The Story of Channa (Siddhartha's charioteer)

WQ edit of the Wikipedia entry "Channa (Buddhist)"

Prince Siddhartha and Channa see the Four Sights (salagram.net)

Channa (Sanskrit, Chandaka) was a royal servant of the Sakyans and head charioteer of Prince Siddhartha (who became Gautama Buddha). He became a monk and achieved sainthood, as described in the 78th verse of the Dhammapada.

Channa was a servant in the court of King Suddhodana (the Buddha's father) entrusted to attend to the needs of Siddhartha, who had been lavished and pampered in a series of purpose-built palaces in order to shield him from thoughts of pain, suffering, and renunciation. This was because of the prophecy of various ascetics and seers, particularly Asita, who predicted that Siddhartha would renounce the throne to become a spiritual leader if he were to contemplate human suffering.

Channa was the charioteer, pulled by the horse Kanthaka, when Siddhartha saw the Four Sights while meeting his subjects in the Sakyan capital of Kapilavastu. These famous rides prompted his decision to renounce the world.

During these expeditions, Channa explained to Siddhartha the sights of an elderly person, a sick person, a dead person whose funeral was being conducted and finally, an ascetic who had renounced the world for a spiritual life. Siddhartha, who had been secluded from such sights due to his life-long confinement in palaces, was taken aback. Siddhartha later entrusted Channa to accompany him as he escaped the kingdom to become an ascetic, while the palace guards were sleeping.

Initially protesting and refusing to accept his departure, Channa relented. He saddled Kanthaka [1] and guided Siddhartha out of the town aboard the horse to a forest at the edge of the Anoma River [2]. Channa returned to the palace with Siddhartha's royal finery, weapons, and hair to inform Suddhodana of his son's voluntary departure. Siddhartha compelled him to return after Channa refused to leave him.

When Siddhartha attained enlightenment and became the Buddha, he returned to Kapilavastu. Channa seized the opportunity to become a Buddhist monk, joining the Sangha. However, due to his having accompanied the Buddha on his renouncement, Ven. Channa behaved in an overbearing way toward the other monks. He frequently criticized the two chief disciples Sariputta and Moggallana.

In spite of the Buddha's advice and admonishments, Ven. Channa continued to abuse the other monks. So finally, prior to his passing way (parinirvana), the Buddha instructed Ananda to impose the "higher punishment" (brahmadanda) on Ven. Channa: the other monks were simply ignore him. After the Buddha's passing, Ven. Channa learned of the decree. Feeling remorse for his behavior, he fainted three times before asking and obtaining pardon. He eventually became an arahant.

References
1. http://www.rootinstitute.com/buddhism_shakyamuni_sorrow.html
2. www.watlaori.org/who%20is%20buddha.pdf
Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero (1993). Treasury of Truth: Illustrated Dhammapada.
Electronic copy - verse 78