enouncing the bliss of
Nirvana countless ages ago, when he was born as the Brahmana
Sumedha, in the time of Dipankara Buddha: he had then reached the
stage where he might have entered Nirvana, had he not loved mankind
more than himself. This renunciation implied his voluntarily enduring
the miseries of earthly lives until he became Buddha, for the sake of
teaching all beings the way to emancipation and to give rest to the
world.

33. Q. _How old was he when he went to the jungle?_

A. He was in his twenty-ninth year.

34. Q. _What finally determined him to leave all that men usually
love so much and go to the jungle?_

A. A _Deva_[2] appeared to him when driving out in his chariot, under
four impressive forms, on four different occasions.

35. Q. _What were these different forms?_

A. Those of a very old man broken down by age, of a sick man, of a
decaying corpse, and of a dignified hermit.

36. Q. _Did he alone see these?_

A. No, his attendant, Channa, also saw them.

37. Q. _Why should these sights, so familiar to everybody, have
caused him to go to the jungle?_

A. We often see such sights: he had not seen them, so they made a deep
impression on his mind.

38. Q. _Why had he not also seen them?_

A. The Brahmana astrologers had foretold at his birth that he would
one day resign his kingdom and, become a BUDDHA. The King, his father,
not wishing to lose an heir to his kingdom, had carefully prevented his
seeing any sights that might suggest to him human misery and death. No
one was allowed even to speak of such things to the Prince. He was
almost like a prisoner in his lovely palaces and flower gardens. They
were surrounded by high walls, and inside everything was made as
beautiful as possible, so that he might not wish to go and see the
sorrow and distress that are in the world.

39. Q. _Was he so kind-hearted that the King feared he might really
wish to leave everything for the world's sake?_

A. Yes; he seems to have felt for all beings so strong a pity and love
as that.

40. Q. _And how did he expect to learn the cause of sorrow in the
jungle?_

A. By removing far away from all that could prevent his thinking
deeply of the causes of sorrow and the nature of man.

41. Q. _How did he escape from the palace?_

A. One night, when all were asleep, he arose, took a last look at his
sleeping wife and infant son; called Channa, mounted his favourite
white horse Kan