A spiritual tradition based on the teachings and beliefs attributed to Gautama Siddhartha, known as the Buddha, who is believed to have lived in the 6th century b.c.e. Although people not familiar with this philosophy believe Buddha is considered a god, this is not so. In fact, the term Buddha simply means “enlightened one.” Since Buddhism is not about a specific deity, it is debatable to claim that Buddhism is a religion unless it is considered a non-theistic religion. Buddhism was a response to the strict rules of Hinduism and has many beliefs in common with Hinduism. The goal of Buddhist practices is to avoid pain and suffering by not having attachments to things in this world. The result of this would be to eliminate the need to incarnate and no longer face suffering in the physical world. Some who achieve this level, however, choose to return and teach others. They are known as Bodhisatvas.