40 of the Most Influential People of All Time

40 of the Most Influential People of All Time

Trista - January 29, 2019

40 of the Most Influential People of All Time
The statue in 1905 at the time of its discovery (to the right of the photograph). Seated Buddha; circa 475; sandstone; height: 1.6 m (5 ft. 3 in.); Sarnath Museum (India). This figure, his hands in the dharmachakra mudra gesture of teaching, refers to the Buddha’s first sermon at Sarnath, where the figure was found. Wikimedia Commons/ Public Domain.

20. Gautama Buddha

The founder of the Buddhist religion was born a prince into a royal family, and his parents took great care to ensure that he was not exposed to any suffering. One day, he left the palace compound and saw extreme poverty and suffering, things that completely changed his life. He went on to sit under a lotus tree until he became “enlightened” as to how to avoid suffering and anguish. His teachings formed the basis of Buddhism, which has millions of followers today.

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