Born a man, living as a mortal, by His own exertion Buddha attained the supreme state of perfection called Buddhahood, and without keeping His Enlightenment to Himself, He proclaimed to the world the latent possibilities and the invincible power of the human mind. His noble example was a source of inspiration to all. He was the most compassionate and tolerant of teachers. As a man He was born, as a Buddha He lived, and as a Buddha His life came to an end. About one fifth of the population of the world hails the Buddha as the greatest religious teacher that ever lived on earth.