THE NAMING CEREMONY

When the Buddha was five days old, they performed the rite of choosing a name for him. They blessed the royal palace, and invited 108 Brahmans from across the realm, men who had mastered the three Vedas. They asked these men to observe the marks and characteristics of the newborn prince, to prophesy his future.

Among these Brahmans were the same eight fortune-tellers who had interpreted the dream of Queen Maya. Seven of them made the same double interpretation as at the conception. They determined that if the child remained at home, he would be King, but if he chose the ascetic life, he would become a Buddha.

However, the youngest Brahman, Kondanna, gave only a single interpretation of the prince’s future. He saw that the prince would undoubtedly become a Buddha and remove the mask of ignorance and illusion from the world.

They gave him the name “Siddhattha”, which means “He who achieves his aim.”

The older Brahmans told their sons to retire from the world, as the Buddha would do. Only four of the sons agreed, and together with Kondanna, they formed the Band of Five Elders.

Siddhattha Gotama was the prince’s name before he became known as the Buddha. He was born in present-day Nepal and lived during the 5th or 6th century BCE.