The Buddha's Leaving Home

Culture of origin: Buddhist · Cultural

Holiday sources: Buddhism

The Great Renunciation is the traditional account of Prince Siddhartha Gautama leaving his palace at Kapilavastu to live as a wandering ascetic. At 29, after seeing an old man, a sick man, a corpse and an ascetic, he left at night on his horse Kanthaka with his charioteer Chandaka, then cut off his hair and put on a monk's robes. Chinese Buddhism keeps the day on the 8th of the 2nd lunar month, a week before the day of his nirvana.