Extracted from the website of Buddhist Vajrayana Charity Funds Association and translated (佛 陀) into English:

The Buddha

Buddhism can be divided into four aspects: Teaching, Theory, Practice and Attainment.
Teaching:	This refers to sutra teaching, one must listen.
Theory:	This refers to principles, one must think.
Practice:	This refers to general practice, one must cultivate.
Attainment:	This refers to enlightenment, one must affirm.
Exoteric Buddhism places more emphasis on the former two aspects of listening and thinking; whereas Esoteric Buddhism places more emphasis on the latter two aspects of cultivation and affirmation.

1. Birth and Childhood
	●	The Buddha was born in 623 BC, equivalent to the 8th of the fourth month of the Chinese lunar calendar in the 24th year under the reign of the Chinese Emperor Zhou Zhao Huang (another saying is that The Buddha was born in 565 BC, equivalent to the 8th of the fourth month of the Chinese lunar calendar in the 7th year under the reign of the Chinese Emperor Zhou Ling Huang). Buddha’s child name is Prince Siddhartha, which means ‘auspiciousness’. ‘Sakyamuni’ is translated as ‘benevolence’. ‘Buddha’ means the ‘Awakened One’ and is simply called Buddha. The Buddha is also known as the Supreme, meaning the world’s honoured one; hence, is called ‘Buddha Sakyamuni’ and also known as ‘Supreme Sakyamuni’.
	●	His mother Madam Maya passed away after just 7 days from giving birth. The Buddha was brought up by his aunt. The Buddha was gifted with talent in both literature and martial arts since his childhood, and he was made a prince at the age of 15. He was matched with three wives at the age of 17 and had a son called Rahula.
2. Becoming a Monk
	●	Analysing from the perspective of events only, there are clearly two reasons why the Buddha became a monk:
		－		Watching the suffering of ‘life’ in sentient beings:  the farmers in the field fully covered in dirt and mud, with a weary outlook and were totally exhausted. Then, seeing the cows that ploughed the field, broken skin stained with blood, stumbling in the mud, constantly ploughing the earth, countless worm and vermin(insects without feet/legs) with repeated injuries, and flocks of birds fight to peck on them.
		－		Watching the suffering of ‘old age, sickness and death’ in sentient beings. Old age is associated with white hair and a wrinkled face, with squinted eyes and a trembling body. Sickness is associated with wheezing and moaning, with skin dull and lifeless. Death, with people being afraid of death, and yet nobody can avoid death.
	●	Buddha heard that a monk could conquer old age, sickness, death and all worries, so he decided to become a monk. At the age of 19, he left the palace and arrived at the forest for hardship practice. He cut his hair by a sharp sword.
3. Cultivating the Path
	The Buddha had passed through 5 years of wandering to search and learn from various teachers after he left his home to become a monk. However, he could not find the truth of the Universe and life. He then walked to the west coast of Niranjana River and underwent his ascetic practice in the forest. The Buddha then went through 6 years of hardship practice. He just ate one flax seed and one rice grain each day, and even one flax seed and one rice grain in seven days. He endured the hardship that nobody could tolerate. As a result, his eye sockets were sunken, his nose ridge appeared higher and his body resembled dead wood. Although he was able to suppress worries and delusions, he was still not liberated. Therefore, the Buddha arose from his seat and went to the Niranjana River and used water to clean the dirt from his body. He accepted an offering of milk-rice from a female cow herder and when he regained his strength, he immediately crossed the river and reached 7 kilometres from Bodhgaya. Under the Bodhi tree (in Bodhgaya), he spread the auspicious grass and sat in the Vajra Lotus posture. He made an oath ‘Should I not reach, I shall not arise from this seat’. After 49 days, he attained Enlightenment.
4. Enlightenment
	The Buddha sat on the Vajra Seat and contemplated on how to solve the problem of life and death. Due to His strong beliefs, His bravery and diligence, all the demons from the outer realm and inner heart that sequentially appeared, were also sequentially conquered. He eventually awakened to the principle of the life and death cycle, this is the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination. At the time, the Buddha was 30 years old.
5. Converting the Five Monks and Establishing the Religious Group
	For the first time, the Dharma Wheel is turned, the five attendants are converted to monks, and the Four Noble Truths is taught. From then on, the Buddha is Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths is the Dharma, and the five monks are the Sangha. Monk is the abbreviation of “Sangha”. The meaning of Sangha is harmony and unity. It is the grand mission of the religious group to promote the preaching and benefitting of sentient beings.
6. Spreading Buddhism
	●	The Buddha preached for 49 years (another saying is 45 years). He engaged in more than 300 sessions discussing and disseminating the sutra and dharma. Several thousands of disciples received his teachings directly, and this did not include those who cultivated at home. Amongst those there were three most important people, including Kassapa (fire sect external practitioner), Sariputta and Maudgalyayana (external scholars). Also, the King Bimbisara (who constructed Bamboo Grove Monastery, enabling countrymen to take refuge and listen to the Dharma) and to Anathapindika (also known as Sudatta, a wealthy one who constructed Jetavana Monastery) both of them loyally protected Buddhism.
	●	Amongst the disciples who took refuge, there were emperors, princes, the elderly, scholars, heretics, brahmas, prostitutes, horsemen and so on.

		Ten great disciples:
			Sariputta (wisdom),	Maudgalyayana (miraculous knowledge)
			Mahakasyapa (head monk),	Ananda (highly receptive)
			Purna (dharma preaching),	Aniruddha (celestial eye)
			Subhuti (solving emptiness),	Upali (upholding precepts)
			Katyayana (ingenious arguments),	Rahula (Estoeric practice)

7. Nirvana
	●	In 543 BC, equivalent to 52 years under the reign of the Chinese Emperor Zhou Mu Huang(another saying is that in 487 BC, equivalent to 33 years under the reign of the Chinese Emperor Zhou Jing Huang), the Buddha was 80 years old (another saying is 75 years old or 79 years old). At midnight on 14th of the second month of the Chinese lunar calendar (that is on 15th of the second month), He entered into Nirvana amongst the twin thoreau trees. At the time, He instructed Ananda to cover His seat and set the bed. He lay down on His right side. The heretic, Batuo Luo (Subadra), took refuge and became the last disciple.
	●	After Buddha tupi (cremation), the relics were divided into 8 parts.