Who was Siddhartha Gautama before he became the Buddha
Before Siddhartha Gautama became known as the Buddha, he was a prince born in 563 BCE in Lumbini, in what is now Nepal. He was the son of King Suddhodana and Queen Mahamaya of the Shakya clan. Siddhartha led a privileged and sheltered life in the palace, shielded from the outside world.
According to traditional accounts, Siddhartha's father wanted to keep him away from the pain and suffering of the real world, so he provided him with a luxurious life within the palace walls. Siddhartha was raised in opulence, surrounded by wealth, beauty, and pleasure.
However, at the age of 29, Siddhartha became dissatisfied with his sheltered life and felt a calling to explore the world beyond the palace walls. He managed to escape from the palace and ventured into the wider world, where he encountered various realities such as old age, sickness, and death. These encounters deeply affected him and led him on a spiritual quest to find a way to alleviate suffering.
After several years of seeking enlightenment through various teachers and ascetic practices, Siddhartha eventually attained enlightenment when he was 35 years old. It was then that he earned the title of Buddha, which means "the awakened one" or "the enlightened one." As the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama went on to teach his insights and principles to others, establishing the religion now known as Buddhism.