Drawing on Buddha’s ancient sermons, this program vividly depicts the life story of Siddhartha Gautama, who is said to have renounced luxury and radical asceticism alike to attain spiritual freedom by taking the middle path. Transformed, Siddhartha became reverentially known as Buddha, "The Enlightened One," and offered his teachings to any who wished to learn the Four Noble Truths. Buddhist rituals, holiday celebrations, and holy sites such as Buddh Gaya and Mt. Kailash are interspersed throughout the narrative. Aspects of monastic life are also explored, as well as the concepts of karma and nirvana. (43 minutes)