Siddhartha Gautama

While there is the legend of the Buddha and the symbol of the Buddha, there existed a man who is often referred to as The Buddha and his name was Siddhartha Gautama. He is undoubtedly the central figure of the book. While little is known about Gautama, some important details stand out. The Buddha was born in 563 BCE in modern-day Nepal and died in 483 BCE in modern day India. The founder of Buddhism, he is considered the supreme "awakened one." Accounts of his life are thought to have been summarized and memorized by his followers after his death.

Raised the son of a king and living in luxury, the Buddha began to be influenced by his understanding of human suffering early on. At age twenty-nine, he encountered a number of sick people, which caused him to run away from his palace home to become a mendicant. He...