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¡@ ¡@ When Siddhartha was twelve years old, at the suburbs, He saw a farmer whipping the farming ox under the scorching sun. He also saw birds fighting and pecking at insects and worms. Siddhartha felt the tragic fact of the weak being preyed by the strong. From then on, His mind was set to save sentient things. ¡@ ¡@ One day, he went out from the eastern gate of the castle, he saw a grey hair hunchback old man, limping with a stick, weak and effortless. Next, out of the southern gate, He saw an emaciated dying sick man lying and moaning at the roadside. Then, through the western gate, He met a funeral of an old man whose corpse was decaying, the dead body was messy with blood and sweat and giving off foul odour. ¡@ ¡@ Siddhartha pondered: "Even though I am a crown prince, aging, getting sick, death and sufferings are inevitable. How can I free myself from them?" ¡@ ¡@ Siddhartha went through the northern gate, he saw a bhiksu holding a begging bowl with one hand and a walking stick with another. The bhiksu said, "Due to fear of aging, illness, death and sufferings, I left home for my practice. Knowing everything in the world is unreal and impermanent, I take on the true path to strive for discipline, meditation and wisdom to overcome greed, resentment and obsession without clinging to sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and perception. I want to break away from all sorts of distresses from aging, sickness and death. I want to remain clear and pure, practise the doctrine of liberation and reach the yonder shore. " |
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