Siddhartha Gautama was born in Lumbini, in present-day Nepal, about 2,600 years ago. Raised as a prince, he was protected from life’s hardships. Yet, as he grew, he saw illness, aging, and death—and realized that nothing in life could truly satisfy the heart.
He left his palace to seek the truth. After years of deep practice, he awakened under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India.
From then on, he was known as the Buddha, the Awakened One.
The Four Noble Truths
The Buddha discovered the nature of suffering, its causes, its end, and the path that leads to lasting freedom.
The Noble Eightfold Path
A practical path of wisdom, ethical living, and mental training that guides us toward liberation and inner peace.
The Thirty-Two Factors of Enlightenment
Thirty-two qualities that support the cultivation of wisdom and compassion and lead us steadily toward awakening.
Dependent Origination and Emptiness
Dependent origination explains how all phenomena arise in dependence on causes and conditions. Emptiness is established upon the foundation of dependent origination.
