GAUTAMA BUDDHA, Lord of the World Gautama attained the enlightenment of the Buddha in his final incarnation as Siddhartha Gautama. He was born in northern India, about 563 B.C., the son of King Suddhodana and Queen Mahamaya, rulers of the Sakya kingdom, and thus a member of the Kshatriya (warrior or ruling) caste.

On the fifth day following his birth, 108 Brahmins were invited to a name-giving ceremony at the palace. The king summoned eight of the most learned from among these to ‘read’ the child’s destiny by interpreting his bodily marks and physical characteristics.

Seven agreed that if he remained at home, he would become a universal king, unifying India; but if he left, he would become a Buddha and remove the veil of ignorance from the world. Kondañña, the eighth and youngest of the group, declared he would definitely become a Buddha, renouncing the world after seeing four signs—an old man, a diseased man, a dead man and a holy man. The child was named Siddhartha, or “One Whose Aim Is Fulfilled.” Seven days after his birth, his mother passed on and he was raised by her sister Mahaprajapati, who later became one of his first female disciples.

Mark L., Prophet; Elizabeth Clare, Prophet. The Masters and Their Retreats (p. 111). Summit University Press. Kindle Edition.