Gautam Buddha
Gautam Buddha was born at Lumbini more than 2,500 years ago. He was the son of a ruler of the Sakya tribe and lived in luxury. But as he grew older he started disliking material possessions. He began to think about life and its pains and pleasures. Human suffering troubled him a great deal and he made up his mind to find out why there was so much sorrow in the world and how man could free himself from it.
One night. leaving his wife and son behind, he slipped out of the palace, dressed himself as a commoner and set out in search of truth. He wandered for about six years. One day, while meditating under a tree, enlightenment came to him. He realized that there was sorrow in the world because people were greedy and selfish. The only solution lay in giving up worldly goods and following the path of enlightenment.
The main principles of Buddhism are truth and non-violence. Buddha’s life and teachings brought about many changes in the country. Thousands of years later, his teaching inspired Mahatma Gandhi in India’s struggle for freedom.
