About 2500 years ago, there was a kingdom called Kapilawat, which was ruled by the King Sudodana.  His last name was Gotama, and he was known as Sudodana Gotama.  The King had two Queens.  The first Queen was Mayadaiwi.  The second Queen was Gaudami.  The two Queens were sister. One night, as Queen Mayadaiwi was sleeping, she dreamed the most fantastic dream.  She dreamed that four gods lifted her along with her bed and carried her to the Himalayas.  When she got there, four goddesses gave her a bath at a magical pond.  Then, they let her sleep in the golden tower atop the silver mountain.  As she slept, a white elephant appeared and entered her womb. This was the Queen Mayadaiwi's dream.  At this moment, the future Buddha was conceived in the Queen's womb.

When Queen Mayadaiwi had been pregnant for ten months, she wanted to visit her parents, who lived at the kingdom of Daiwadaha, and she requested the permission to go there from her husband, the King.  The King gave her the permission without any reluctance.  The next morning, Queen Mayadaiwi began her journey towards the kingdom of Daiwadaha, riding on the golden sedan surrounded by her maids and servants.  Along her journey, when she reached the garden of Lombani, there was a Sal tree, which was full with blooming flowers.  The Queen wanted to pick flowers from the tree, and she ordered the caravan to stop for a while.  Queen Mayadaiwi took hold of a Sal branch, and at this moment, she gave birth to the future Buddha.  It was the year 68 of the Royal calendar, the full moon day of the month of Kasone, a Friday, which was in year 623 BC according to the international calendar. The future Buddha stood up immediately after he was born.  He made seven steps, and he said, "I'm greater than any other being in the universe!"  The day the future Buddha was born, Princess Yasodara, cousin Ananda, future minister of the court Kaludawi and Sanda were born also.  The Kantaka horse was born.  The four pots of gold appeared.  The Bodhi tree grew.  These were the seven birth mates of the future Buddha.

When the news of the birth of the future Buddha reached the kingdoms of Kapilawat and Daiwadaha, relatives from these two kingdoms came to the site of the birth of the future Buddha.  Then they brought Queen Mayadaiwi and the future Buddha to the Kapilawat kingdom.  There was a hermit Kaladaiwila whom King Sudodana regarded as a noble teacher.  One day the hermit came to the palace.  The King introduced his son to the hermit and said, "My son, pay respects to the noble hermit."  But the future Buddha would not pay respects to the hermit.  Instead the hermit paid respects to the future Buddha.  When the King saw this, he paid respects to his son, the future Buddha.  The hermit looked at the future Buddha carefully, and then he both laughed and cried.  When the King asked why, the hermit said, "Noble King! Your son will be the Buddha.  That is why I laugh with happiness.  But I will not live to see him become the Buddha. That is why I cry with sadness."

Five days after his birth, the King invited Brahmins to examine the signs of his son.  The seven Brahmins said, "Your son will become either universal King or the Buddha."  But the youngest of the Brahmins, Kawnatanya said, "Your son will renounce all worldly things and will surely become the Buddha."  The King then asked what will his son see which will make him renounce all worldly things.  Kawnatanya answered, "He will see four great signs namely an old man, a sick man, a dead man and a monk, and then he will renounce all worldly things."  Then Brahmins named the future Buddha Siddartha. Because his last name was Gotama, he was known as Siddartha Gotama.