The main goal of Buddhism is known as nirvana. Nirvana is freedom from the cycle of birth and death, also known as freedom from reincarnation. The path to reaching nirvana is through something known as the Noble Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path is the path between materialism and asceticism. In Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is central because it is the means to achieve nirvana. The Buddha spreads his many beliefs and realizations throughout his life, discovers the meaning of the Eightfold Path, and explains how the Eightfold Path connects to Nirvana. Beginning in 566 BCE, the Buddha, known as Siddhartha Gautama, was born without knowing he would do so. achieved such a multitude of greatness during his eighty years of life. The Buddha was born in Lumbini, now known as southern Nepal. Gautama left his family and his life of wealth and luxury to seek the cause of human misery. His journey lasted six long years. As the Buddha continued his journey, he came across a Bodhi tree, or, in other words, "tree of enlightenment." Coogan states: “He sat under the tree for a final, determined effort to free himself from death and rebirth. »1 At that time, he experienced something known as enlightenment or "awakening." He then discovered something known as the Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths are teachings of the Buddha that explain the truth about suffering, the truth about the cause of suffering, the truth about the end of suffering, and the truth about the path that leads to the end of suffering. The Four Noble Truths include: suffering is universal, suffering is caused by desire, to end suffering you must crush desire, and the only way to end desire is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path. According to C...... middle of paper...... what you do in life now will later affect your destiny in your future life. The Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment and discovered the Four Noble Truths which then led him to the Noble Eightfold Path. The Buddha spreads his many beliefs and realizations throughout his life, discovers the meaning of the Eightfold Path, and explains how the Eightfold Path connects to nirvana. In order to achieve enlightenment, you must begin with the first step of following the Eightfold Path and will lead you to nirvana. Michael D. Coogan, ed., The Illustrated Guide to World Religions. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), 170.2. Coogan, 185.3. Coogan, 185.4. Coogan, 184.5. Coogan, 185.BibliographyCoogan, Michael D., ed. The illustrated guide to world religions. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.