An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy

Although there are many accounts of the life of the man who would become known as “the Buddha,” and even more that continue to appear, almost every contemporary account of the life of the historical Buddha begins with a disclaimer about how little we actually know with any certainty about even the most basic facts of his life. Although some scholars doubt his historical existence, most believe that we can be reasonably sure that Siddhattha Gotama did in fact exist. Yet aside from this most basic fact there are serious scholarly debates about many events in his life, including when he lived and when he died. Earlier scholars have dated his birth around 550–500 bce. Recently, however, scholars have suggested a later date, perhaps as late as 350 bce. Although the technical details of this debate need not detain us, it is important to be aware that scholars continue to study and investigate even this most basic question about his life.