Jain Journal 1967 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 93

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JAIN JOURNAL
chief of the Sakya clan and had his capital at Kapilavastu near the western border of Upper Bihar. He had married two sisters, Mahamaya and Mahaprajapati Goutami, daughters of a neighbouring king. The former was destined to give birth to the future Buddha and the latter to rear him up.
Many legends have grown up about the Buddha's birth, often entering the region of miracle, and it is pretty difficult to disentangle facts. However, it seems certain that it was prophesied at his conception that he would renounce the world on seeing a sick man, an old man, a corpse and a mendicant. Suddhodhana, therefore, so contrived that Siddhartha's youth would be spent in an environment where no sign of evil would come before his eyes. He was all the time surrounded by beautiful damsels indoors and gaming companions outdoors that made his life gay and comfortable, where no desire was unfulfilled and no distress could penetrate. At ripe age he chose his own bride, Yasodhara, who was his own cousin, having given tests of both body and mind. For, while the youngman confounded the sages by his mental brilliance, he could surpass even the strongest and best in physical accomplishments. And out of this union a son was born, Rahula being his name.
But now the time of his renunciation was drawing near,-a renunciation for which he was marked by destiny. One day while driving through the city he caught sights of misery, of a sick man, an old man and a corpse and he had these explained to him by his charioteer Canna. His mind was full of distress and compassion. He said to his wife, “Men grow old, sicken and die. I must save mankind from this cycle of suffering." And then one day he saw a monk in tattered cloth with a begging bowl in his hand. But he had dignity in his manners and peace on his face. Siddhartha was deeply impressed. "And who is he?" he asked. “He is a monk who has renounced the world. He has no wealth, but no ambition and no fetters indeed. He is free seeking solitude and enlightenment,” said Canna.
Siddhartha renounced the world at the age of twenty-nine in search of enlightenment, for the conquest of misery, and for the next six years he experienced varied spiritual practices, with blood-shed and sacrifice for the propitiation of gods at one extreme and rigorous self-torture at the other. His charming body was all wasted away until it was no more than a skeleton covered with parched skin. At last he was convinced that this self-torture could not lead to enlightenment, still less to emancipation. And so he decided to change his spiritual method. He ate rice boiled