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Charioteer. De va ! This man has grown old due to age".
Bodhi-sattva - "What do you mean by grown old due to age"?
11,
Charioteer - "Deva ! The body of this man is worn. So he is called old. "He will not live long on this earth."
*Then, does it mean that I shall also grow old some Is it an unavoidable law ?"
day?
"Deva !. Such is the law. For you, me and everyone else, old age is unavoidable."
"Bhadra ! I have no more desire to go to the gärden. Turn the chariot and get me back to the palace."
The charioteer did as he was asked to do. The Bodhisattva came back to his apartment. His mind had moved away from everything and wholly concentrated on what the charioteer had said,
These words raised a tre
Old age is unavoidable. mendous storm in his mind.
The king noticed that the prince had come back so soon. He had no doubt that the prince did not go to the garden. So he made an enquiry, and he was told that he had seen an old man on the street. At once, the king's mind went back to the day when a young Brahmana. had predicted that the sight of an old man would be one of the induce ments for the prince to renounce the world. So he ordered that dances and merry-making should commence at once to. divert the mind of the prince. For, he was still sure that the prince could be held back through such means. Besides, all around the city, upto a distance of half check-posts were extended, and watchmen were ordered to be especially vigilant.
One day, the Bodhi-sattva :was on his way to the garden. The gods placed a sick man on the road, and the Bodhi-sattva's eyes fell on him. The man was besmeared with his own excreta, and could not even move or turn hï's,
