in length; it is directly related to the degree of personal fulfillment that one is able to reach, which far outweighs the length of meaningless and empty life. The truth and wisdom of Confucius' assertion is clearly reflected in Ashvagohosha's "Buddhacarita". In the passage the bright young princess is kept shielded from all negative aspects of life. Once he breaks the bubble and gets outside the palace, he realizes he had been kept from knowing life itself. He becomes even more curious, persistent and willing to act instead of accepting, and, finally, he sets out in search of happiness through spiritual enlightenment.Water, although it could be momentarily and partially arrested, is impossible to confine. Just like young Shakyamuni, it cannot be held captive, it cannot be kept from going to places. It will eventually claim its space and demand its freedom:The monarch, reflecting that the prince must see nothing untoward that might agitate his mind, assigned him a dwelling in the upper storeys of the palace and did not allow him to access the ground. . . . The hearing of the entrancing character of the city groves, beloved of the womenfolk, he set his heart on an expedition outside, like an elephant confined inside a house. (550)As water moves away from the mountains, the prince begins his journey that will ultimately lead him away from the palace and propel him towards discovering the world for himself. With each excursion his curiosity grows and each time be becomes more and more compelled to learn about the real world and to make a difference. The quote states, "The knowing are diligent; the humane are quiet."(611) Prince Shakyamuni perfectly mirrors the transition between quietness and diligence as knowledge about the real world penetrates his boundaries:Then the prince returned to the same palace, but so lost in anxiety that is seemed to him empty. But even there he found no relief, as he ever dwelt on the subject of old a...
