About Great Renunciation

The Great Renunciation or Great Departure is the traditional term for the departure of Gautama Buddha from his palace at Kapilavastu to live a life as an ascetic. It is called the Great Renunciation because of the great sacrifice it entails. Most accounts of this event can be found in post-canonical Buddhist texts from several Buddhist traditions, which contain the most complete accounts. These are, however, of a more mythological nature. Most well-known of these is the Jātakanidāna, a commentary to the Jātaka attributed to Buddhaghosa.