The Buddha was born around 565 B.C. in Lumbini Grove at Rohini River, which flowed slowly along the southern foothills of the Himalayas.

King Shuddhodana's Wish

King Shuddhodana Gautama, the father of the Buddha, ruled over the Shakyans in the kingdom of Kapilavastu. The state was located on the border of India and Nepal with the Himalayas on its north, and Ganges River on its south. The king distinguished himself by his bravery and ability. He ruled wisely the country and brought to it prosperity and peace. Through out his reign he was able to win the love and endorsement of his people.

His wife, Queen Maya was tender and good-looking. They got along well with each other, but were saddened over being childless for over twenty years. The king wished eagerly to have a son to inherit his throne.

Queen Maya's Dream

As time flied, Queen Maya became almost forty-five years old. One night with all sounds being hushed, the queen was in a sound sleep. All of a sudden she started dreaming of a white elephant walking towards her and entering her womb through the right side of her body. She was startled and woke up. Oh, it was only a dream, as she wondered. She told the king about it. Both of them found the dream beyond comprehension.

After the dream, however, strange things happened. Queen Maya suddenly became more energetic and active than before. Not long after the dream, the queen became pregnant. People in the whole country were delighted by the good news.

Birth of the Prince

Spring was here. Queen Maya was about to give birth of her child. It was a tradition for a woman to go back to her parents' home for the imminent birth of her child. On her way to her parents' home in a beautiful day, Queen Maya stopped by Lumbini Park located outside the palace castle. While resting under the shade of a large Sala tree, the queen gave birth to a prince ----- the Buddha-to-be.

At this time, the sky glowed brightly and the earth shook vigorously. In celebrating the birth of the Buddha, all the flowers bloomed wildly and all the birds sang happily in the park. This memorable day was the eighth day of April in lunar calendar. Afterward the queen and her newly-born child returned to the palace. The king rejoiced and later named the child Siddhartha, which means "wish fulfilled".

A Seer's Prediction

Watching the sky glowed with an intense radiance coming from the palace, a wise man went to see the king. He predicted that the prince would become a universal monarch if he chose to remain in the palace, otherwise he would become a savior of the world if he chose to renounce his wealth and throne.