As Siddhartha crossed the gate, Mara, the lord of illusion, appeared in the air. Mara tempted him, promising that in seven days, Siddhartha would become a universal monarch if he stayed. But Siddhartha refused, determined to seek a path to end all suffering.
The Life of Buddha: The Four Sights
In the Sakyan kingdom of Kapilavastu, in the foothills of Himalayas in the present-day Nepal, a remarkable prediction was made at the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, the future Buddha. Astrologers foretold two potential destinies: if Siddhartha remained within the comforts of royal life, he would become a universal monarch, an enlightened Buddha; if he renounced the world, he would attain enlightenment as a Buddha.