The main goal of Buddhism is known as nirvana. Nirvana is freedom from the cycle of birth and death, also known as freedom of reincarnation. The way to reach 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 path to reaching nirvana. The Buddha spreads his many beliefs and achievements throughout his life, discovers the meaning of the Eightfold Path, and explains how the Eightfold Path connects to Nirvana. Starting in 566 BC, the Buddha, known as Siddhartha Gautama, was born not knowing he would. achieve such a multitude of greatness in his eighty years of life. The Buddha was born in Lumbini, now known as southern Nepal. Gautama left his family and his rich and luxurious life to seek the cause of human misery. His journey lasted six years. As the Buddha continued his journey, he came across a Bodhi tree, or in other words “Tree of Awakening”. Coogan states that: "He sat under the tree in a final and determined effort to gain freedom from death and rebirth." 1 At this time and in that moment he experienced something known as enlightenment or “awakening.” Then he 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 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 the paper... what you do in the present life will later influence your destiny in the future life. Buddha Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment and discovered the Four Noble Truths which then led him to the Noble Eightfold Path. The Buddha spreads his many beliefs and achievements throughout his life, discovers the meaning of the Eightfold Path, and explains how the Eightfold Path connects to nirvana. To achieve enlightenment, you must begin with the first step of the Eightfold Path that will lead you to nirvana. Works Cited Notes1. 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 the Religions of the World. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.