What did Siddhartha Gautama come across by chance when he was about twenty-five years old?
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:15 · grounding rag
Model Answer
When Siddhartha Gautama was about twenty-five years old, he was out hunting when he chanced upon four disturbing sights. He came across a sick man, then an aged man, then a funeral procession, and finally a monk begging for alms. These sights deeply moved the Prince, who had until then been shielded from the sufferings of the world. They prompted him to immediately leave his royal life and go out into the world to seek enlightenment about the sorrows he had witnessed.
Source: Introduction to Gautama Buddha, Chapter 8
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Explanation
- The question asks specifically about what he "came across by chance," so all four sights must be listed — missing even one risks losing a mark.
- Mention that he was previously shielded from suffering to show contrast and context — examiners expect this.
- End with the consequence (he went to seek enlightenment) to complete the answer and justify the 3-mark weightage.