Buddha

The Buddha, known as Siddhartha Gautama, was a spiritual teacher who probably lived during the 5th century BCE, although the exact dates of his life remain debated. Buddhist traditions describe him as a member of the Shakya clan, born at Lumbini, in present-day Nepal. He grew up in a privileged environment before leaving his former life to seek an answer to human suffering.

After years of study and disciplined practice, he is said to have attained awakening at Bodh Gaya. From then on, he was called the Buddha, a word meaning “awakened one.” His teaching focused on understanding suffering, its causes, and the possibility of overcoming it through a disciplined way of life.

According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha gave his first major teaching at Sarnath, near present-day Varanasi, where he explained the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. He then spent decades teaching. His teachings were transmitted orally for generations before being written down in Buddhist scriptures.

He is traditionally said to have died at Kushinagar at about eighty years of age, entering parinirvana, a term for the final passing of an awakened person. After his death, Buddhist communities developed different traditions and schools, and Buddhism gradually spread across Asia. It became an important religious and philosophical tradition in Sri Lanka, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.