my last body. Now shall I destroy and pluck out by the roots the sorrow that is caused by birth and death (qtd. in Buddhism – World Religions).
             Seven days after Siddhartha Gautama's birth, Queen Maya died. Therefore, Mahaprajapati, Maya's sister, looked after Gautama (Wangu 19).
             The prediction of Gautama's future by the Brahmin had disturbed Gautama's father, King Shuddhodana. From the time of his son's birth, Shuddhodana encouraged his son to follow the path of kingship. Shuddhodana surrounded his son with pleasure and granted his every wish. Siddhartha Gautama never saw nor learned about any kind of suffering or hardship. When he would leave the palace, the king's guards would travel ahead of his chariot, clearing the streets of anything unpleasant or disturbing. A Brahmin priest instructed Gautama to become a great king, preparing him to rule wisely. Gautama also learned how to fight with a sword, and use a bow and arrow. Gautama was "strong and healthy, and his physical beauty and lively spirit attracted many friends" (Wangu 19). All of his friends were children of the officials of the court. When Siddhartha Gautama was about twenty years old, he married Yasodhara, the daughter of one of the king's ministers. Their wedding feast lasted for many days, and gifts were distributed to the people of the kingdom to celebrate the occasion. Within a year, Yasodhara gave birth to a son named Rahula, which means "impediment" or "fetter". King Shuddhodana was pleased that he had provided everything that his son would need to be happy, and to be a great king (Wangu 19).
             When Siddhartha Gautama was twenty-nine, he asked his chariot driver, Channa, to take him for a ride without permission from his father. As Gautama rode through the city, he saw an old man, a man suffering from illness, and a corpse surrounded by mourners. Gautama had never seen these thi...