Buddhism has grown to become a major world religion since its founding by Siddharta Gautama, known as the Buddha, in 5th and 6th centuries. It now has over 300 million followers. Buddha, or enlightened one, was born around 563 BC in the town of Kapilavastu, what is now Nepal. He was born a prince, son to King Siddhartha and Queen Maya. He was raised in the palace and never left the grounds. At the age of 29, he ventured from there. Outside of the city he saw four things that changed his life: He saw old age, sickness, death, and a holy man. After seeing these things, he became a holy man himself, traveling all over India, talking to holy men. He learned about Reincarnation, Karma, and Moksha. After learning these things, he moved to the Nairanjana River, where he ate only what he needed and mediated constantly. Siddartha then sat down under a fig tree, hoping to figure out the answer to life and suffering. During this meditation, he recalled all his previous births and lives, gained knowledge of the cycle of births, and cast off the ignorance and passion of his ego which bound him to the world. This attained him enlightenment, and therefore was named Buddha. This way of recognizing what bound you to the world is known as Nirvana. Once someone has reached Nirvana, they are taken out of the endless cycle of life and death, and never reincarnate again. Instead of leaving his body, he remained on Earth to preach what he had learned and therfore started, Buddhism.There isn't just one holy book that every Buddhist worships or follows, but here are a few important sayings, that many go by: "Unindicated and unknown is the length of life of those subject to death. Life is difficult and brief and bound up with suffering. There is no means by which those who are born will not die. Having reached old age, there is death. This is the natural course for a living being. With ripe fruits there is the constant danger that they will fa...
