In May 623 B.C. in Kapilavatthu, Siddhattha Gotama was born.His father was King Suddhodana and his mother was Queen Maha Maya. His mum died 7 days after he was born. And he was then adopted by his mother's sister. A spiritual man said that he would either become a king or a Holy man. His father wanted him to become a king so he locked him inside for most of his life.
When he was older he asked his chariot driver to take him into town. While he was there he saw a sick man, an old man and a dead man. He then saw a Buddhist who was walking without a care in the world. He thought about the different people he saw. He then decided he wanted to become a Buddhist. He left his wife and children and got his chariot driver to take him to a river. When he was at the river he swapped his rich clothes for the chariot drivers poor clothes and then gives all his jewellery to the driver. Once he is ready he says goodbye and crosses the river.
For many years he wandered the land looking for enlightenment he tried an ascetic lifestyle where he starved himself and harmed himself to find enlightenment but he realized this wasn't the way to do it so one day he decided to leave his friends and his ascetic lifestyle and search for enlightenment again. One day he decided to sit under a tree and not move or go anywhere until he was enlightened he sat there for days no one is exactly sure how many but in the end he was enlightened. He then went back to his friends for hi ascetic lifestyle and showed them how they could become enlightened. They all became enlightened.
People today are affected by the Buddha's teachings. The main reason is the religion of Buddhism it is one of the major world religions and people belong to it all over the world. But Buddhas teachings don't just apply to Buddhists, they show us to take our time and think about the meaning of things. Doing that will help us to become happy and live peaceful lives.
