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The historical figure known as the Buddha was born a prince in a northern India kingdom around 2,500 years ago. His name was Siddhartha Gautama. The title ‘Buddha’ means ‘enlightened one’ or ‘one who is awake’. Siddhartha’s journey from prince to holy man to Buddha is the basis of Buddhism.

Childhood

Siddhartha’s father ruled a small kingdom and his mother was a princess of another clan. He was born into a life of luxury. At the celebration of his birth, it was predicted that Siddhartha would either become a great king or a great holy man.

The king wanted his son to inherit the kingdom. Therefore, he decided to prevent Siddhartha from becoming interested in the life of a holy man and the world outside the palace. The king ordered the young prince to be protected from all evidence of suffering and imperfection, including sickness, old age and death.

The Four Sights

As he grew, Siddhartha’s curiosity could not be contained. He felt that his life of luxury was empty. At the age of 29, he persuaded his chariot driver, Channa, to take him out of the palace to the city. There he encountered the Four Sights:

1. An old person - Siddhartha had never before seen an old person. He asked his chariot driver, Channa, what he was looking at. Channa explained that when people get older, they physically decline.
2. A sick person - when Siddhartha saw an ill person by the side of the road, he was upset as he had never before seen anyone who was ill. Channa explained that, during their lives, people get ill.
3. A dead person - the third sight was a dead person being carried. Channa explained that everyone dies eventually.
4. A holy man (ascetic), who lived a life of self-denial, was the fourth sight. This person made Siddhartha curious, because the holy man was looking to understand truth.

After Channa explained what the first three sights meant, Siddhartha was very shocked. Then, when he encountered the holy man (the fourth sight), he was struck by how calm and serene the holy man seemed amid the crowds and noise. From that point, Siddhartha knew that his own path would be understanding, not the privilege and responsibility of royalty.

Siddhartha becomes a holy man

Siddhartha left the palace at night, never to return. He left behind a young wife and son, as well as his father. Siddhartha’s decision to give up his life of comfort and ease was his first step to becoming a Buddha.

Siddhartha became an ascetic. He wandered and searched for truth, training with different teachers to learn yoga and meditation. Eventually, he became a teacher himself.

Siddhartha wanted to fully understand suffering. He fasted for long periods of time and did other things to cause himself to suffer. He fasted until he was near starvation, but then he realised that his death would help no one. He moved onto a more moderate path, one between luxury and poverty, which he called the Middle Way. All this time, he taught, meditated, discussed ideas with other people, and learned new things.

Enlightenment

Siddhartha had become a wise and popular teacher, able to journey into deep understanding of the nature of reality during periods of meditation. It is believed that Siddhartha achieved enlightenment while sitting under a Bodhi tree. This was when Siddhartha became the Buddha, an enlightened being or ‘one who is awake’.

The Buddha remained on Earth to communicate his insights and wisdom to others. Many Buddhists believe that Siddhartha was not the only Buddha, and that there will be others. His teachings are the basis of Buddhism.