Great Names In India, the sixth century B.C., there lived a great spiritual teacher. He was called Buddha, which means "the enlightened one". Born into a noble family, near the mountains of the Himalayas, he was named Siddhartha. Until he was 29 years old, he lived a life of undisturbed luxury. But his curiosity and compassion moved him to leave his palace. He wanted to understand the nature of human suffering. Siddhartha spent the next six years in prayer and fasting. Eventually, he experienced enlightenment. He understood how to let go of desire and the suffering that goes with it. As Buddha, he traveled widely and his followers spread his teachings throughout Asia. Today, Buddhism is one of the most widely practiced religions in the world.