Siddartha Gautama, born in the 6th century B.C. in what today is now Nepal, was a wealthy prince of the Shaky clan. His father had kept from all of the pain and misery that was in the world, but four times when he was away from his palace, he encountered an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a monk.

The first three of these symbolized mankind's suffering, and the other symbolized Siddartha's destiny. Siddartha decided to live in poverty. In the beginning, he studied with teachers, and then for nine years on his own.

Siddartha found that his very impoverished lifestyle (called "asceticism") did not work for him, so he started the form of Buddhism called "The Middle Path".

He vowed to meditate until he solved the problem of suffering. Forty-nine days later, he achieved his great enlightenment called "satori." Siddartha spent the rest of his life teaching and died at age eighty after eating spoiled food. Buddha was the seventh Buddha, and thirteen more will follow.