Childhood

The Buddha-to-be was raised as a young prince, a warrior. He was married when very young to the Princes Yashodhara. He became a great horseman, skilled in martial arts and archery. He had a palace for the rainy season, one for the hot season, one for the cool season. His father set about shielding his son form all knowledge of pain and suffering; things that may make him question life that may lead him onto the religious path. So Siddhartha lived a life of ease and comfort, a life of hedonism

Hedonism

The early life of Siddhartha was one of ease, one of leisure, one of comfort. He led an hedonistic life °© he had dancing girls, fine foods, he practiced many sports, enjoyed being massaged with perfumed oils, he enjoyed hot tubs, sunbathing, dancing, music. Hedonism is the philosophy that states that the purpose of life is to get as much physical pleasure out if it as one can.

Yet with all of this, he was bored. He had a nagging desire to see the world beyond the palace walls. The palace was a gilded cage, it had become a prison. There must be more to life than this.

He became bored with this hedonistic life. You can become bored with pleasure - especially if you're a warrior and there are no battles to fight. After a while a life just lived for pleasure can be very dull; blissed out people are boring to be around.

He persuaded his friend the charioteer Channa, to secretly take him to see the city of Kapilavastu. He wanted to see the world with his own eyes, experience it for himself.