Siddhartha Gautama was born about 563 B.C. in the town of Kapilavastu (what is now Southern Nepal). His given name was Siddhartha and his clan name was Gautama. His father, Shuddhodana, was the leader of a people known as the Shakyas. Gautama is therefore frequently referred to as Shakyamuni, or "Sage of the Shakyas" (Powell 13).

According to the Buddhist tradition, Gautama's mother, Queen May, was a "woman of perfect form and bee-black tresses, fearless in heart and full of grace and virtue" (Wangu 16). One day, a feeling of great peace and joy came over her. That night while she slept, she had a dream that an elephant with six tusks, carrying a lotus flower in its trunk, touched her right side. It was at that moment that her son was conceived. When the queen told her husband of her dream, he called Brahmins, learned men, to interpret it. They predicted that the child would either become the greatest king in the world, or the greatest ascetic,

Seven days after Siddhartha Gautama's birth, Queen Maya died. Therefore, Mahaprajapati, Maya's sister, looked after Gautama (Wangu 19).

When Siddhartha Gautama was twenty-nine, he asked his chariot driver, Channa, to take him for a ride without permission from his father. As Gautama rode through the city, he saw an old man, a man suffering from illness, and a corpse surrounded by mourners. Gautama had never seen these things before. He asked Channa to explain the meaning of these sights. Channa explained that old age, sickness, and death were "natural and unavoidable things that came to all people. They were to be endured" (Wangu 19). Gautama was shocked, and returned to the palace to think about what he had seen. For the first time, he "confronted the reality of life: 'Everything is transient; nothing is permanent in this world...Knowing that, I can find delight in nothing...How can a man, who knows that death is inevitable, still feel greed in his heart, enjoy the world of senses, and not weep in this great danger?" (Wangu 19) After seeing his first three sights, Gautama asked Channa to take him into the city once more. This time, he saw a wandering holy man. The man had shaven his head, wore only a ragged yellow robe, and carried a walking stick. Gautama stopped his chariot and questioned the man. The man told him that he was an ascetic, and, "I am... terrified by birth and death and therefore have adopted a homeless life to win salvation...I search for the most blessed state in which suffering, old age, and death are unknown" (Wangu 20).

The prediction of Gautama's future by the Brahmin had disturbed Gautama's father, King Shuddhodana. From the time of his son's birth, Shuddhodana encouraged his son to follow the path of kingship. Shuddhodana surrounded his son with pleasure and granted his every wish. Siddhartha Gautama never saw nor learned about any kind of suffering or hardship. When he would leave the palace, the king's guards would travel ahead of his chariot, clearing the streets of anything unpleasant or disturbing. A Brahmin priest instructed Gautama to become a great king, preparing him to rule wisely. Gautama also learned how to fight with a sword, and use a bow and arrow. Gautama was "strong and healthy, and his physical beauty and lively spirit attracted many friends" (Wangu 19). All of his friends were children of the officials of the court. When Siddhartha Gautama was about twenty years old, he married Yasodhara, the daughter of one of the king's ministers. Their wedding feast lasted for many days, and gifts were distributed to the people of the kingdom to celebrate the occasion. Within a year, Yasodhara gave birth to a son named Rahula, which means "impediment" or "fetter". King Shuddhodana was pleased that he had provided everything that his son would need to be happy, and to be a great king (Wangu 19).

During the Buddha's travels, he returned to his birthplace of Kapilavasta. His father was mortified to see his son begging for food. "No one in our family," said the king, "has ever lived by begging." But the Buddha kissed his father's foot and said, "You belong to a noble line of kings. But I belong to the lineage of Buddhas, and thousands of those have lived on alms." Shuddhodana remembered the prophecy at Gautama's conception, and became reconciled with his son. The Buddha's wife and son both joined the Sangha, along with his cousin Aranda, who became the Buddha's most faithful attendant during the later years of his life.

1. Suffering consists of disease, old age, and death; of separation from those we love; of craving what we cannot obtain; and of hating what we cannot avoid.

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Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)