The Buddha was a philosopher, mendicant, meditator, spiritual teacher, and religious leader who lived in what is now Nepal and India. He is revered as the founder of the world religion of Buddhism, and recognized by most Buddhist schools as the Enlightened One who is believed to have transcended Karma and escaped the cycle of birth and rebirth. He taught for around 45 years and built a large following, both monastic and lay. His teaching is based on his insight into duḥkha and the end of dukkha—the state called Nibbāna or Nirvana.
