Siddhartha was born into a sheltered world as Prince of the Sakya kingdom. He lived his life with sexual fantasies, wealth, and liberation which were accredited with the successes that all men should aspire to achieve. One curious night he snuck out of the palace to discover the palace for himself and talked to an old beggar who told him of life’s conclusion; the unspeakable realization that all men get sick, acquire old age, and ultimately die. This was the inception to his quest that compelled him to discover how to defeat sickness, old age, and cheat death. He vowed not to return until he could understand this enigma. His father and people attempted to convince him that he had responsibilities as the prince of Sakya and the time for liberation and wantering would come later. They urged him to enjoy the comfort of the palace and that his quest would come, but not now. Siddhartha fled the kingdom without intention of return until he understood he could fathom old age, sickness, and death. …show more content…
He had attempted to elude his son to sickness by only showing him the beauty in his people and palace. The beggar who he viewed, was a question in his mind that eventually “forced [him] to forsake [his] kin, by the fear of sickness, old age and death”(Olivelle 257). Searching for this unambiguous answer he sought out the sage Arada who was known for his knowledge and teachings. Arada told him that sickness is part of the cycle of life, it is unavoidable and non-negotiable. Spending time attempting to control ways of nature is time wasted. The Buddha was unaccepting of this news, but conclusively