1. Look at the image below. What do you see?
- Who is the man in the carriage?
- Find the three figures Siddhartha is pointing to. What might they represent?
- How might Siddhartha be affected by seeing these figures?
2. Read the text below and follow the directions on your worksheet.
At the age of 29, Siddhartha left his palace to meet his subjects. Even though his father still tried to shield him from people who were suffering, Siddhartha came across an old man.
The man was thin and walked with the aid of a stick. The prince asked his driver why the man looked so terrible. The driver replied that the man was old and that the body gets weaker as humans get older.
On the next trip, Siddhartha and his driver saw a man lying on the ground in pain. Again, Siddhartha questioned his driver for an explanation. The driver explained that the man was sick.
On a third trip, the prince encountered a group of people in a funeral procession. They carried a figure draped in white cloth. Siddhartha's driver explained that the figure was dead and that everyone eventually dies. He told Siddhartha that he would die one day, too.
Siddhartha was deeply disturbed by this new knowledge. He became determined to overcome aging, sickness, and death. He left his palace a final time, leaving behind his wife and son. Soon he met an ascetic (uh-SEH-tik) who sat in peace. An ascetic is someone who gives up material pleasures such as possessions, fine clothes, money, and even shelter.
Siddhartha asked the ascetic how he could be so peaceful while he was surrounded by so much suffering in the world. The ascetic replied,“To be free of suffering, one must give up the desires, pleasures, and comforts of the world. I find peace by helping others find peace.”
The man was thin and walked with the aid of a stick. The prince asked his driver why the man looked so terrible. The driver replied that the man was old and that the body gets weaker as humans get older.
On the next trip, Siddhartha and his driver saw a man lying on the ground in pain. Again, Siddhartha questioned his driver for an explanation. The driver explained that the man was sick.
On a third trip, the prince encountered a group of people in a funeral procession. They carried a figure draped in white cloth. Siddhartha's driver explained that the figure was dead and that everyone eventually dies. He told Siddhartha that he would die one day, too.
Siddhartha was deeply disturbed by this new knowledge. He became determined to overcome aging, sickness, and death. He left his palace a final time, leaving behind his wife and son. Soon he met an ascetic (uh-SEH-tik) who sat in peace. An ascetic is someone who gives up material pleasures such as possessions, fine clothes, money, and even shelter.
Siddhartha asked the ascetic how he could be so peaceful while he was surrounded by so much suffering in the world. The ascetic replied,“To be free of suffering, one must give up the desires, pleasures, and comforts of the world. I find peace by helping others find peace.”