Gautama, Siddhartha

Siddhartha Gautama, a prince of India in the 6th century BCE, came to be called the Buddha, the “awakened one,” after his enlightenment at the age of thirty-six. He spent the remainder of his life giving spiritual guidance to an ever-growing body of disciples. The Buddha entered into parinirvana (bodily death and final liberation) in 483 BCE at the age of 81.