釋迦牟尼佛誕生於公元前六世紀的古印度迦毗羅衛國(今尼泊爾邊境地區)；父親是淨飯王，母親為摩耶夫人。當佛陀身為太子時，在多次郊遊中，目睹眾生受著衰老、病痛、死亡等苦況，因而生起悲憫之心，遂萌出家修行之念，目的為眾生尋求解脫之道。在廿九歲那年的一個晚上，他毅然捨棄王位的繼承權，悄然離開皇宮，實踐出家修行。經過六年苦行的修持，最後走到迦耶山菩提樹下席草而坐，他降伏魔障，參究人生苦痛的成因與滅苦的方法。在成道前的深夜，天上明星燦爛，他徹悟了宇宙人生的真理，證得至高無上的覺悟。此後，世人尊稱他為佛陀--圓滿的覺者。

　　Buddha Sakyamuni was born in Kapilavastu (the Nepalese border area) of ancient India about 6th Century B.C. His father was King Suddhodana and his mother Maya was a princess from the city of Devadaha.

　　When he was still a prince, he witnessed the pains and suffering of old age, sickness and death during his excursions to the countryside. Filled with compassion for human suffering, he began to consider leaving home to fine a way of liberation for mankind. At the age of 29, he gave up his succession to the throne and left the palace one night to become a monk. After six years of ascetic practice, at last Sakyamuni went to Gaya and meditate under a bodhi tree. There he vanquished afflictions, pondered on the causes of suffering and the means to end suffering. On a starry night, he became enlightened to the Truth of life and the universe. Thereafter he was called the Buddha, meaning the Enlightened One.