Chapter 1 - The Perfectly Enlightened One

The founder of the Buddhist religion is Gotama, the Buddha. The name "Buddha" is a Pali word which literally means "The Knower, or The Awakened One", or The Enlightened One" of the Four Noble Truths (Sacca). Gotama is a family name and the personified title "Buddha" is so known as He was endowed with supreme wisdom of Omnipotence and Omniscience by virtue of His eminent honorific attributes. The Buddha attained the highest and loftiest Dhamma, called Nibbana, through His strenuous practice of Supreme Morality (Adhisila ), Supreme Concentration ( Adhicitta ) and Supreme Wisdom (Adhipanna).

For the above reasons, the Buddha should, by no means, be regarded as a mere prophet or a messenger deputed by the Almighty Gad, or a Supreme Being, or a Brahma to visit the earth for the salvation of mankind. In this respect Buddhists believe that Buddhas appear in the world occasionally for saving those who are fit and perfect enough to be saved, not as Saviours but by showing them the way leading to the happiest state of Nibbana which was discovered by themselves. Men and Gods alike who follow His teaching and guidance, are, like the Buddhas themselves, assured of attaining Nibbana where all kinds of suffering would be totally exhausted and non existent altogether.

Any one who wants to become a Buddha can spire to attain Buddhahood, but one could only accomplish it in a very long distant future. The present Buddha before he attained enlightenment went through innumerable existences (i.e. four aeons and one hundred thousand world cycles), had fulfilled ten categories of Perfection ( Dasa Parami ), more difficult services Upaparami) and the most difficult sacrifices (paramattha parami) such as forsaking his children, wife, body and oven his life for the welfare of all beings.