太子瑞應本起經 1.35

1.35

「太子自去，踰越名山，經摩竭界。瓶沙王出田獵，遙見太子，行山澤中。即與諸耆長大臣，俱追見之。王曰：『太子生多奇異、形相炳著，當君四天下，為轉輪聖王，四海顒顒，冀神寶至。何棄天位，自放山藪？必有異見。願聞其志。』太子答曰：『以吾所見，天地人物，出生有死，劇苦有三，老病死痛，不可得離。計身為苦器，憂畏無量，若在尊寵，則有憍佚，貪求快意，天下被患，此吾所厭，故欲入山以修其志。』諸耆長曰：『夫老病死，自世之常，何獨豫憂，乃棄美號，隱遁潛居，以勞其形，不亦難乎？』

"The Prince departed on his own, crossing over renowned mountains and passing through the territory of Magadha. King Bimbisāra had gone hunting and saw the Prince in the distance, walking among the mountains and marshes. He immediately joined with his elders and ministers to pursue and meet him. The King said: 'At the Prince's birth there were many wondrous signs, and your physical marks are brilliant and distinct. You ought to rule the four continents as a cakravartin; the four seas look up to you with longing, hoping for the divine treasures to arrive. Why have you abandoned the heavenly throne and banished yourself to the mountains and thickets? You must have some extraordinary insight. I wish to hear your aspiration.' The Prince replied: 'According to what I have seen, of all beings between heaven and earth, wherever there is birth there is death. There are three extreme sufferings—the pains of old age, sickness, and death—from which there is no escape. Considering the body to be a vessel of suffering, one's anxieties and dreads are immeasurable. If one abides in high honor and favor, pride and indulgence arise; greedy pursuit of pleasure brings disaster to the world. This is what I abhor, and therefore I wish to enter the mountains to cultivate my aspiration.' The elders said: 'Old age, sickness, and death are indeed the common lot of the world. Why should you alone grieve in advance, abandoning an exalted title to live in seclusion and concealment, wearying your body? Is this not difficult?'"