Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal family in Kapilavastu, India, which is present day Nepal. His early life was one of privilege and pleasure. But he soon realized that wealth andluxury would not bring happiness.So, Gautama wandered outside his palace. After encountering an old man, an ill man, and a dead body herealized that no one could escape the sufferings of the world. Then he came upon a calm and peaceful monk. This encounter made him change his life. He left his family and riches to be free to search for the truth. After yeares of study, meditation and sacrifice, Gautama experienced the Great Enlightenment and became the Buddha or the completely enlightened. Buddha, spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism. Buddha once summarized his entire teachings in one sentence :"I teach about suffering and the way to end it.”
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