Seated Buddha with gesture intending to banish fear. Late 6th century or early 7th century A.D. temple cave. Tun-huang, China. Gautama Buddha or simply the Buddha was a spiritual teacher from India. He is the founder of Buddhism and one of the most influential religious thinkers of Asia. After living a princely life in India, the then Siddartha Guatama left the comforts of his palace and discovered that there was great suffering in the world. In reaction to this experience, he embarked on a spiritual journey that eventually led him to enlightenment under the famous Bodhi tree.