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Understanding Suffering

The Buddha, who had lived a sheltered life of luxury as the young prince Siddhartha, was called to his initiation at the age of 29 when he first left the palace and traveled into the countryside.  Along the way he saw a bent old man, and asked his charioteer if age would befall all people. When his driver said yes, the prince was disturbed.

As he continued, he witnessed disease, hunger, and death in the form of a rotting corpse. Siddhartha was confused and distraught, for the “ugly” side of life had been kept from him during his youth. Now his innocence was shattered by the reality outside the palace walls.

In what is known as the Buddha’s “great departure,” the young prince renounced his life of ease, shaved his head like a monk, and went into the streets to beg for his food. The great departure represents an essential element of every initiation—leaving behind the comfort of the familiar, a difficult renunciation even when the familiar is painful, as in a bad job or relationship.

The Buddha could not have attained his illumination sipping tea in the palace gardens. He had to step into the unknown world outside the palace gates. The king sent servants to entice the prince home with food and drink, but the young Buddha-to-be refused. He did not allow himself to be seduced by his previous life.

Instead, he sat in silence under a fig tree and turned his attention inward until he found the answers he sought: Why must we suffer? Is there any way out? Imagine sitting under the shade of a tree in the blistering Indian heat—not an easy task, with flies landing on your face, attractive young women strolling by, lepers sleeping next to you, and children shouting and playing around you, not to mention the gnawing hunger in your gut. Siddhartha confronted all these challenges internally. He must have faced every fear and every demon conceivable.

In the end, the Buddha discovered that suffering could be eliminated. After his illumination, he returned with a gift of wisdom that he shared with all who would listen. The Four Noble Truths remain at the core of Buddhism today. They are:

  1. Life is suffering: birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, grief and despair are suffering.
  2. Suffering is caused by craving and desire.
  3. By giving up craving and desire, you attain freedom from suffering.
  4. This path is achieved through right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

The teachings of Buddhism have spread all over the world, for the Four Noble Truths are a universal wisdom. But just as important is the Buddha’s journey of initiation—a call to action that each of us must embark on, for by doing so we will learn to overcome suffering in our own lives.

Have you heard the call to action to end suffering in your life and that of others? Are you ready for the Great Departure?