| Son of the Shakyas, and a born Kshatriya, around | | | | father a great ruler and king of his times, protected his |
| 566BC, at the age of 29 was when he left his family | | | | son from. The four sights seen by Gautama Buddha, |
| to lead the life of an ascetic, however, a few years | | | | on his evening ride, namely, the sick man, the poor man, |
| later, he had a few followers, and they all dedicated | | | | a beggar by the street, and a corpse, filled the young |
| themselves to following the Middle Path of leading a | | | | man's heart with pain and sorrow. He then understood |
| life, a life between that of an ascetic and those of the | | | | that life as it always seemed to him was not a bed of |
| worldly devoted. However, this was not satisfactory | | | | roses. From then on Gautama Buddha dedicated |
| according the Buddha's decree, and so he went on for | | | | himself to the find a way or a solution to end human |
| further Enlightenment, which happened after quite a | | | | misery and pain. He went on to become an ascetic, |
| good amount of introspect and meditation, under a fig | | | | but that was not what he was looking for, he |
| tree. Thus, in the regions of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh | | | | somewhat was not getting the answers to his |
| (both in India), Gautama Buddha, started preaching his | | | | questions, nor did he find solace in the so-called spiritual |
| practices. According to some records, the Buddha's | | | | guidance of his times. It was then one fine day, when |
| preaching lasted for several decades and the Buddha | | | | he heard a music teacher who would help him with his |
| himself perished somewhere in his late 80's. | | | | musical learning's, speak of the resistance of a string. If |
| Post the Buddha's passing away, some of his | | | | the string on an instrument was too tight it would not |
| followers, who continued his legacy formed the | | | | play the notes too well, however if it was too lose it |
| "Bhikkus" or the disciples group, they wandered the | | | | would play shabby, that is when he realized and went |
| length and breadth of the country, wore only saffron | | | | ahead for the middle path, a road that went between |
| robes, preached, and dedicated their lives towards the | | | | he beliefs of an ascetic and the worldly human. |
| teachings of their holy master. For almost a hundred | | | | With this as a key to his definition on saving humanity |
| and fifty years or more, as per the records information | | | | Gautama Buddha went ahead and began his ways of |
| documented by the disciples, the groups of Bhikkus | | | | finding an answer through intense yogic forms of |
| were small and confined, especially amongst the | | | | meditation, this was beneath a Pipal tree in Benaras, |
| predominantly Hindu culture of the land. | | | | India. At the end of a single night of undisturbed |
| It was during the time of King Asoka, the ruler of the | | | | meditation, he got to understand the meanings of life |
| Mauryan Empire, who converted to Buddhism, in the | | | | and death and the cycles of rebirth, and most |
| 3rd century BC, the new founded religion, spread and | | | | importantly, he understood and got the answer to his |
| gained momentum, not only throughout India, but also in | | | | main question on how to end the cycle of infinite pain |
| other countries, especially in places like Sri Lanka. In Sri | | | | and sorrow in this world, and if preached and practiced |
| Lanka the original form (Theravada Buddhism) of the | | | | in a virtuous manner, he could save the world at large. |
| teaching were maintained by the Buddhist preachers | | | | Here is when Siddhartha Gautama emerged as the |
| and monks, while sadly in the rest of India and the | | | | Buddha, or the Awakened One. His first teachings took |
| other countries, Buddhism disintegrated into smaller | | | | place at the Deer Park, Benaras, which is where he |
| sects. | | | | made his first discourse on the Four Noble truths of |
| When we take a closer look into the history of | | | | the world. |
| Buddhism, the mission and the fate of Buddha's | | | | This is what the Buddha had gone forward doing in |
| teachings, the records are aplenty with various notions | | | | various parts of India and the world and thus after the |
| and it thus becomes uncertain on what to put a finger | | | | holy master had long passed away, and when King |
| on as the ultimate. However, what we can be greatly | | | | Asoka of the Mauryan empire converted to Buddhism, |
| thankful for is the basic outlines and the principle, which | | | | the teachings of the holy master gained momentum |
| the holy master himself lay and followed with great | | | | and started spreading like wildfire across the country |
| respect and honor the world around where it is still | | | | and parts of South East Asia and other places like Sri |
| practiced. | | | | Lanka and Japan, as well. |
| When Gautama Budhha was born, a great predictor | | | | Buddhism now has become a fragmented stream in |
| of his times foretold the fate that lay before the holy | | | | various parts of the world, except in Sri Lanka where |
| master; the prediction was in clear words for the | | | | they follow strictly the original ways of the maters |
| legendary soul, who would one day become a great | | | | teachings. It is also said that at one point of time, it |
| ruler or someone who would save the world and | | | | became so thin and fragmented post the master's |
| humanity at large. It all started out one fine evening, | | | | death, that around a hundred odd Buddhist preachers |
| when the holy master was out on his evening chariot | | | | and monks were called to straighten things out for the |
| ride, where he faced the harsh realities of life, that his | | | | legacy to carry on. |