Gautama Finds Enlightenment: Buddhism's Path to Liberation
The historical Siddhartha Gautama likely attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, India, around the 5th century BC, though the precise date is traditionally placed on the full moon of Vesakha. Buddhist accounts describe a night of deep meditation during which he overcame the temptations of Mara and perceived the nature of suffering, impermanence, and the path to liberation. He spent the next 45 years teaching across northeastern India, establishing a monastic order open to all castes, a radical departure from Hindu social structure. His teachings were transmitted orally for roughly 400 years before being written down as the Pali Canon. Buddhism now claims over 500 million adherents across Asia and increasingly in the West.
April 8, 563
1463 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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