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Buddha is a historically ancient word which is derived from the Sanskrit words 'budh' and 'dha'. If we summarize these two words together the word Buddha refers to one who, through desire for good, has rightly and fully self-awakened through the effort to consciously restore ones life to it's primordial nature, that nature which is beyond the usual dualistic approach of recognising things as separate or external to ourselves, that dualistic view that there exists two separate sides of things, that of the subject (observer / perceiver) and object (any other thing seen as external or separate from the observers viewpoint). It refers to one who has in their possession the property of virtue and merit which is a cause for gaining deep insight and to thoroughly comprehending the nature of things as they truly exist beyond the limits and boundaries of ones discriminatory mind. It refers to one who has rightly self-awakened and sees and understands with perfect clarity, where before things were obscure and clouded. The mind of the Buddha is perfectly illuminated whereas the mind of the regular run of the mill being is clouded and obscured with shadows of doubt and conflicting emotions which blind us and prevent us from clearly knowing the truth of the way things are.
This state of the Buddha which is difficult to comprehend, the position of clear seeing and knowing things as they exist from their own side is known as enlightenment. It takes great faith, courage and determination for one to sincerely take up the path towards enlightenment, it leads one to a new way of seeing things, a way which is conducive to good, to peace, and to complete and total contentment with ones life. It is a way well worth pursueing in a world where there seems to be nowhere where one can find what we might call permanent satisfaction.
In the current world system which we inhabit there has throughout time been several such beings who have attained this great state of enlightenment, the last such being was a prince from the kingdom of Maghada, in ancient India. This prince's name was Gautama Siddhatha, he became known as Buddha Shakyamuni, the great sage of the Shakyans. Buddha Shakyamuni is known in Buddhism as the historical Buddha or plainly known as The Buddha, he is the one who through his own discerning effort realised the same perfect enlightenment realised by all the previous Buddhas, the enlightenment which is fully and completely free of worldly fetters, unlimited in potential in every possible direction . He is the one who became our teacher of the way which leads to the actual experience of knowing such a state for oneself, it is only by knowing this state which is beyond duality, for oneself, which leads to personal freedom, liberation, and the total unbinding of stress or sorrow, as it has been known and experienced by every Buddha.
Based on
1) e-Sangha Buddhism Portal
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