Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha (“the Awakened One”), was born around 563 BCE into a royal family in Lumbini (modern-day Nepal). Shielded from suffering, he renounced palace life at age twenty-nine upon encountering illness, aging, and death. Seeking liberation, he undertook years of ascetic practice before attaining profound insight under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, discovering the Middle Way between indulgence and deprivation. Thereafter, he spent forty-five years teaching the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, establishing a monastic community and inspiring countless seekers to overcome desire and ignorance. His compassionate teachings laid the foundation for Buddhism, which has endured across Asia and the world for over two millennia.