The Buddha's life can be seen as a template for our own journey along the Buddhist path • the Buddha grew up in a palace, surrounded by safety, comfort, and security • but growing up in such a sheltered environment, he started to feel claustrophobic and curious • one day the Buddha snuck out of the palace grounds with his attendant and encountered a series of “teachers”: someone who was very ill; someone who was extremely old; and the body of a dead person • he kept asking, “What is wrong with that person? Does that happen to everyone?” • then he encountered a wandering sage — someone who had no possessions, but who seemed totally at ease and untroubled • the Buddha’s attendant explained that the sage was pursuing the meaning of life • these encounters motivated the Buddha to abandon his palace life, and he began his own long journey of discovery • he studied with many teachers, but he grew more and more frustrated and disappointed; nothing really seemed to work • the Buddha realized he’d have to figure it out on his own • so he just sat down under a tree and determined not to get up until he'd figured it all out • at that point, a young woman appeared and offered him some yogurt, which gave him physical strength and nourishment • freshly revived, the Buddha then sat there, fully present, doing nothing, staying put like a rock mountain • he endured all sorts of temptations, all sorts of possibilities, all sorts of escape hatches — but he just stayed there, steady, simple, and unmoving, until he had his breakthrough • his awakening was catalyzed by a simple act of human kindness.