3. The Four Sights

24/09/25

Life in the palace

He mastered arts (appropriate as a prince)

Had a life of luxury:

• 3 palaces (for rainy, hot and cold season)

• Clothed in finest silks

• Enjoyed sumptuous meals

• Harem of many (60 thousand) women

He also got married and had a son

What were the Four Sights

Four sights that Siddhartha encountered that revealed suffering in the world:

• Old man

• Sick man

• Dead man (corpse)

• An ascetic

What happened before Siddhartha encountered the first of the four sights

• The King took every precaution to prevent Siddhartha from seeing anything unpleasant

• However, the devas thought it was time for him to attain enlightenment and instilled a desire for him to go to the park

What was the first sight he encountered and what did he realise from it

• On the way to the park, he encountered an old man

• He realised that everyone becomes old and no mortal can escape ageing

What was the second sight he encountered and what did he realise from it

• The next day he went to the park again and this time saw a sick man

• He realised that disease is also a reality of life, which nobody can escape

What was the third sight he encountered and what did he realise from it

• On the third day, he saw a corpse

• He realised that death is another reality, which no one can escape

What was the fourth sight he encountered and what did he realise from it

• Next, he saw an ascetic

• He asked his charloteer Channa who the person was

• Channa explained that the person was an ascetic, a person who renounced the world in pursuit of eternal bliss

• This inspired Siddhartha to lead the life of an ascetic

What did Prince Gautama (Siddhartha) ultimately understand

• He understood the realities of old age, sickness and death

• He realised the triviality of mundane pursuits

• Now being detached from the worldly pursuits and inspired by the ascetic pursuit of eternal bliss, the idea of renouncing the world filled his mind

• In the middle of the night, he called Channa to get his horse ready and went to look at his wife and child for the last time

What did he decide to do

• He left the city, cut off his hair and beard

• He then began his ascetic life

What did the four sights reveal to Siddhartha about the nature of existence

• They revealed that old age, sickness and death are all realities that no mortal can escape

• He also realised that you don’t have to live in suffering because of these realities by living the life of an ascetic

How did the sight of the ascetic inspire Siddhartha

The ascetic didn’t have any material possessions yet he was still happy. This inspired Siddhartha to do the same

What does Siddhartha’s renunciation of his princely life tell us about the cause and solution to suffering

• The cause of suffering is the desire of material possessions and constant want of things we don't have

• The solution to suffering is to give up everything and lead the life of an ascetic

Dukkha definition

Dukkha means suffering or unsatisfactoriness. The Buddha teaches that this is an inevitable part of life. Some examples include old age, sickness, death, hunger and grief.

Why are the four sights important

• They illustrate the key Buddhist teaching of dukkha

• They are the events that lead to the fulfilment of the prophecy made about Siddhartha as a child

• The are the key turning point in the life of Siddhartha that starts him on his journey to becoming the Buddha

• They show us that happiness is not achieved by material wealth