Who Is Siddhartha Gautama's Journey To Become The Buddha?

Two and a half thousand years ago Siddhartha Gautama, who would become the Buddha, set out on a journey to find enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama was born into a noble family and from an early age showed signs of being special. His father was told a prophecy that his son would either become a great ruler or a great philosopher or world changer. As a young boy Siddhartha saw a man plowing a field and saw what back breaking work the farmer did to sow seeds. This had a very profound effect on Siddhartha making him question why people suffer and this idea of actions causing reactions. He went to the woods and slipped into a meditative state or what we call jana and reflected on the farmer plowing the field. Subsequently, his father fearing his son to take the path …show more content…
Siddhartha committed for a princess's’ hand in marriage through various archery and warrior trials. This pleased Siddhartha’s father who saw his son becoming a man and soon to take over as ruler. Still Siddhartha felt a curiosity to see what lied beyond the place doors. Siddhartha’s father gave into this yearning and allowed his son to leave the palace. However his father got rid of any blemishes in the city or any derelicts on the streets. Eventually after much pleading, Siddhartha at age 29 was allowed to leave the palace on a journey for enlightenment. He travels around and see four type of men on his journey. Siddhartha then goes on and develops the four sights. The first man was an old man struggling. This represented that all things age and that nothing remains the same or constant. The second man he saw was sick. This taught him that all people can get sick and stresses the constant changing of life. The third man he encountered was dead in the street. This greatly emphasises that all people die and that there is an impermanence to life. Finally Siddhartha encounters a beggar in simple