Who is Buddha?

When most people think of the Buddha, they are thinking of the most famous Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama. But there have been many Buddhas throughout the ages recognized and unknown. Buddhists do not worship Buddha as a patriarchal, all-knowing entity like Christians. Rather, a Buddha can be many things to many people. A Buddha is pure Enlightenment. To realize the Buddha-nature of your own consciousness, is to realize Enlightenment.

The story of Siddhartha Guatama: Born in the sixth century B.C.E. in what is today Nepal, the Buddha was a wealthy prince of the Shakya clan. He married and had a son and lived a pampered life. His father carefully sheltered him from all misery.

But during four excursions away from the palace he encountered four signs-an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a monk.

The first three symbolized humakind's suffering; the fourth Siddhartha's destiny.

Siddartha adopted the ascetic, homeless path first with teachers. Then, for nine years, on his own. But asceticism proved fruitless. He began to eat again - to formulate Buddhist ideas of the Middle Path - and then settled under the famed bodhi tree, vowing to meditate until he solved the problem of suffering.

Forty-nine days later he achieved his great Enlightenment as the Buddha and the satori sought after by all Zennists.

Reluctant even to speak of it because of its wordless nature, Siddhartha finally addressed a group of disciples, then gave his first discourse in the Deer Park in Benares. He spent the rest of his long life teaching.

Remember, a Buddha can come in many forms. A Buddha will not always look like you'd expect and certainly will not act like you'd expect. A Buddha will be funny but will not always tell you what you want to hear. Ultimately, a Buddha is a reference point for guidance along the Path to Enlightenment.