The 8th day of the second lunar month is a sacred day for the children of Buddha (Buddhists) because this is the day Prince Siddhartha Gautama - who later became Shakyamuni Buddha - left behind his golden palace, bidding farewell to his wife, children, and royal power to seek the path of liberation for humanity.
Born in a magnificent royal palace with all the wealth and glory, Prince Siddhartha was not bound by such worldly pleasures. The worldly halo could not obscure the truth about the suffering He had witnessed with His own eyes: birth, old age, sickness, and death.
The Four Sights: an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and an ascetic awakened His noble soul. He understood that royal power could not help humans escape suffering; only wisdom and enlightenment could lead to the true path of liberation.
He realized that life is a sea of suffering, and no power could help humans escape the cycle of reincarnation. He decided to leave, embarking on an arduous path to seek the ultimate truth.
On a bright moonlit night, the Prince quietly left the royal palace, cut off his black hair, and donned the simple robes of an ascetic. From that moment, He was no longer a prince but an ascetic on the journey to find the path of liberation for all beings.
BUDDHIST EMPEROR TRAN NHAN TONG - THE KING WHO RENOUNCED THE THRONE TO PRACTICE RELIGION
The story of Prince Siddhartha's Great Renunciation bears a profound resemblance to the life of Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong, the wise king of Dai Viet, who renounced the throne to embark on the path of religious practice and founded the Truc Lam Zen Sect.
While Prince Siddhartha was born in a royal palace but gave up everything to find the path of liberation for humanity, Tran Nhan Tong also left the throne at the peak of his power to become a monk, seeking enlightenment and guiding the people with the spirit of compassion and wisdom.
After years of ascetic practice, Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, becoming Shakyamuni Buddha. Tran Nhan Tong, after leaving the royal throne, also went to Yen Tu Mountain to practice, founding the Truc Lam Zen Sect and leaving behind the engaged ideology, taking "Cu tran lac dao" (Living in the world, joyful in the Dharma) as a guiding principle for life.
Ngoa Van Hermitage - Pagoda, where King - Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong practiced and attained Buddhahood, is the Vietnamese Buddhist Sanctuary.
The difference between Prince Siddhartha and Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong lies in how they practiced and propagated the Dharma.
After His renunciation, Prince Siddhartha endured six years of asceticism, practicing the Dhutanga (extreme asceticism), but eventually realized that this path did not lead to enlightenment. He abandoned the extreme ascetic practice, aiming for the Middle Way, combining wisdom and compassion to achieve liberation.
Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong also chose the Dhutanga practice, living simply, wearing coarse cloth, eating plainly, and begging for alms like a true sramana. However, He did not encourage people to mortify the flesh or practice extreme asceticism, but emphasized the spirit of "Cu tran lac dao", meaning practicing right in everyday life, benefiting society while maintaining a pure mind.
This difference demonstrates Tran Nhan Tong's engaged spirit. While Shakyamuni Buddha sought the path of liberation for all sentient beings through universal teachings, Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong adjusted the Dharma to suit the cultural and social characteristics of Dai Viet, helping Buddhism harmonize with the nation's life.
Both great figures shared the same aspiration: renouncing wealth and fame to find the truth and illuminate the path of enlightenment for all people. The event of Prince Siddhartha's Great Renunciation is not only meaningful to Buddhism but also evokes the noble practice tradition of our nation, with the shining example of Buddhist Emperor Tran Nhan Tong.
Prince Siddhartha's decision to renounce the world not only changed His life but also opened the path of enlightenment for all of humanity. The light of wisdom and compassion that He brought still shines today, becoming an endless source of inspiration for those seeking the truth.
Today, we commemorate this momentous event with reverence, paying tribute to the Great Awakened One - who sacrificed personal happiness to bring the path of liberation to all sentient beings.