While Queen Maya was sleeping she dreamt that a white elephant offered her a Lotus flower. When she took it he entered into the side of her body. This is how Siddhartha Gautama was conceived.
Libisema: 2
The Birth
Siddhartha Gautama was born from the side of his mother stomach, when he was born he took seven steps and lotus flowers emerged at his feet. A wise man predicted that he would be a great king or a Buddha.Siddhartha Gautama's mother died several days later.
Libisema: 3
The Marriage
Siddhartha Gautama had been kept inside the palace for his whole life as his father, King Suddhodana, wanted him to become King. When Siddhartha Gautama was 19 he married Yashodara. He never experienced poverty or suffering.
Libisema: 4
The Four Signs
When Siddhartha turned 29 he finally left the palace walls. On his first visit outside he saw an old man, on the second he saw a sick man, on his third he saw a dead man. He was shocked that he could live a life of luxury while this was happening. On his fourth visit he saw a monk who was finding happiness in the sorrow. Siddhartha knew immediately that he was supposed to do the same. He left everything and said good bye to his wife to become a monk.
Libisema: 5
The Search and Enlightenment
For six years Siddhartha wandered through the forest and learned deep meditation and practiced fasting and austerity from yogis. He thought that doing this would lead him to everlasting happiness, so he endured the pain but got nowhere. When he was close to death he accepted a bowl of rice milk and regained his strength. He sat underneath a Bodhi tree and became enlightened, a Buddha. Remembering his yogis he found them and taught them the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, the pillars of Buddhism. They formed the first order of Buddhist Monks, called the Sangha.
Libisema: 6
The Teaching
The Buddha became the first religious leader to accept anyone and everyone including women and poor people, everyone was equal. The Buddha's father, the King, became a disciple of the Buddha. Many of the royal family, including the Buddhas son joined the Sangha. For the next 45 years the Buddha travels through India and teaching others. When he turned 80 he gathered his disciples and told them not to follow another leader and take the Dharma as their master. He said “All things in life end. Work diligently for your own enlightenment before passing through to the final state of nirvana.