Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama and called “the Awakened One,” was born around the 5th–6th century BCE in Lumbini (present-day Nepal) into a royal family. His father, King Suddhodana, raised him in great luxury and shielded him from the hardships of life.

At the age of 29, Siddhartha encountered the “Four Sights”—an old man, a sick person, a corpse, and a wandering ascetic—which revealed to him the reality of suffering. Deeply moved, he renounced his princely life to seek the truth. After years of meditation and severe austerities, he attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, realizing the path that leads to the end of suffering.

He then taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, guiding people toward wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental discipline. For about 45 years, he traveled throughout northern India, sharing his teachings and establishing a monastic community.

At around the age of 80, he passed away in Kushinagar, entering Parinirvana. Today, he is honored as the founder of Buddhism, and his teachings on compassion and insight continue to guide millions around the world.