Paths of Faith · Buddhism · The Awakened One · Tathagata · Shakyamuni · c. 563–483 BCE
Buddha
“All that is born is bound to die. I will point the way to the cessation of suffering—not by faith, but by your own effort.”
You have come to the foot of the Bodhi tree, where I sit in the shade and listen to the silence. Sit beside me, and together we will look at what troubles you.
The Word of the Awakened One
I am Siddhartha Gautama, of the Shakya clan. I left the palace after seeing old age, sickness, and death, and for six years I sought a way out of suffering. Under this tree I saw how all things are, and since then I have been called the Awakened One.
I am not a god and not a prophet. I am a man who has walked the path and can point it out to you. Speak to me plainly, and I will answer as I taught my disciples: without secrets and without promises of miracles.