We know very little about his life. Legends say that he married a beautiful woman but he wanted to escape from his rich life. As a young man, Gautama had meet and talked with many of the great Hindu teachers of the time. This made him think deeply about the meaning of life.
The story goes that on the night his son was born Gautama decided to leave the city. Even though his father had placed guards at the gates to stop him, a miracle happened and the gates opened. He escaped and began to live as a begger, wandering from place to place. He lived in this way for six years, trying to find the perfect life.
One day he had a vision. He learned that man could be truly happy only if he performed good deeds and lived a life of contemplation or thought. He began to travel and preach the new Religion, he became known as the Buddha, or 'the awakened one', and the Religion he founded is called Buddhism.
Buddha's Teachings:
Buddha taught his followers the eight paths to truth. These eight paths are the paths of right conduct, right efforts, right delight, right living, right speech, right-mindedness, right views and right hopes.
He taught his followers to love all men and think deeply about the goodness of God. In his own city, he he taught the way of life to his father, wife and family. He died at the age of eighty when he had won thousands of men to his Religion.
Today his followers are found in Burma, China, Ceylon, Japan and other parts of the East
