Buddhism and its Principles
Buddha, born in Lumbini near the India-Nepal border about 2600 years ago, rose to become such a mighty spiritual guru that people gradually started worshipping him. During his early age, he was known as Prince Siddhartha Gautama. Living a lavished life, he realized real happiness cannot be found in such an extravagant lifestyle. He left his worldly pleasures in the need for spiritual satisfaction and went into deep meditation, gradually learning to control his emotions and mind. This was the state of enlightenment, also known as Buddhahood. For the rest of his life, Buddha taught people how to attain nirvana (enlightenment) by controlling their emotions and keeping their state of mind free, and expressing fearlessness, joy, and active compassion. This state of nature for mankind is the root of Buddhism followed by all the disciples till today. Like most of the religions, followers of Buddha believe in different traditions. However, there are some of the central beliefs such as: