The Supreme Truth of Impermanence

The Birth of the Bodhisattva and the Journey Towards Liberation

On a Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, an immaculate white radiance is said to have spread throughout the three worlds. For a noble being, who had endured immeasurable suffering throughout countless lifetimes for the welfare of others, had descended into this world.

Born into the illustrious Sakyan clan, Prince Siddhartha possessed the destiny and potential to become a Universal Monarch, a Chakravartin. However, the sages who foresaw his future placed a profound burden upon the heart of King Suddhodana, his father. They prophesied that should the young prince encounter the realities of human suffering, he would become disillusioned with worldly life and eventually renounce his royal existence in search of the ultimate truth.

Determined to see his beloved son ascend to the highest worldly position, King Suddhodana surrounded the prince with extraordinary luxury and comfort. He went beyond providing every material pleasure; he also ensured that the painful realities of life remained concealed from his son’s eyes. Following the counsel of spiritually accomplished sages, he took every precaution to shield the prince from witnessing old age, sickness, and death.

Yet, the time for awakening cannot be held back by worldly comfort.

When the destined moment arrived, through divine intervention, the prince encountered an elderly man during one of his journeys to the royal pleasure gardens. Having never witnessed such a condition before, the Bodhisattva Prince was deeply shaken. He began to comprehend that the human body, which appears so beautiful and strong in youth, is inevitably subject to deterioration and decay.

Overwhelmed by this realization, the prince continued his journey on another day. This time, he encountered a person suffering from illness. The sight brought another profound realization to his mind: that this very body, which human beings cherish and identify as themselves, is also vulnerable to pain, disease, and physical suffering.

On yet another day, the gods arranged for him to witness a lifeless body being carried away. This encounter deepened his disillusionment with worldly existence. He understood that everything born into this world must eventually be abandoned, and that everyone he loved and cherished would also be subject to the same inevitable realities.

The prince became profoundly silent, his heart deeply disturbed by the truths he had begun to perceive.

Then, on another occasion, his eyes fell upon a peaceful ascetic, walking with remarkable serenity. Unlike the previous sights that had filled his heart with sorrow, this figure embodied a sense of tranquillity and inner freedom. In that moment, the Bodhisattva perceived a different possibility: a path beyond worldly suffering, a path of renunciation, spiritual realization, and ultimate liberation.

However, just as these realizations were unfolding within him, news arrived that his beloved chief consort, Princess Yasodharā, had given birth to their son, Prince Rāhula. Yasodharā, who had accompanied and supported his Bodhisattva journey throughout countless lifetimes, was now his wife in this final existence.

Having already witnessed the impermanent nature of worldly relationships and the suffering inherent in attachment, the prince reflected upon the birth of his son and uttered the words:

Rāhulo jāto, bandhanaṃ jātaṃ.

“Rāhula is born; another bond has arisen.”

Fearing that seeing his newborn son would further intensify his emotional attachment and make his departure even more difficult, the prince chose to leave the palace that very night, embarking upon the Great Renunciation (Mahā Abhinikkhamana) in pursuit of the Supreme Truth.

The Universal Nature of Suffering

Every being born into this world is destined to encounter the realities of existence described above.

You, I, and every living being, even a child born today, must one day experience the ageing and deterioration of the body, the vulnerability of illness, and the inevitable separation from everything we have gathered, cherished, and loved.

Thus, beings wander endlessly through the cycle of existence, moving from one realm to another, entering different dimensions and assuming countless forms of life. Throughout this seemingly endless journey, they become attached to different parents, families, friends, relationships, and material possessions. They pursue worldly pleasures, build identities, accumulate possessions, and form attachments, only to eventually leave everything behind.

Again and again, they are born, experience life, encounter suffering, and pass away, continuing their journey through Saṃsāra, the endless cycle of birth and death.

How long shall beings continue to wander through this cycle, pursuing what is impermanent, clinging to what cannot be retained, and seeking lasting happiness in that which is destined to change?

May all beings come to understand the three fundamental characteristics of existence:

• Anicca, impermanence. All conditioned things are subject to change and dissolution.
• Dukkha, unsatisfactoriness. All conditioned existence is incapable of providing permanent and absolute satisfaction.
• Anattā, non-self. All phenomena are without an eternal, independent, unchanging self.

May every being awaken to these profound truths.

May we learn to see beyond the illusions of worldly existence, recognize the true nature of life, and walk the path towards wisdom, freedom, and ultimate liberation.

May all beings realize the Supreme Truth.

Towards Liberation of the Soul.

Jayani Perera, Parami Ceylon