is what is going to happen I just wish to feel it what would it would be at that time he's crying and crying and crying and channa couldn't couldn't console him and finally he had to drag him out of the commission ground and made him sit on the chariot and he made a move towards the palace and on the way prince for the first time in his life saw a monk a saint meditating under the tree face was so serene calm so silent he made channel stop the chariot what is he doing who is he channel said he is a monk he is a sadhu who is doing his meditation prince said isn't he fearful of death sickness old age channel said no because he has found the truth and now he is fearless and he knows what truth is that is why he doesn't has any palace of wife or child but he has his peace of mind and he has that divine light in him hence he is calm peaceful happy blissful Prince came back went to his room but this night he couldn't sleep he kept on replaying all those scenes in his head what he had seen and kept on contemplating on what he had seen and then he made a decision I need to have answers to all the questions why old age comes why death comes where do we go after death what happens to us when we take birth from where are we coming what is truth what is not truth why do Death Comes to us why is this world existing what is the reason that it is existing and that night he left his palace he left his wife he left his son he left his all wealth the wealth for which you are clamouring all the time he had that wealth yet he left he left everything he said if that is going to snatch everything away from me I better kick it away from me then and I need to look for that which will stay with me I asked you a question you do have seen sick person you too have seen old people with hunched backs and can take one single small step you do have seen dead bodies but how come you don't have the viragor the dispassion and as Prince Siddharth got isn't it straight siddhart knee Akua Akua domingo de Kock warszawa Murat me Kodaka 8 VAR CF Delta visited a key are uncommon me it Neha little much take a vote Dino didn't rat - rat nests or Sakina Aram Karthik a notch NC Kasich in a chance a could Scarborough Harker Sakura una cosa couch Tork RK o such canonically a large Parivar sub good for candy calamara Hannah a G but K up up nice on a mote got the addictive o or curvy up apne Jeana Kara Chrome or apna Sapna Mae West read please watch Statham Aryabhatta Joe a we make a heavy rain we at home soon today holy King Peter kelmer Tony a channel agree compadre he was why he boule is a hub Suki or foster GA or pass detail hey or Bosco be 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