Gautama Siddhartha was born in the year 563 BC in the Himalayan foothills at a place called Lumbini. His father was a king and his mother, Queen Maya, conceived while she was still a virgin after an elephant placed a white lotus in her womb. The child Siddhartha emerged from her side. Siddhartha's father feared that his son would lead the life of an ascetic rather than become king , so he tried to protect him from the difficult realities of life - old age, sickness and death.

Eventually Prince Siddhartha managed to witness three scenes of these realities that changed how he perceived his existance. He saw an old man, a sick woman and a corpse. He began his quest to find out for himself why these things happened to people. He studied under many teachers and ascetics but never found the answers he was looking for. He tried fasting and undergoing severe hardship until finally he realised that enduring harsh conditions might end his life before he found the answers that he sought.
Through this experience he discovered the middle way, the path of moderation, and through this method he found enlightenment or Buddhahood.