Siddhartha Gautama was a prince who lived in the kingdom of Sakyas, near the present day border of India and Nepal, more than 2500 years ago. The young prince was raised in great luxury, but he was not happy. He wanted to understand what caused human suffering. He did not understand why some people were rich and others were poor. Why some people were healthy and others sickly.

Siddhartha left his palace and lived as an ascetic. An ascetic is a person who has few material possessions and has given up all pleasures and comforts. He prayed and fasted. To fast is to eat little or no food. Siddhartha fasted so strictly that he nearly died, but he was still not satisfied. Finally, Siddhartha sat down under a bo tree and determined to understand why he had failed to find a satisfying way of life. Late that night Siddhartha Gautama became enlightened.

Siddhartha told other people of his enlightenment. He became well known for his teaching. Siddhartha's students called him “the Buddha,” which means “the Enlightened One,” and the followers of Siddhartha's teachings are called Buddhists.

The Buddha taught his followers to seek balance in their lives. The path to happiness is neither through indulgence nor denial, but a “middle way.” Siddhartha taught that by putting aside your ego, you can escape the cycle of death and rebirth to reach Nirvana.

Buddhists look within themselves to find peace; they believe they can find the path to Nirvana through meditation and karma. Karma can be defined as the rewards or punishments a person faces because of their thoughts, words, and actions. A happy person who treats others with kindness and respect creates good karma. A person who mistreats others will in turn be mistreated. This is bad karma.

The Buddha did not want his teachings to replace other faiths, but today over three hundred million Buddhists in all parts of the world adhere to his philosophy. His ideas traveled to China, Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Buddhism lost its influence in India by the 8th century, partly because its ideas were absorbed into Hinduism, and partly due to the rise of Islam. Buddhism is a major religious and moral force in the world, but it has been all but unknown in India for over one thousand years.