Who was Siddhartha Gautama Buddha?

---

Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, was a philosopher and spiritual teacher who lived sometime during the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. in India. He is credited with founding Buddhism — now the world's fourth largest religion with an estimated 500 million adherents — and teaching such concepts as enlightenment, nirvana and the "middle way." 

The word "Buddha" is derived from the Sanskrit word budh and is generally translated as "one who is awake." To many Buddhists, the Buddha is a man who achieved spiritual enlightenment — a state of mind in which all traces of personal suffering have been extinguished and reality is viewed with an unfailing clarity. 

Here I will summarise his life, from who he was, what lead to his decision to leave his wife and new born son, palace, lands and his title of Prince; to the moment he swapped his robes for wanderers rags, and set off on a path as a spiritual wanderer. How he came to question teachings of the religious leaders of the time and then walk into his enlightenment and how the philosophy of Buddhism manifested into a beautiful but simple, solid structure to end human suffering.

His life and his path would ultimately lead to the enlightenment of millions of people over the next few millennia through to the present day, with millions more to follow for the eternity of very living being that is blessed by his teachings.