Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha

(Spiritual teacher and historical founder of Buddhism, c. 563–483 B.C.). Siddhārtha Gautama taught that desire or craving, born of ignorance, is the cause of suffering. Desire and suffering may be overcome by following the Eightfold Path (rightness of speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration, thought, and intentions), and accepting the following claims: all existence is unsatisfactory; all existence is impermanent; and there is no permanent self.