By Paramattha Dhamma Sikkhaya Foundation
Early life of Gautama Buddha Viewers(4)
Gautama Buddha was born in the province of Lumbini, located in Southern Nepal, in 623 BC. He was born into a noble family of the Shakya Clan residing in the Himalayan foothills. The head of the Shakya clan, Suddhodana, was his father, while his mother Maya was a Koliyan princess. It is said that the court astrologers predicted that he would become a great sage or a Buddha. Buddha’s father shielded him from the outside world and human suffering, and Buddha grew up with every luxury he could desire. It was after 29 years of living a sheltered and luxurious life that Buddha got a glimpse of the real world. In the streets of Kapilavastu, Buddha came across an old man, a sick man and a corpse. His charioteer explained to him that all beings are subjected to old age, sickness, and death. After hearing this, Buddha could not rest. While returning, he saw a wandering ascetic walking along the road. He comprehended that he could overcome all this suffering by becoming an ascetic and then decided to leave his kingdom in search of answers to the problems of suffering.
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