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old man who once was like you, but he has become as you now see him because of old age. We will all become like this when we are old.” Upon hearing this, Siddhartha felt distressed and detached, and he immediately returned to the palace.
When the king came to know of this event, he became alarmed. When he discovered the cause of Siddhartha's distress, he ordered the chief minister to prevent even the shadow of an old person to be seen anywhere near the palace. Once again the prince went for an outing to the forest. On his way this time he saw a sick and ailing man who was lying on the ground crying in pain. The prince asked the charioteer to stop and then he asked the charioteer who this man was. The charioteer told Siddhartha that this man was diseased and sick. He explained that disease is the nature of the body. The prince was overwhelmed with compassion and was unable to bear the sight of the ailing man. He had to return to the palace.
Due to the sudden return of the prince, the king discovered what had happened. After finding out the reason for Siddhartha's anxiety the king ordered that neither old nor sick people should be allowed near the palace, thereby hoping to shield his son from these harsh realities. Nevertheless, Siddhartha became disturbed and restless from these two sights of suffering. He considered: If
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