Gautama Buddha was known as Siddhartha Gautama before he attained enlightenment. Siddhartha was born into a royal family in Lumbini, Nepal, in the 6th century BCE. He was raised in a palace and was shielded from the suffering of the world. However, when he was 29 years old, he ventured outside the palace walls and saw the Four Sights: an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a monk. These sights made him realize that suffering is a part of life and that he needed to find a way to end it. He left his home and family and embarked on a six-year journey of self-discovery. During this time, he studied with various teachers and practiced different forms of meditation. Finally, he sat down under a Bodhi tree and vowed not to rise until he had found enlightenment. After 49 days of meditation, he attained enlightenment and became the Buddha, or “the awakened one.” He spent the next 45 years teaching others how to achieve enlightenment. He died at the age of 80 in Kushinagar, India.
Gautama is the family name of the Buddha. Siddhartha is the personal name of the Buddha. Rahula is the name of the Buddha’s son. Suddhodhana is the name of the Buddha’s father.