Sacred Texts: Buddhism

Buddhism in Translations - § 6. The Great Retirement.

Henry Clarke WarrenPali Canon TranslationsTheravada Buddhism

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This is a narrative excerpt from the Introduction to the Jātaka, translated from the Pali Buddhist canon, retelling the legendary story of Prince Siddhattha's (the future Buddha's) renunciation of palace life. The account follows the traditional "Four Signs" episode: the gods engineer his encounters with an old man, a diseased man, a corpse, and a monk, each sighting deepening his revulsion toward worldly existence until he resolves to abandon his royal life in search of Nirvana. A distinctive moment occurs when a woman's praise-song causes him to reinterpret the word "Nirvana" on the spot — hearing her describe a mother's heart as "attaining Nirvana" at the sight of her son, he concludes that the extinction of passion, hatred, and delusion is precisely what he seeks, framing his departure as a rational philosophical conclusion rather than mere despair. The text also emphasizes celestial orchestration throughout: gods disguise themselves as the signs, muffle the departing horse's neighing, and cushion its hoofbeats, presenting the Great Retirement as a cosmically managed event rather than a spontaneous personal choice. The narrative closes as Siddhattha steals away at midnight on his white horse Kanthaka, pausing only to gaze at his sleeping wife and newborn son Rahula, whom he names "impediment" — illustrating the text's frank acknowledgment that enlightenment requires abandoning human bonds.

Buddhism in Translations - § 6. The Great Retirement.

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