Buddha:

The man who would become the Buddha was born in the year 563 BCE to royal lineage in the foothills of the Himalayas (what is now Nepal). His given name was Siddhartha Gautama. His father tried to shelter him from the troubles of life that most people face. But curiousity got the better of Siddhartha and as he ventured beyond the palace walls, he soon discovered the sufferings that all people face. This discovery is known as the "four sights": old age, sickness and death cannot be escaped. But the fourth sight - that of a peaceful monk - promised hope to escape the psychological suffering when the body gives out.

Siddhartha was married to a princess who, when he was 29, bore him a son and heir. At this point, Siddhartha decided to take vows of renunciation and seek the peace of the monk he had seen earlier. For six years he went from guru to guru learning their philosophies and meditation practices. He then tried a very strict ascetic practice until he nearly starved to death. None of these practices brought Siddhartha to a point of understanding the problem of suffering and how to overcome it. Eventually he gave up these extreme efforts and tried in his own way to accomplish his goal.

Thus is was that at the age of 35 Siddhartha gained enlightenment sitting under a tree that came to thus be known as the Bodhi (wisdom) tree. At this point, the prince became "awakened" and was thenceforth known as Buddha. He is also called, Gautama Buddha, Tathagata and Sakyamuni, "sage of the Sakya" clan. He spent the remaining 45 years of his life wandering around India, teaching others to find the inner peace and enlightenment that he had found.

The Meaning of Buddhism at Bodh Gaya

To be a Buddha

Who was the historical Buddha - his given name?

What does the term Buddha mean?

When did the Buddha live?

Give two other names by which the Buddha is referred

names of Buddha

life of Buddha