How Buddha reached Buddhahood

The Buddha, meaning ‘one who is awake’ in the sense of having ‘woken up to reality’ was the title first given to the Buddha. It was about 2500 years ago when Prince Siddhartha Gautama gave up all worldly pleasures to attain the reality of life, and became the Buddha - the enlightened one.

Siddhartha Gautama was born in 563 BC in Lumbini, Nepal as a son of Suddhodhana, the king of Kapilavastu and his Queen, Mahamaya Devi.Unfortunately, Mahamaya Devi died seven days after the birth of Prince Siddhartha and He was brought up by His stepmother, Gautami. King Suddhodhana, his father was told of a prediction that Prince Siddhartha will renounce everything and go in search of the truth.

The king did not let Prince Siddhartha move out of the palace. The king wanted his son to become a king.

When Siddhartha had grown into an intelligent young man, He moved out of his palace, and saw certain things that changed the entire course of His life.

He first saw a very old man who could barely walk, a sick man who was in severe pain, and lastly a corpse. Since, He had never been exposed to pain before, these sights affected him immensely, although His charioteer tried to explain that pain and death - were inevitable.

This entire episode turned His life. King Suddhodhana got perturbed and arranged Prince Siddhartha's marriage with a young and beautiful princess, Yasodhara. It was soon after the birth of son Rahula, that Siddhartha on a starry night, left His wife and son in deep sleep and left the palace.

Prince Siddhartha was only 29, when He left home. He realised that the truth is within every human being and to search for it. After this incident, He came to be known as ‘ Buddha’ or the Enlightened One. After spreading His message to the world successfully, Buddha passed away at the age of 80 years in 483 BC. at Kushinagar, India.

- Internet