1-3② Understanding Aging and Sickness (Life of Siddhartha Gautama 05)

English

Once, the prince heard that many flowers were blooming in abundance and that a clear, refreshing spring was flowing nearby. He thought, “I would like to go outside.” The prince sent a maidservant to request this from the king.

“Even though I stay in the castle, the days feel long, and there is nothing to entertain me. I would like to go out.”

Upon hearing this, the king was delighted. He immediately informed the ministers and officials, ordering them to clear the roads and purify every place.

First, the prince bowed to the king before leaving. The king assigned an elderly minister to accompany him. He is wise and capable person. The prince, along with many retainers, set out through the eastern gate of the castle. Many people, noble and common, men and women, gathered like clouds to witness this.

At that moment, a deva transformed into an old man. His head was white, his back was bent, and he walked weakly with a cane. Seeing this, the prince asked his companion,
“Who is that?”
“That is an old man.”
“What does ‘growing old’ mean?”
“This man was once young and full of vigor. However, he has aged and weakened over time. This is what we call ‘growing old.'”
The prince asked further,
“Is this man the only one who ages, or does everyone become like this?”
“Everyone ages in this way.”
The prince turned the carriage around and returned to the castle.

Kapilavastu Castle,Nepal,.Said to be the site of the eastern gate.

After some time, the prince once again asked the king for permission to go out. The king, upon hearing this, was troubled.

“The last time the prince went out, he saw an old man and was filled with sorrow, unable to enjoy himself. Will the same thing happen this time?” The king did not grant permission. He then gathered the ministers to discuss the matter.

“The prince went through the eastern gate last time and met an old man, which saddened him. This time, we must purify the roads in advance and ensure no old people are wandering around.”

The prince was eventually allowed to go out and, as before, took many retainers with him, this time leaving through the southern gate of the castle.

Once again, the deva transformed, this time into a sick man. His body was covered in sores, his belly swollen, and he wheezed as he gasped for breath.
The prince saw this man and asked,
“Who is this person?”
“This is a sick man.”
The prince asked further,
“What is a ‘sick man’?”
“A ‘sick man’ is someone whose body does not function well, even if they eat and drink what they like. The balance of the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind within the body is disturbed. In severe cases, pain spreads from one area to many parts of the body. The spirit weakens, and sleep offers no relief. Though they have limbs, they cannot move themselves and must rely on others to lie down and get up. Such a person is called a ‘sick man.'”
The prince, deeply saddened as if it were his own suffering, asked,
“Is this man the only one who gets sick, or do others also fall ill?”
“Everyone falls ill. Sickness does not discriminate between rich or poor.”
The prince turned the carriage around and returned to the castle.

The king asked his attendants,
“Did the prince enjoy his outing this time?”
“He passed through the southern gate and met a sick man. He enjoyed it even less.”
Hearing this, the king was greatly distressed. Fearing that the prince, faced with such suffering, might choose to renounce the world, he forbade any further outings.

On the left stands a sick man with a swollen belly, and on the right is an old man, bent over and leaning on a cane, contrasting with the healthy people around them, symbolizing the suffering of sickness and old age. Siddhartha encountered suffering at every gate. Pakistan, 2nd-4th century.

[Translation]
Siro Inuzuka

This text was created by using ChatGPT-4o to translate a modern Japanese translation into English, and then making some modifications. There may be errors in the English expressions. Please correct any mistakes.

[Explanation]
Shinichi Kusano / Siro Inuzuka

Four sights - Wikipedia

[Cooperation]
Shinichi Kusano

●Japanese

巻一第三話② 老いと病を知る(釈迦伝05)
巻1第3話 悉達太子在城受楽語 第三 (巻一第三話①より続く) あるとき、太子はたくさんの花が咲きほこり、泉が清々しくすずしく流れていると聞いて、「外に出てみよう」と考えました。太子は侍女を遣わし、これを王に願い出ました。 「城にいて...
English
スポンサーリンク
スポンサーリンク
ほんやくネットをフォローする
スポンサーリンク
今昔物語集 現代語訳

コメント

タイトルとURLをコピーしました