shukke
Leaving Family Life
It was the custom in ancient India that people who wanted to pursue the truth left their family, and this custom was retained in Buddhist orders. First of all, it is said that Gautama Buddha originally left his family life and began the life of a monk when he was 29 years old. Therefore, in the Buddhist order, people highly revere transcendence of family life in order to pursue the truth. This chapter explains the custom.