Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, was born in Northern India sometime between 600 and 400 BCE.

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He was born into a Hindu family but felt a strong inner dissatisfaction that eventually led him to follow the life of the ascetic and contemplative.

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Following his ‘Enlightenment’ he began preaching and teaching across India, during which time he gathered around him a group of disciples. Buddhism spread from Northern India southwards to Sri Lanka and Burma and Northwards into China and in the process different strands of Buddhism developed.

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This talk looks at the life of the Buddha, the basic tenets and different strands of Buddhism and finally its spread to Europe and North America where it has attracted many followers.