Gautama Buddha

::Siddhartha redirects here. For other meanings, see Siddhartha (disambiguation).

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Gautama Buddha was a spiritual teacher believed to have lived between approximately 563 BCE and 483 BCE on the Indian subcontinent, in the Gangetic Plains area of modern Nepal and northern India. Born as Siddhartha Gautama (Sanskrit: "descendant of Gautama whose aims are achieved / who achieves aims effectively") he became "the Buddha" after embarking on a quest for spiritual meaning. He is universally recognised by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha (literally Enlightened One or Awakened One) of our age. He is also commonly known as Shakyamuni or Sakyamuni ("sage of the Shakya clan") and as the Tathagata ("thus-come-one").

Related Topics:
563 BCE - 483 BCE - Indian subcontinent - Gangetic Plains - Nepal - India - Sanskrit - Buddha - Enlightened One - Shakya - Clan - Tathagata

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Gautama is the key figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules were summarized after his death and memorized by the sangha. Passed down by oral tradition, the Tripitaka was committed to writing about four hundred years later.

Related Topics:
Buddhism - Discourses - Monastic - Death - Memorized - Sangha - Oral tradition - Tripitaka - Writing - Year

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