Life of Gautam Buddha and Buddhism

#  Buddhism was founded by Gautama Buddha.
 # Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha at Lumbini near Kapilavastu (in present Nepal) in 566 BC.
# He was the son of Suddhodhana and Mahamaya. Suddhodhana was the chief of the Sakya clan. Due to this, Buddha was also known as ‘Sakyamuni’.
# His mother died either giving birth to him or after seven days. Siddhartha was brought up by his maternal aunt, Prajapati Gautami. This gave him the name ‘Gautama’.
# He was married to Yashodhara and had a son, Rahula.
# He left his home at the age of 29 to become an ascetic. This event is called Mahabhishkramana.
# The idea of renunciation occurred to the Buddha after he saw four different states of man – sick man, old man, corpse and ascetic.
# Buddha wandered for seven years and at the age of 35 attained enlightenment at Uruvela while meditating under a Peepal tree (Fig Tree/ Ficus Religiosa) on the banks of the river Niranjana. This tree came to be known as ‘Bodhi tree’ and the place became Bodh Gaya (in Bihar).
# He gave his first sermon at Sarnath near Varanasi. This event is called Dharmachakra Pravartana/ Dhammachakkappavattana.
# He died in 483 BC under a Sal tree in Kushinagar (in UP). This event is called the Mahaparinirvana.
# The term ‘Buddha’ means ‘enlightened one’.
# Important contemporaries of Buddha were Mahavira Jaina, Kings Prasenjit, Bimbisara and Ajatasatru.