Overview
To prevent him from renouncing the world, King Suddhodana insulated Prince Siddhattha inside luxury palaces, hiding all evidence of human frailty. However, driven by his impending destiny, the Prince ordered his charioteer Channa to drive him out into the city gardens. Over successive journeys, he encountered four “divine signs” (nimittāni) that shattered his complacency and birthed the resolve to seek Nibbāna.
The List
- Jiṇṇa - An Old Man: A decrepit, toothless, gray-haired man bent over a staff, shaking with age. (Awakened the Prince to the inescapable reality of physical decay).
- Ābādhika - A Sick Man: A suffering person afflicted with disease, lying fouled in his own waste, helpless. (Awakened the Prince to the fragility of health).
- Mata - A Dead Corpse: A rigid, lifeless body being carried out on a stretcher, surrounded by weeping relatives. (Awakened the Prince to the absolute finality of death).
- Pabbajita - An Ascetic / Monk: A calm, shaven-headed wanderer wearing clean orange rags, walking with continuous mindfulness and serene eyes. (Showed the Prince the existence of a practical path to escape the first three sights).