2.  Gautam Buddha was the founder of Buddhism.  He was an avatar (descension) of the Supreme Lord, Shree Vishnu.  He was born and raised in a royal family but attained true knowledge, which he later spread to the world through the tenets of his teachings.

3.  He was born in late sixth century B.C., in the village Lumbini.  His father, King Suddhodana was the leader of the Shakya clan and His mother, Queen Maya, died soon after his birth.  His father shielded his son from the realities of the world

4.  One day, young Siddharth asked his charioteer to take him around the countryside.  There he saw an old man suffering in pain. He also saw a sick person and a dead corpse.  These encounters saddened him greatly and left a deep impression on his mind.  He realized that all living beings without exception have to experience the sufferings of birth, sickness, old age and death.  He was shaken up by these harsh realities.

5.  Siddharth also happened to see an ascetic and was surprised to see how calm he looked.  He was told that the ascetic had renounced the world and was free from the fear of suffering and death.  He wanted to realize the true meaning of life, and in that quest, he shaved off his head, wore the robes of a sadhu and left the palace at night in secrecy.

6.  Even though Siddharth learned philosophy and meditation from many teachers, he still sought answers to many questions.  He performed many severe austerities in the company of ascetics to attain enlightenment.  When intense penance and pain did not help him, Siddharth realized that he needed to follow a middle path between pleasure and pain.

7.  Siddharth reached Bodh Gaya (presently in Bihar in North India) and sat for meditation under a peepal (fig) tree, that later came to be known as the Bodhi tree.  It was under this tree that Siddharth attained enlightenment.  He came to be known as the Buddha or the Enlightened One. 

8.  Buddha was moved by compassion to do something for humanity.  He travelled in search of his five companions, to what is now Uttar Pradesh in Northern India.  Having found them, he preached the first sermon to them based on the four noble truths.

9.  These four truths are:  1. There is suffering in life 2. The cause of suffering is attachment 3. Suffering can be finished 4. The eight-fold path is the way to get release from suffering  The eight-fold path consists of: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

10.  In Tibet, the Dalai and Panchem Lama followers have their own tradition based on the tenets of Buddhism first taught by Gautam Buddha.  In China and Japan, Zen Buddhism involves a meditative adaptation of the teachings.  In Sri Lanka, Theravada Buddhism combines primitive belief in spirits with traditional teachings of the Buddha.

11.  Buddha widely preached the knowledge that he had received through enlightenment.  At the age of 80, he suddenly announced that he would soon be leaving his earthly body.  Gautam Buddha left this world, having spread his teachings across India and neighboring countries.