134 Early Asian Civilizations: Supplemental Guide 7A | Buddhism
Show image 7A-3: Siddhartha shocked by poverty and suffering
Then, as Siddhartha grew into a young man, he began to venture
out—or go out—beyond the walls of the palace. Driven by a servant
in a horse-drawn chariot, Siddhartha was shocked and dismayed.
He was so surprised and so upset to see what his parents had kept
hidden from him.[Point to the people in the image as you talk about them.]
On one trip he saw a poor old woman, bent over and barely able to
stand.On another, he saw a sick and hungry man lying by the side of the
road, crying out for food.On a third trip, Siddhartha saw two people bawling—and crying—over
something horrible that had happened to them.[Ask, “Does this seem like suffering to you?”]
All around him people were suffering.Siddhartha began to worry about all of these people outside the
palace walls. What, he wondered, could he do to help them?Siddhartha could no longer be happy with his comfortable life inside
the palace. And so, he made the decision to leave the palace and his
riches. One night, he crept out of the palace and headed out along
India’s dusty roads in search of answers to his questions about how
to conquer—or overcome and do away with—suffering and how to
achieve—or get and obtain—happiness. Show image 7A-4: Siddhartha meditating under a fig tree
For many years Siddhartha wandered the land, studying with spiritual
teachers he met along the way. He kept asking his teachers the same
questions: “How can I conquer and get rid of suffering on Earth?”
And, “How can I achieve happiness on Earth?”But none of their answers seemed to satisfy him.One night, stopping to rest beneath a fig tree, Siddhartha crossed his
legs and told himself that he would not move until he had the answers
to his questions.