Buddha


 * __Buddha__**

Buddhism is to do with awareness in particular. It is about being awake and in touch with what is going on here and now. When the Buddha was asked to sum up his teaching in a single word, he said, "Awareness." The Buddha taught how to see directly into the nature of experience. His observations and insights are plain, practical, and down-to-earth, and they deal exclusively with the present. That is from Steve Hagen's book //Buddhism Plain and Simple//, it's a really good book


 * //This (above) is a useful start: others may wish to amend it - or to give Biographical accounts of the Life of the Buddha below - and also look at how the view of what a Buddha IS changes over time//**

__The Birth and Early Life of the Buddha__ 'Buddha' is not so much a name but a title that was given to someone of the highest spiritual understanding: it means 'one who is awake'¹. This is not 'awake' as in 'not asleep', but awake to spiritual reality, to spiritual truth. He was born in **[|Lumbini]** in Nepal between 400 and 480 BCE - the exact date is uncertain. His historical name was **Siddhattha Gotama** (Pali) - **Siddhartha Gautama** (in Sanskrit) - his personal name being Siddhattha and his clan name Gotama. His father, **Raja Suddhodhana**, was a wealthy and prominent figure of the Sakyas, a noble and prestigious tribe. Siddhattha's mother, **Mahamaya Devi**, died a week after giving birth to her son and so the boy was brought up by his mother's sister, **Mahapajapati**. They were part of a ruling family of the 'Kshatriya' caste. When he was conceived, his mother had a dream that a white baby elephant had entered her side. Seers forecast from this that Siddhartha would be a great religious or political leader. He was raised with all the advantages of his status in society, and at the age of 16 was married to Yahodra. They had a son, Rahula. Siddhartha's life was full of luxury and wonderful things in order to keep him occupied, but he felt that something was lacking. Indeed he was a Boddhisattva, one who had dedicated himself and had raised his consciousness for the purpose of supreme enlightenment. Thus at the age of 29, Siddhartha gave up his life of luxury to become a wandering monk in order to seek spiritual enlightenment and find a way to transcend the sorrows of the world. (Laurence-Khantipalo Mills //Buddhism Explained//) http://buddhism.about.com/library/blbudlifebirth1.htm