Understanding the Buddha: His Life and Teachings
…s Valley expounding the doctrine that he has found and establishing the Sangha or Order of Buddhist monks and nuns, which still exists today. The Buddha died at age 80 in the year 543 B.C. in Kushinagara, …
Buddha, meaning 'awakened', refers to a fully enlightened being. Gotama was the historical Buddha, born in 623 B.C. as Prince Siddhattha in present-day Nepal. At 29, he renounced royal life in search