KATHMANDU: On a moonlit night in 623 BCE, in the lush gardens of Lumbini, a prince was born who would one day renounce his royal life to seek the ultimate truth.

Siddhartha Gautama, heir to the throne of the Shakya kingdom, took his first breath as his mother, Queen Mayadevi, traveled to her maternal home in Devadaha.

According to legend, moments after birth, the infant prince took seven steps and declared, “This is my last birth; henceforth, there will be no more rebirth for me.”

His early life, however, was marked by both privilege and loss. Queen Mayadevi died just seven days after giving birth, leaving Siddhartha to be raised by his stepmother, Prajapati Gautami, in the royal palace of Kapilavastu.

As a child, he was surrounded by wealth, comfort, and a carefully curated reality—one that shielded him from the pain and suffering of the outside world.

Shortly after Siddhartha’s birth, King Suddhodana, his father, invited sages and ascetics to interpret the signs surrounding the prince’s arrival.

One such sage, Asita, prophesied that Siddhartha would become either a great king or a spiritual teacher—but if he were to see the realities of human suffering, he would inevitably choose the latter.

Determined to ensure his son followed the path of royalty, King Suddhodana built a world without pain. Within the palace walls, Siddhartha enjoyed a life of luxury, never witnessing aging, sickness, or death.

At 16, he married Princess Yashodhara of Devadaha, and years later, they had a son, Rahula. For a time, Siddhartha remained blissfully unaware of the world beyond his palace gates.

Despite his father’s efforts, Siddhartha’s curiosity grew. Eventually, he ventured outside the palace, encountering four sights that would change his life forever:

1.An old man, bent with age. For the first time, he understood that youth was fleeting.

2.A sick man, writhing in pain. He realized that no one, not even the strongest, was immune to illness.

3.A funeral procession. The finality of death shook him to his core.

4.A wandering ascetic. Unlike the others, this man radiated peace.

These encounters planted a deep unrest in Siddhartha’s heart. How could a life of luxury matter when suffering was inescapable?

One night, at 29 years old, Siddhartha made a decision that would define history. While his wife and newborn son slept, he silently left the palace on horseback, accompanied only by his loyal charioteer.

They traveled to the Anoma River, where Siddhartha discarded his princely robes, shaved his head, and donned the simple garments of an ascetic.

Thus began his quest for enlightenment. For six years, he wandered, seeking wisdom from the most renowned spiritual teachers.

He practiced extreme asceticism, enduring hunger, solitude, and harsh self-denial. At one point, he survived on a single grain of rice per day, believing that mortification of the body would lead to enlightenment. But after years of suffering, he realized this was not the path to truth.

Instead, he embraced what he would later call the Middle Way—a balanced approach between indulgence and self-deprivation.

At 35 years old, Siddhartha arrived in Bodhgaya, where he sat beneath a banyan tree and vowed, “I will not rise from this seat until I have found the truth.”

For days, he meditated. He battled the temptations of Mara, the Lord of Illusion, who tried to shake his resolve with visions of fear and desire. But Siddhartha remained unmoved.

On the full moon of Baisakha (April-May) in 588 BCE, after a night of deep meditation, he awakened. He had transcended suffering, broken free from the cycle of rebirth, and attained Nirvana.

Siddhartha Gautama had become the Buddha—“The Awakened One.”

For seven weeks, the Buddha remained in deep contemplation. Finally, he decided to share his insight with others. He traveled 205 kilometers to Sarnath, where he met his former ascetic companions.

There, in the Deer Park, he delivered his first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dharma). He introduced the foundation of Buddhist philosophy:

1.Dukkha (Suffering): Life is full of suffering—birth, aging, illness, and death.

2.Samudaya (Cause of Suffering): Suffering arises from craving and attachment.

3.Nirodha (End of Suffering): Nirvana is the cessation of suffering.

4.Magga (Path to Liberation): The Noble Eightfold Path leads to enlightenment.

✔ Right Understanding – Seeing the world as it truly is.

✔ Right Thought – Cultivating wisdom and compassion.

✔ Right Speech – Speaking truthfully and kindly.

✔ Right Action – Living ethically.

✔ Right Livelihood – Choosing a profession that does no harm.

✔ Right Effort – Diligence in self-improvement.

✔ Right Mindfulness – Awareness of thoughts and actions.

✔ Right Concentration – Deep meditation and mental focus.

With this sermon, Buddhism was born.

Upon hearing of his son’s enlightenment, King Suddhodana invited the Buddha back to Kapilavastu. Accompanied by 300 monks, he returned home for the first time in over a decade.

The visit was momentous. He shared his teachings with the Sakya clan, many of whom embraced his path—including his son, Rahula, who became the first novice monk.

At 80 years old, in 543 BCE, the Buddha sensed that his time had come. In Kushinagar, India, he gathered his disciples and delivered his final words:

“All conditioned things are impermanent. Strive on with diligence.”

Lying beneath two sal trees, he entered Mahaparinirvana, passing into final liberation.

Following his passing, the Buddha’s relics were divided among eight kingdoms, enshrined in stupas across India and Nepal. His teachings, however, were far from confined.

Over the centuries, Buddhism spread across Sri Lanka, Tibet, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The formation of Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana schools allowed his philosophy to take root in diverse cultures.

Today, Buddhism continues to shape millions of lives across the world. From monks in Myanmar to meditators in New York, the Buddha’s message of wisdom, compassion, and mindfulness remains as relevant as ever—offering a timeless path to peace in a world still searching for meaning.