22 May 2018 by Suyen Hu
The man who was to become known as Buddha was born in north India in 623 BC. He was brought up as a rich and powerful prince, but when one day he saw some poor people he was moved to sit down and meditate about life. In his enlightened state he realised that the mind was more important than the body, though when he neglected to eat and was given food by the girl Sujata he realised that the body must be fed too.
Buddha was not a god on earth, but is believed to have been elevated to the status of a God through meditation. Buddhism is now the principle religion of much of Eastern Asia. It is essentially a religion of peace, tranquillity and kindness to others, though Buddhist governments can be oppressive, as in Myanmar.