Shakyamuni Buddha, silver plated Brass

Types of Buddha

Buddha' is not a surname, as one might think, but an honorific title bestowed only on those who have achieved salvation through their own knowledge. The man usually referred to by this title is a historical figure. He probably lived in northern India between the 6th and 5th centuries BC, and was known as Siddhartha Gautama before his enlightenment. The teaching (dharma) he revealed, which has undergone a number of different forms over the centuries, and the monastic order he founded, are still alive today, and in recent years they are also alive here in the West, thanks to the intense activity of Tibetan lamas.