The history of buddhism is not free of controversies & debates, despite it being a not so old religion.

The most interesting thing for me was to find historians, religious scholars, and various Buddhist sects debate over the actual year of the Buddha's birth. While some predict it to be as early as 644 BC, others believe it to be as late as 540 BC.

It is however, relatively certain that he was born as Prince Gautama Siddhartha, the son of Suddhodana, a king of the Shakya tribe. My understanding of the literature that I have read and the popular belief suggest that his birthplace was the forest grove of Lumbini in the hilly regions - what today probably is Northeastern India and Nepal. After his birth his parents gave him the name Siddhartha and there were many wonderful predicitions about his future.

In his early years he lived as a prince in his royal palace but at the age of 29 he transcended to the forests and followed a spiritual life. It was not before six years that he attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya, India. For me, the real Buddha was born here.

Some of the historical manuscripts & documents take us through the entire life-cycle of Buddhism. They reveal how Buddha taught the first & second Wheel of Dharma - the Sutra of the Four Noble Truths - and other discourses, that formed the principal source of the Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle, of Buddhism) & Mahayana (Great Vehicle, of Buddhism).

In the Hinayana teachings Buddha explains how to attain liberation from suffering for oneself alone, and in the Mahayana teachings he explains how to attain full enlightenment, for the sake of others. Both traditions flourished in Asia, at first in India and then gradually in other surrounding countries, including Tibet.

It was truely unbelievable for me to know that in all Buddha gave eighty-four thousand teachings. His intention in founding Buddhism was to lead living beings to permanent liberation from suffering & a temporary liberation from suffering and difficulties is not enough. Motivated by love and compassion, his aim was to help living beings find lasting peace or nirvana.