Buddhism was founded in India by Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, who attained enlightenment and taught the Four Noble Truths about suffering. Buddhism does not worship gods but instead reveres enlightened beings known as bodhisattvas. The core Buddhist texts are the Tripitaka and sutras containing the Buddha's teachings. Buddhism spread across Asia through missionary activity and trade, establishing monasteries, and was adopted by many from lower castes, though it eventually declined in India while growing in other regions like China and Vietnam.