how did the sight of the man affect siddhartha?
Answers
Explanation:
The four sights are four events described in the legendary account of Gautama Buddha's life which led to his realization of the impermanence and ultimate dissatisfaction of conditioned existence. According to this legend, before these encounters Gautama Siddhartha had been confined to his palace by his father, who feared that he would become an ascetic if he came into contact with sufferings of life according to a prediction. However, his first venture out of the palace affected him deeply and made him realize the sufferings of all humans, and compelled him to begin his spiritual journey as a wandering ascetic, which eventually led to his enlightenment. The spiritual feeling of urgency experienced by Siddhārtha Gautama is referred to as saṃvega.
As he grew, Siddhartha’s curiosity could not be contained. He felt that his life of luxury was empty. At the age of 29, he persuaded his chariot driver, Channa, to take him out of the palace to the city. There he encountered the Four Sights:
An old person - Siddhartha had never before seen an old person. He asked his chariot driver, Channa, what he was looking at. Channa explained that when people get older, they physically decline.
A sick person - when Siddhartha saw an ill person by the side of the road, he was upset as he had never before seen anyone who was ill. Channa explained that, during their lives, people get ill.
A dead person - the third sight was a dead person being carried. Channa explained that everyone dies eventually.
A holy man (ascetic), who lived a life of self-denial, was the fourth sight. This person made Siddhartha curious, because the holy man was looking to understand truth.