.jpg "The Prince took to the forest")
The Prince who had been having a great desire to become a monk after having seen the four sights, woke up Channa, his personal aide at midnight, and ordered him to make his horse, Kannaka, ready. The Prince then looked at his new-born son in his wife’s bed-chamber and quickly mounted the horse, and went out of the city. Channa followed him.
The day the twenty-nine year old Prince renounced his princely life and took to the forest was Monday, the full moon day of the month of Waso in the year 97.
Concepts and terminology:
Waso (Wah-so) : The fourth month in the Burmese lunar calendar. It corresponds with June-July on the Gregorian calendar. Links: Wikipedia.
Year 97 of the Great Era : The Buddhist Era, according to the traditional Buddhist calendar, begins in 545 BC. Year 97 therefore corresponds to 448 BC. Link: Wikipedia