Is Buddhism a religion? Or a philosophy? There are conflicting viewpoints on this issue, because Buddhism places more emphasis on ethical and moral living than it does on explaining how the world was created or who rules over human existence. In fact, in Buddhism there is no all-mighty god who created the world and now oversees it. Instead, Buddhists look to Buddha, the religion’s founder, as a model of how to behave. Buddhism does have a very strict and complex set of rules for living, however, one that emphasizes living in harmony with all other beings.

How Buddhism Began

Buddhism arose from the teachings of Siddartha Gautama, a prince who lived in northeast India during the sixth century B.C.E. Because his biography was not written down until many years after his death, his complete life story is not known. As legend has it, however, even at his birth it was recognized he would achieve great things. The sages, or “wise ones,” said he would either be an influential spiritual leader or a mighty ruler. Though born and raised to be the latter, he ultimately chose the former.

The sages had another prediction. If Siddartha saw the four realities of human suffering--an old man, a sick man, a dead man and a hermit monk--he would abandon his royal life and retreat to the forest. This was not what Siddartha’s father, King Shuddhodana, wanted for his son, so he did everything in his power to prevent it. The king wanted Siddartha to one day be a powerful ruler, and only by sheltering him from this human suffering could he ensure that his son would ascend to the throne instead of retreating to the forest. The king built for his son a life of luxury, privilege and pleasure, complete with lavish palaces and a beautiful wife. He also ordered that Siddartha never see the four sights the sages had spoken of. According to tradition, however, the gods knew when it was time for Siddartha’s time of enlightenment, and stepped in to make sure he would see the suffering that was to lead him on his spiritual quest. Over time, the gods created the four sights and placed them in Siddartha’s path. He did exactly as predicted: so moved by what he’d seen, he abandoned his royal life for the forest, and spent the rest of his life on a quest for the truth about the nature of human existence.

For the first six years, Siddartha roamed the countryside, begging for his food and attempting to sublimate his earthly concerns through methods like yoga and self-mortification, or depriving oneself of even the bare necessities. Only by transcending such material needs, Siddartha believed, could he be free to devote himself to finding the truth. Eventually, however, he realized that these practices were in fact undermining his quest. How, Siddartha wondered, could someone in a state of exhaustion and suffering possibly undertake such an arduous journey? It was only by achieving a state of peace and calm that someone could be clear-headed enough to actively seek the truth. After this realization, Siddartha instead chose a “middle path” between a life of luxury and a life of deprivation. Determined to at last gain understanding, he turned to meditation to help him achieve insight. He sat cross-legged under a bodhi, or wisdom tree, and vowed to remain there until he had achieved enlightenment. On the night of the first full moon, it is said, Siddartha achieved this enlightenment, or Buddhahood. He saw all of his former lives, and then, finally, he gained insight into the nature of the world and human existence. He also realized how humans could find peace and live according to their true natures. It was at this point that he became known as the Buddha, or “enlightened one.” With this new understanding, Buddha set out to share his vision with the world.