About Buddha

Buddha is the title given to the founder of Buddhism, one of the world's great religions. It means Enlightened or Awakened One. The Buddha was Siddhartha Gautama. Another of his titles is Shakyamuni, which means "the wise man of the Shakya clan." Siddhartha Gautama was born near the town of Kapilavastu, in what is now Nepal. Gautama was from the warrior caste in Indian society. His father was Suddhodhana, a local ruler and prince of the Shakya people. His mother's name was Maya. She is often referred to as Mahamaya, or Great Maya.

Gautama meditated in a lotus (cross-legged) posture throughout the night, using the methods he had been taught. He overcame various obstacles and temptations, which had obstructed his path to enlightenment. The Buddha is said to have asked Mother Earth to bear witness to his worthiness to enlightenment. The tree under which Gautama was sitting when this happened came to be known as the bodhi or enlightenment tree, or Bo tree. Buddhists call the place of his enlightenment Bodh Gaya. It is in Bihar, India, and has become a center of Buddhist pilgrimage since the Buddha's death.

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