Final answer:
Prince Siddhartha Gautama embarked on his six-year journey to seek answers to life's sufferings and to find enlightenment, which led him to become the Buddha and establish the religion of Buddhism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Prince Siddhartha Gautama wandered away from his palace for six years in search of a deeper understanding of life and to find a path to enlightenment. This journey was not driven by a quest to gain riches, bend superior beings to his will, or prove himself to his father. Rather, Siddhartha set out to understand and find a way to alleviate the universal sufferings of sickness, old age, and death that he encountered and realized were inescapable aspects of human existence.
After encountering profound suffering in the form of an old man, a sick person, and a decaying corpse, he was moved to seek a middle way that would lead to liberation from the cycle of suffering and rebirth. His spiritual exercises and deep meditation led to his awakening, after which he became known as the Buddha, or "the Awakened One". Siddhartha Gautama's life and teachings would go on to form the basis of Buddhism, a major world religion that spread widely across Asia and the world.