Gautama Buddha or Siddhārtha Gautama Buddha ( Sanskrit : सिद्धार्थ गौतम बुद्ध ; Pali : Siddhattha Gotama ) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent , on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. [1] The word Buddha is a title for the first awakened being in an era. In most Buddhist traditions, Siddhartha Gautama is regarded as the Supreme Buddha (P. sammāsambuddha , S. samyaksaṃbuddha ) of our age, "Buddha" meaning "awakened one" or "the enlightened one." [note 1] Gautama Buddha may also be referred to as Śākyamuni ( Sanskrit : शाक्यमुनि "Sage of the Śākyas "). The Buddha found a Middle Way that ameliorated the extreme asceticism found in the Sramana religions. [2]