The Birth of Buddhism

Sometime around 563 BCE — the exact date is debated — a boy was born into the Shakya clan in the foothills of the Himalayas, in what is now southern Nepal. His father, Suddhodana, was the chieftain of a small republic. His mother, Maya, died just days after the birth. The boy was named The historical founder of Buddhism, born around 563 BCE in Lumbini (present-day Nepal) to a Shakya clan chieftain. After abandoning a privileged life to seek the cause of human suffering, he attained enlightenment at age 35 and became known as the Buddha — "the Awakened One.".

According to tradition, a sage examined the infant and made a prediction: this child would become either a great world ruler or a great spiritual teacher. Suddhodana preferred the first option. He resolved to keep his son inside the palace walls, surrounded by luxury, shielded from anything that might provoke spiritual yearning. If Siddhartha never saw suffering, the logic went, he would never feel compelled to understand it.

So the prince grew up in a gilded cage. Multiple palaces. Dancing girls. The finest food. A beautiful wife, Yasodhara, and eventually a son. By every material measure, Siddhartha Gautama had everything a person could want — and he had never seen a sick person, never watched anyone grow old, never witnessed death.