Chapter 280

"There are always winners and losers in competition, but that doesn't mean the losing side wasn't good enough. Besides, Gautama was absent because he was in a coma, not for any other reason. Devadatta and Siddhartha are the eyes of Kapilavastu; Siddhartha is the symbol of pride, Devadatta is dignity."

It was because of Kavia's words that King Suddhodana's plan succeeded. As for Devadatta's treatment, King Suddhodana, persuaded by Kavia, allowed him to ride in Chariot. After all, he was the first in his class, and Devadatta was naturally very grateful. He knew in his heart that if he really fought Siddhartha, he would have no chance against him.

That night, heavy snow fell.

"What lies at the boundaries of the Royal Palace, Siddhartha?"

"Teacher, all is well."

Siddhartha turned to look at Kavia, "Tomorrow is the victory parade, and I will be going outside the palace walls for the first time."

"Are we finally going out?"

Siddhartha never left the palace. This was because King Suddhodana, in order to ensure Siddhartha's pure attainment as Wheel-Turning King), went so far as to expel all the poor and disabled people in the city—in short, all those who seemed undesirable. Even when Siddhartha had to go out, King Suddhodana would specifically instruct that the roads be filled with flowers, people's songs and laughter, so that he could feel the vitality of the world and not be allowed to see any Sorrow things.

This is an incomparably beautiful world, the world that King Suddhodana created for Gautama to see.

This time is no different.

"Yes, I used to learn about this through you, my Teacher, the Veda, and the Upanishads. All the events I experienced were vividly recounted, as if I were seeing the whole world. But tomorrow I will experience it firsthand; the City Gate will open for me, and I will see the people of the nation."

The following day, the magnificent capital was filled with flowers and joyful dances.

However, an unexpected incident occurred. An ordinary citizen came to the front of the group and asked Gautama to rescue his child who had been carried away by a leopard. This was naturally unacceptable to the compassionate Gautama, who immediately left the group and searched for the child in the nearby Forest.

The outcome, of course, was a close call; the child was only slightly injured and was taken back to the Royal Palace by Gautama, but Gautama was met only with blame.

"You shouldn't have brought the child here; you could have just handed him over to the Guards."

"That's what King Suddhodana said."

"Father, I couldn't control myself when I saw my child injured."

"What about the people? They expect a valiant king, not a pushover. You shouldn't have abandoned the procession. Even if you absolutely had to go, you could have just killed the leopard. Why bring the child here? The Future king should watch his words and actions, Gautama."

Faced with his father's accusations, Gautama knew he shouldn't argue in front of so many people, so he could only lower his head and silently endure it.

Just then, Kavia, who had just arrived, spoke up.

"Your Majesty, listen to the voices within the capital; everywhere you hear praise for Gautama."

The wind blows, carrying the sounds of people.

Long live the Crown Prince!

Long live Gautama!

Long live the Crown Prince!

Such a cry was perfectly reasonable. In the eyes of the people, Gautama, who could abandon the procession that was merely a plea for help from the people, must be a good king. However, King Suddhodana remained indifferent.

"Master, Your Majesty cannot be too merciful. Even surrounded by powerful enemies, you should remain calm. I understand that thoughts change with age, but I did not know that my father's influence... would gradually diminish."

"Your Majesty, this is your family matter, and I cannot comment further, but I understand—"

Kavia looked at Gautama, who had slightly raised his head, and smiled gently, "Your child loves his father very much."

Upon being spoken to like this, King Suddhodana's expression softened, but he still maintained a tough stance.

So, after taking a deep breath, Gautama said this to King Suddhodana.

"As a child, I would give anything for my parents, even my life—"

Suddenly, a leopard's head was thrown at Gautama's feet. The green-haired youth stared at the leopard's head and trembled slightly.

"This is the head of the beast that carried the child away."

Devadatta came out smiling.

"What have you done, brother? Didn't you promise me you wouldn't kill it?!"

"Oh? Release it back into the Forest."

Devadatta scoffed at Gautama's Wrath, "Let it go eat people again? These Phantasmal Species deserve to die."

"... Brother, they don't eat people; they are forced into it by people."

When Gautama pointed out his flaws, Devadatta, who had been so self-righteous, lost some of his momentum, but he still spoke with unwavering resolve.

"So what? It's already killed a child!"

No, the child is still alive.

What if he/she dies?

"Because of doubt, you casually end a life."

"This is called hunting, Siddhartha!"

Devadatta retorted.

"Then, what should I do if I suspect that my brother will seize the throne?"

In an instant, Gautama drew Devadatta's sword, "How about I kill you now?"

This scene instantly drew gasps of amazement from everyone, even King Suddhodana couldn't help but shout:

"Siddhartha, is this how you speak to your brother! Put down your sword! Devadatta did nothing wrong; once animals taste human blood, the village is in danger of destruction."

Gautama pursed his lips, and said with deep sorrow and indignation:

"Aren't we doing the same thing in the name of war, proving our heroism through killing? Because of our fighting, countless others pay the price with their lives. Parents mourn the death of their children, women weep for the tragic death of their lovers, and a casual remark about hunting is enough to put them to death. Is this justice?"

"No, my Devadatta did nothing wrong!"

Devadatta's mother cried out, "Siddhartha, this is your Jealousy at work! The responsibilities that should have been borne by the Crown Prince have been fulfilled by my son, and you not only fail to praise him, but you also draw your sword against him! Is this fair?!"

"Put down your sword! Siddhartha! Get out of here immediately!"

The atmosphere within this magnificent Royal Palace was incredibly tense.

Finally, Kavia broke the tension.

"Let it go, Siddhartha."

Upon hearing this, Siddhartha could no longer control himself. He dropped his sword, turned around, picked up the leopard's head, and walked out alone, with Kavia naturally following behind.

Siddhartha came to the Forest where the leopard had been captured, and buried it in the earth with his bare hands.

Suddenly, rain began to fall, and in the midst of this downpour, Gautama knelt before the earth. Kavia, seeing this, reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

"Teacher, confusion has struck me today: Who am I? Why did I come into this world?"

Gautama's face may have been wet with tears, or simply with rain, or a mixture of both.

Kavia didn't speak, she just gently stroked him.

"Teacher, was it really wrong to stop my brother? Everyone is against me, Human Order..."

"Siddhartha, just as each person's five fingers are different, so too are human nature. You are compassionate by nature, while Devadatta is not. The leopard carrying away the child is acting on instinct, Devadatta killing it is also due to his nature. You followed your instinct to save the child, and you have done your best. There is no need to suffer because of the opposition of others."

"Teacher, is there a wonderful way to escape this suffering?"

"Naturally, the instincts of animals are difficult to change, but human nature can be controlled by oneself; whether it is good or evil, light or darkness, all resides in the essence of one's heart."

Comforted, Gautama finally stopped crying and nestled in Kavia's arms.

Seeing the harmony between the master and disciple, King Suddhodana, who had rushed over on horseback out of concern for Gautama, quietly withdrew.

Knowing that King Suddhodana had already departed, Kavia sighed softly, then supported Gautama's shoulders and spoke earnestly.

"Open your eyes and witness the reality of the world with your own eyes, Gautama Siddhartha."

Gautama once asked Kavia this question:

"What's this?"

"The lamp is a symbol of knowledge and focus."

"Why?"

The young Ideal King asked the silver-haired youth, puzzled.

"Like knowledge, it illuminates the world, allowing us to understand all things; it represents focus, because when the light is lit, people's attention is drawn to it."

The burning lamp illuminates the real world, dispelling illusions. Now, it reveals the most cruel side of the India Age of Gods to the Wheel-Turning King, who has been hidden by his father until now.

The King of Dharma, unaware of his teacher's intentions, could only subconsciously follow his footsteps to the nearby world, a place that had once been filled with happiness, joy, flowers, and dance.

Then, in the distance, they saw someone dressed in incredibly 'lowly' clothes, their bare upper body covered in whip marks, while the white clothing on their head and lower body was filthy, covered with a pile of yellow and filth.

This was the first time in Gautama's life that he had ever seen a human figure.

Therefore, Gautama's heart pounded incessantly.

This was the first time he had ever heard such a sound, and the first time he had ever seen such a person.

"I must say, you're truly Teacher. This is the first time I've ever seen people like you... you..."

Gautama, led by Kavia, looked at these strange people, but even his smiles could not sway them to approach. They could only clasp their hands together in fear and stare at the two people in front of them.

"Why are you retreating? Actually, I just wanted to ask a question: why do you tie Peacock Feather to your backs like a tail? Is this Ritual or a tradition?"

"No, no, none of those are..."

These people hurriedly shook their heads, their fear undiminished by Gautama's kindness.

Why is that?

"For decoration."

"Oh, it was part of the decoration."

Gautama's smile froze instantly at the words these people were about to say.

"No, Your Highness, this is neither decoration nor clothing. We are Untouchable; it is tradition that our contact would defile the soil. We must sweep away our footprints so that the Brahmin and Kshatriya will not step on them. All Untouchable wear Peacock Feather feathers on their backs."

The green-haired youth opened his mouth slightly, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know what to say.

He felt a wave of weakness and could only walk forward blankly, wanting to reach out and touch the tormented skin of these people, but they fearfully avoided Gautama's outstretched hand, their whole bodies trembling.

This outcome brought tears to Gautama's eyes, and he suppressed a certain emotion as he said:

"What kind of tradition is this? This is an insult to humanity! You are human beings too!"

"I'm sorry, we're not human, you've misunderstood, Your Highness. We must leave now, or we'll be whipped..."

Under the gaps in the trees, in the dazzling sunlight, Gautama could only watch as these people jogged away, their bare feet seemingly oblivious to the cuts inflicted by the sharp stones, as if they dared not expose themselves to the sunlight.

"Teacher, what are Untouchable? Why? I've never heard of them before, and I've never seen one at all..."

Suppressing his Sorrow, Gautama asked Kavia this question.

"The Untouchable, also known as the Dalits, are a group excluded from the Caste System and engage in unclean occupations such as slaughtering and scavenging. Traditionally, touching their belongings is considered contaminated."

Why is this happening?

"Because that's how the Dharma is defined, they and the Shudra are not under the protection of the Dharma, therefore they cannot be considered human, Gautama."

This is the Dharma I have been studying all along, prescribed in the most Divinity Holy Scripture. Why is it like this...?

All the doubts could only be summed up in Gautama's murmur:

Why is it like this...? They are human beings just like me...

"Keep moving forward."

Upon hearing this, Gautama, filled with a multitude of emotions, could only continue following behind Kavia.

Not long after, Gautama heard a crying sound and hurriedly went to find the source. He then saw a small child sitting and crying under a big tree.

"What happened? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Gautama gently stroked the child and asked.

"My older brother, my eldest brother..."

The child stretched out his hand high, as if gesturing to show his older brother's height.

What happened to your brother?

Several soldiers took him away.

"Take him away? Why take him away?"

He developed a rash.

This answer made Gautama smile, and he reassured him, "They took him to get treatment, don't worry."