Alternative spellings

• Buddha

Noun

Singular buddha

Plural buddhas

buddha (plural buddhas)

1. An enlightened human being.
2. A statue or image of the Buddha.
3. Siddhartha Gautama.
4. (informal) marijuana

Related terms

• Buddhahood
• Buddhism
• Buddhist

Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: शिद्धत्थ ङोतम Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher in the north eastern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha (Sammāsambuddha) of our age, "Buddha" meaning "awakened one" or "the enlightened one." The time of his birth and death are uncertain: most early 20th-century historians dated his lifetime as c. 563 BCE to 483 BCE; more recently, however, at a specialist symposium on this question, the majority of those scholars who presented definite opinions gave dates within 20 years either side of 400 BCE for the Buddha's death, with others supporting earlier or later dates.

Gautama, also known as Śākyamuni or Shakyamuni ("sage of the Shakyas"), is the key figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to Gautama were passed down by oral tradition, and first committed to writing about 400 years later.

Gautama Buddha (c. 563 - c. 483 BC) was a philosopher, teacher, and religious leader. "Buddha", meaning "awakened one" or "enlightened one" is a title, not a name; the Shakyamuni Buddha, whose original name was Siddhartha Gautama, was the founder of Buddhism.

See also Dhammapada

Contents

• 1 Sourced
  • 1.1 Exertion
  • 1.2 After Enlightenment
  • 1.3 Anguttara Nikaya
  • 1.4 Samyutta Nikaya
  • 1.5 The Gospel of Buddha (1894)
  • 1.6 Disputed
• 2 Quotes about Buddha
• 3 See also
• 4 External links