Buddhism Buddhism is a major religion, founded in northeastern India in AD 552. It is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who is known as the Buddha, or "Enlightened One." Buddha is the Indian philosopher and the founder of Buddhism, born in Kapilavastu, India. He was the son of the head of the Sakya warrior caste, in later life he was known also as Sakyamuni. All the surviving accounts of Buddha's life were written many years after his death by followers rather than by objective historians. Therefore, it is difficult to separate facts from the myths and legend in which they are based. From the available evidence, Buddha apparently showed an early interest in medi