Buddha

The Buddha in meditation

The Buddha was a spiritual teacher who founded Buddhism. Being born Siddhartha Gautama in Nepal, after witnessing the suffering in the world, he renounced his princely life and sought enlightenment, eventually attaining it through deep meditation under the Bodhi tree. Upon achieving enlightenment, he became the Buddha, meaning "the awakened one," and spent the rest of his life teaching the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, which outline the nature of suffering and the way to overcome it. His teachings focus on self-discipline, ethical conduct, and mental development as the means to achieve Nirvana, a state of liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The Buddha's life and teachings have profoundly influenced millions of people and continue to be the foundation of Buddhist thought and practice worldwide.

Whilst the Buddha was a wise teacher and a sincere seeker of truth and wisdom, he was ultimately misguided, as his teachings rely on human effort and deny the necessity of God's grace and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ for salvation.

In the medieval world, he became known as Josaphat of India. His story was incorporated into Christian legend as a saint who was alleged to have converted to Christianity, though this is merely a myth as the Buddha lived over 6000 years before Christ.