The story of The Buddha intrigued me as a child.  I read about the story of Siddhartha when I was 15. Buddha means "one who is awake" as in one who has elevated to a higher level of consciousness, no longer living in a fog created by the ego's plight to win. Siddhartha was born approximately 2500 years ago to a royal family in Nepal. He had a privileged childhood and was suddenly "woken up" when he realized on a trip outside of the palace, that life was not all rosy and joyful on the other side..that people actually suffered from illness, old age, poverty and eventually death.  He began a journey away from luxury and went on a quest for the meaning of life. He spent years mastering the practice of deep meditation and believed that one could free their spirit by separating from the ego. Eventually known as The Buddha, he became a teacher and helped people on their own path towards enlightenment.