Eastern Voices · ~563–483 BC
The Buddha
“How can we be free from suffering?”
Siddhartha Gautama — the Buddha, or ‘Awakened One’ — was a prince in ancient India, living around the time of the early Greek philosophers. He gave up his riches to understand why life is full of suffering. He concluded that suffering comes from our endless craving and attachment, and that by letting go and following a balanced ‘Middle Way,’ anyone can find peace. His teachings became Buddhism.
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
The big idea
The Buddha's core teaching is the Four Noble Truths: (1) life involves suffering, (2) suffering is caused by craving and attachment, (3) suffering can end, and (4) the way to end it is the Eightfold Path — a guide to wise, ethical, and mindful living. He also taught that the ‘self’ we cling to is not as solid as we think.
What they changed
Buddhism grew into one of the world's major philosophies and religions, shaping the cultures of much of Asia. Its insights into the mind, craving, and mindfulness now influence modern psychology and the worldwide practice of meditation.
The controversy
Unlike most religions of his time, the Buddha focused less on gods and more on each person's own effort to ‘wake up’ — which some found radical. His teaching that the ‘self’ is an illusion is one of the most debated ideas in all of philosophy.
In their words
- “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” — attributed to the Buddha
- “What we think, we become.” — attributed to the Buddha
✦ A curious detail
The Buddha taught a ‘Middle Way’ between a life of luxury and a life of extreme self-denial — after trying both himself.
Read further
Portrait: Seated Buddha, Sarnath Museum. Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons.
Meet The Buddha on the voyage
A curated lecture, a short enquiry, and a wax-seal medallion to acquire — and the next thinker unlocks. No account, no password.
Begin the voyage