Buddha

Tradition remembers him as Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, a spiritual teacher who lived in South Asia in roughly the 6th or 5th century BCE. Accounts of his life say he was born into a noble family, left behind privilege to seek a deeper answer to human suffering, and after years of searching attained enlightenment.

He is said to have spent the rest of his life teaching what became the foundation of Buddhism: a path centered on ethical living, meditation, insight, and freedom from craving. His teachings on suffering, impermanence, and compassion spread first through his followers in ancient India and later across much of Asia.

Because the earliest sources were written down after his lifetime, some biographical details are difficult to confirm with certainty. Even so, the broad outline of his life and influence is clear: the Buddha remains one of history's most important religious figures, and the tradition built around his teachings continues to shape spiritual life around the world.