Some events are firmly agreed: he left home at 29, he attained ‘awakening’ at 35, and he died 45 years later. The Buddha’s mother was the wife of a leading figure in a small state known by ...

The cherry blossoms are said to take their name from the fact that they bloom close to February 15 on the lunar calendar (around March 24 today), which is the day Buddha died. They have a stronger ...