Gautama Buddha
563 BCE – 483 BCE Indian philosopher, spiritual teacher
The founder of Buddhism, one of the world's great religions and philosophies.
- Religion
- Founder of Buddhism; taught a path to liberation from suffering without reliance on a creator god. His exact dates are debated.
- Affiliations
- Founded the sangha, a monastic community. No secret society.
Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, taught that craving causes suffering and that a disciplined path can end it. His teaching spread across Asia and became one of the major world religions and a deep philosophical tradition. Its ideas on the mind and ethics now influence thinkers worldwide.