Gautama Buddha was born in 563 b.c. in northeast India. The Buddha
was the son of the King of the Sakyas. Suddhodana, who ruled at
Kapilavastu, on the border of Nepal. His mother was Queen Maya. He
was named Siddhartha. He lived amidst the pleasures of palace life
and at age 16 he was married to Princess Yasodhara. They had a son
named Rahula. After seeing a decrepid old man, an invalid, and an
ascetic beggar, he learned of suffering and decided to embrace
asceticism. Soon afterwards, at age 29, Siddhartha left the palace
and his family and went to a hermitage where he became the monk
Gautama, or, as he is still called, Sakyamuni (The ascetic of the
Sakyas). One day, meditating under a sacred figtree, he attained
perfect illumination (Bodhi). He had become a Buddha. From there on
he traveled and preached for 44 years what was to become one of the
main religions of the world. He died at Kusinagara at age 80.

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