Siddhartha was an extraordinarily gifted child, and we are told that he received the best education for kingship that the world of his day could offer. He excelled in sports and physical exploits combining strength with skill – particularly archery, in which he stood out among a people famous for their prowess with the bow. He had a quick, clear intellect matched by an exquisite tenderness, a rare combination which would stamp his later life. He showed both when as a youth he saw a bird shot down by the arrow of his cousin Devadatta. Siddhartha, already dimly aware of his bond to all living
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