Buddha and Buddhism

Question: What was the Buddha’s original name?

Answer: The founder of Buddhism was a man named Siddhartha Gautama (Pali: Siddhatta Gotama).

Question: Where was Buddha born?

Answer: Buddha was born in the lands of Nepal between the border with India and the Himalayas, a place called the Sakya kingdom.

Question: What Mauryan ruler was the first to adopt Buddhism?

Answer: In the 3rd century BCE, the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka adopted Buddhism and set out on a mission to spread the teachings of the faith as far and wide as possible.

Question: How old was Buddha when he attained enlightenment?

Answer: Buddha was 35 when he attained enlightenment.

Question: Where did Buddha die?

Answer: The Buddha arrived at Kusinara, or Kasia, in India. He was 80 years old. He told the monks there to continue their work with dedication. Then he passed away.

Question: Who spread Buddhism in Korea?

Answer: The first systematizer of Buddhist doctrine in Korea, Wonhyo Daisa (617–686 CE) was one of the Ten Sages of the Ancient Korean Kingdom.