E-015 SEP Buddha - Liberation From Suffering (Excerpt)

Exact excerpt

# Buddha
_First published Thu Feb 17, 2011; substantive revision Mon Mar 6, 2023_
The Buddha (fl. circa 450 BCE) is the individual whose teachings form the basis of the Buddhist tradition. These teachings, preserved in texts known as the _Nikāyas_ or _Āgamas_ , concern the quest for liberation from suffering. While the ultimate aim of the Buddha’s teachings is thus to help individuals attain the good life, his analysis of the source of suffering centrally involves claims concerning the nature of persons, as well as how we acquire knowledge about the world and our place in it. These teachings formed the basis of a philosophical tradition that developed and defended a variety of sophisticated theories in metaphysics and epistemology.
  * [1. Buddha as Philosopher](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/buddha/#BuddPhil)
  * [2. Core Teachings](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/buddha/#CoreTeac)
  * [3. Non-Self](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/buddha/#NonSelf)
  * [4. Karma and Rebirth](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/buddha/#KarmRebi)
  * [5. Attitude toward Reason](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/buddha/#AttiTowaReas)
  * [Bibliography](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/buddha/#Bib)
    * [Primary Sources](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/buddha/#PrimSour)
    * [Secondary Sources](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/buddha/#SecoSour)
  * [Academic Tools](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/buddha/#Aca)

Where on the page

Buddha - opening summary (approx line 42).