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Everywhere, there was great rejoicing on that day. Horses with gleaming armour and with their riders in bright uniforms, each attended by their own standard-bearers, carrying their colourful flags, gathered in the palace square. "Siddhartha has won the horse-riding and is leading in the archery contests, too," cried the crowds, excitedly. He easily won every contest that was held. Now that he had proved his skills in the arts of war, his father held a banquet to choose a bride for him, to which the neighbouing kings gladly sent their daughters. To everyone's surprise, Siddhartha chose his own beautiful cousin, Yasodhara. Her father willingly gave her in marriage to the gallant Prince. They lived in great splendour in a new palace surrounded by everything delightful and pleasant. As time went by, the palace with all its luxuries and amusements made Siddhartha bored and restless. Also, all the efforts of King Suddhodana to make his son worldly-minded only increased the Prince's curiosity to see the world outside. So, one day, he summoned the royal charioteer, Channa, to take him for a drive on the outskirts of the palace.
Channa chose a beautiful chariot drawn by white horses. The people rejoiced to see their handsome Prince driving through the streets. They had not gone very far when they saw a hunched-up old man by the roadside. This was a very unusual sight for the Prince. He stopped the horses. "Who is that, he looks like a man but his hair is white. He has no teeth, his cheeks are sunken and his skin is wrinkled. He is weak and bent and he is leaning on a stick. What sort of man is that?" "That is an old man," replied Channa. "He has lived for a very long time." "Does everyone get old, Channa? Will my beautiful Yasodhara get old, and you, yourself? Will I get old, too?" Siddhartha was greatly disturbed by what he had seen. On another day, when he was out with Channa, they saw a sick man. He was so weak that he could not stand up but rolled on the ground crying with pain. His body was covered with sores and his mouth was foaming. Channa explained that anyone could fall ill at anytime. On the third visit outside the palace, they saw a funeral procession pass by. The mourners were wailing with grief, carrying the corpse. Next Page 5
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