Quotes and sayings from Buddha

Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, was born in Lumbini, near Kapilavastu, Shakya republic, Kosala kingdom (now in Nepal) in the 6th or 4th century BCE. He was the founder of Buddhism, one of the major religions and philosophical systems of southern and eastern Asia and of the world. The title “Buddha” was used by a number of religious groups in ancient India and had a range of meanings, but it came to be associated most strongly with the tradition of Buddhism and to mean an enlightened being, one who has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and achieved freedom from suffering. According to the various traditions of Buddhism, there have been buddhas in the past and there will be buddhas in the future. Some forms of Buddhism hold that there is only one buddha for each historical age; others hold that all beings will eventually become buddhas because they possess the buddha nature (tathagatagarbha). All forms of Buddhism celebrate various events in the life of the Buddha Gautama, including his birth, enlightenment, and passage into nirvana. In some countries, the three events are observed on the same day, which is called Wesak in Southeast Asia. In other regions, the festivals are held on different days and incorporate a variety of rituals and practices.