(9) 捨妻离子　决定出家

太子常观悲欢离合，生老死苦，为求解脱，意决出家修行，寝宫几度徘徊，最后毅然捨妻离子，实现理想。

Biding Farewell to His Son and Wife; Prince Siddhartha Leaving the Palace.

The Prince reflected on the reality of sorrow and joy, union and separation; birth, old age, death, and suffering. He wanted to seek a way to liberate oneself from sufferings. He made up his mind, and after lingering a few moments, left his wife and son to pursue his ideal.

(10) 星夜飞骑　追求真理

星夜太子骑上白犍陟（注3），带着车匿（注4）离开王宫，人如明月，马似白云，无声无息，驰向深山旷野，追求痛苦的解脱与人生的真理。

Riding on a Starry Night in Search of the Truth.

On a starry night, the prince mounted Kanthaka (3), his white horse, while Chandaka (4), his groom, held on to its tail. They left the palace late at night. The men were as luminous as the bright moon and the steed as white as the white clouds. Together they galloped deep into the hills and wilderness to seek the way that will liberate humans from pain and
suffering, and uncover the truth of life.

(11) 削髮弃俗　着乞士服

太子决意削髮，车匿苦劝无效，割髮去服，交车匿带回，身着乞士服，飘然而去，白马哀嘶泪下，车匿泣首送别太子。

Cutting Off His Hair, Prince Siddhartha Renounced the Secular World and Put on the

Robe of a Mendicant.
Unmoved by Chandaka’s persuasion, the prince cut off his hair and put on a mendicant’s robe. He gave his royal attire to Chandaka and left gracefully. His horse, Kanthaka, neighed and cried while Chandaka could do nothing but tearfully watch the departure of the prince.
 

(12) 志坚意决　六年苦修

意志坚决的太子，为求真理四处访道，终失所望，改自内行，在苦行林六年苦修，国王哀劝难挽，遂命五侍伴太子修行，日进一麻一麦，终至面色枯萎，肌消骨露，不动道心。

With Determination, the Prince Lived Six Years in Austerity.

The determined prince set out to seek the truth but initially encountered disappointment. He diverted to follow the ascetics and for the next six years underwent severe deprivations while meditating in the Uruvilva Forest. The king was very sad, as he could not convince the prince to come back to the palace. He ordered five attendants to accompany the prince. The prince lived on one sesame seed and one grain of wheat a day until the shine from his face withered away and his body was nothing but skin and bones. But despite all this, his will to seek the truth did not falter.
 

(13) 淨尘去垢　牧女献乳

经过六年苦修，犹未得脱，乃觉身心本一，心淨方能解脱，遂去座入尼连禅河，洗淨尘垢，终因体弱倒卧地上，牧女难陀、波罗见之，供养乳糜，得复体力，继续追求真理。

The Prince Wiping Off the Dust and Washing Away the Dirt, the Shepherdess Offering Rice Milk.

After six years of painful cultivation, the prince still had not found the truth. He realized that body and mind are one, and only when the mind is pure will liberation become possible. He arose from where he had been sitting and walked into the Nairanjana River. He washed away all the dirt on his body and finally fell because he was too frail. The shepherdess Sujata and her slave girl Punna saw this and offered rice milk to the prince. He accepted the milk and upon drinking some of it found his strength return. He continued to seek the truth.
 

(14) 误会太子　五侍求离

憍陈如、阿捨婆誓、摩诃跋提、摩诃男俱利、十力迦叶五侍，钦敬太子道心，留下伴修，见太子受牧女供乳，误以道心已退，不屑亲近，齐同离开太子，太子立意，得成佛道，先度五侍。

Misunderstanding the Prince, the Five Attendants Left Him.

Ajnata Kauadinya, Asvajit, Bhadrika, Dasabala-Kasyapa and Mahanama-Kulika, the five attendants who had accompanied the prince for six years of austerities because they respected the Prince’s noble ideal saw him accepting the rice milk from the shepherdess. Disappointed at seeing this and thinking that the prince had abandoned his ideals, they left him. The prince made a vow that when he became a Buddha he would teach the five attendants first.
 

(15) 誓成佛道　智伏群魔

太子端坐伽耶山金刚菩提树下，誓言：「不成佛道，不起此座」。诸天讚喜，天魔怖畏，施尽媚惑威吓，太子不为所动。

Vowing to Attain Buddhahood, the Prince Conquered the Army of Demons.

The prince, sitting on the Diamond Throne under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, vowed, “If I do not attain complete enlightenment, I will not leave this seat.” While the celestial beings rejoiced, the demons threatened and seduced the prince but to no avail.

(16) 夜见明星　成等正觉

西元前五一三年十二月八日黎明前，悉达多太子于菩提树下，仰观明星，证悟缘起中道胜义，觉知众生本有如来智德，奈妄念迷着，不能证得，竭尽智力，历诸辛苦，豁然大悟，从此众生得救，成为万世至尊的佛陀。

Looking up at the Bright Stars, He Became the Fully Enlightened One.

Just before dawn on December 8, 513 B.C., Prince Siddhartha, seated under the Bodhi tree, looked up at the bright stars and realized the profound meanings of dependant origination and the middle way, and that all beings innately possessed the wisdom of the Tathagata but lost it due to deluded thinking and attachments. After exhaustive pondering and numerous painstaking experiences, the prince attained the great realization. Thus, all beings shall receive salvation as the Prince became the noblest Buddha.