Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni Buddha)

Siddhartha Gautama, known as Shakyamuni Buddha, was an ancient Indian spiritual teacher who founded Buddhism around the 5th to 6th century BCE. Born into royalty, he sought to understand the nature of suffering and the path to inner peace. Through meditation and insight, he realized the Four Noble Truths, which explain that suffering is inherent in life but can be overcome by following the Eightfold Path. His teachings emphasize compassion, mindfulness, and ethical living as means to attain enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of suffering and rebirth.