52 Ancient Ideals
clear what the destiny will be. Two roads open before him, not en-
tirely unlike the roads that opened before Achilles. Gautama may
become a great warrior king, unite India, and bring an age of peace,
justice, and prosperity. Or he may take another route, and become
a spiritual quester. Perhaps he will go on to carry enlightenment to
all humanity.
It is immediately clear to Gautama’s father which destiny he wants
his son to fulfi ll. He hopes for temporal greatness for his boy. He
wants Gautama to be a king, like himself but greater. So he seques-
ters Gautama in the palace. There the young man has everything
he wants: he has a lovely wife; he has a son, Rahula— whose name
means the weight, the shackle— and all earthly delights. Gautama
has exquisite music, fi ne food, dancing girls, and art. He has every
advantage that Self lives to acquire. His life is perfection—or, from
another vantage, his life is the perfect meta phor for the suppression
of Soul. Gautama in the plea sure palace is an image of a Self that is
enclosed within itself.
But into the hallowed world of the prince comes disquiet. Or— the
legend tells us— disquiet is sent by the gods who themselves live in
sorrow waiting to be set free. One day Gautama, in com pany with
his servant, takes a ride outside the palace. There the prince en-
counters an old man, bent double, weak, tottering, nearly blind.
“What is that?” Gautama asks his servant. “That is a man in the
throes of old age, sir.” The prince is stunned. “Does everyone grow
old? Will I too become such as he is?” Yes, in all probability you
will, the servant tells him. Gautama is full of grief and confusion.
He returns to his father’s plea sure dome in distress.
But Gautama’s education in human suff ering continues. Soon the
prince meets a sick man, a being like himself in every way except
that his body is being eaten by disease. The man seems to be disin-
tegrating before the eyes of the prince and his servant. Is that too