 A great religious leader of the 6th century BC was Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Gautama Buddha lived in Nepal, and spent the first part of his life in great luxury. In his search for truth, he began meditating under a peepal tree and attained enlightenment. Buddhism is based on Gautama Buddha's teachings.
Teachings of BuddhaAccording to Buddha, people are born over and over again to suffer in the cycle of existence. But people can break away from this and reach Nirvana, losing their individuality in eternal peace. The teachings of Buddha are
- There is suffering in the world
- Suffering has a cause
- The cause is desire
- To put an end to suffering, desire has to be removed
According to Buddhism, the Right View, Right Resolution, Right Words, Right Action, Right Living, Right Effort, Right Thinking and Right Concentration are the means to achieve nirvana or freedom from rebirth. Also, Buddhism rejects the authority of Vedas and social distinctions based on caste.
 The Buddhist order of monks is a disciplined and democratic organization. The monks and nuns travel all the year round preaching the Buddhist doctrines. Only in the rainy season, they stay in the viharas or monasteries. In course of time, Buddhism spread to Sri Lanka, Burma, Western and Central Asia, Tibet and China. Buddha Purnima is an important festival celebrated by the Buddhists.
Pilgrim Centers
The Lumbini grove where Buddha was born, the foot of the peepal tree where he received enlightenment, the Deer Park (Sarnath) where he first preached the Law of Dharma, and Kusinagar where he attained Nirvana, are the four places of great importance.
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