（1） The most basic meaning of the Sanskrit and Pali term buddha is that of "awakened，" in the special sense of one who has awakened to the true nature of existence. In this sense， the meaning is often translated as "enlightened" 觉. （2） One who has completely extinguished all afflictive states of mind 烦恼 --who utterly lacks all the mixed manifestations of ignorance 无明， desire 贪， and dislike 嗔. （3） The historical Buddha， S/a^kyamuni， who lived in India during the 6th century BCE， who had a major enlightenment experience， who subsequently taught others the way to achieve libertion， and following whose death， the religious movement called Buddhism， was formed. （3） Any one of a number the Buddhas who are said to exist in the world. In the early Pali tradition， six are name， but in the later developing Maha^ya^na tradition， Buddhas are understood to be infinite in number. In this sense， anyone who attains release （moks!a 解脱， nirva^n!a 涅槃） from this world of recurring rebirths （sam!sa^ra 流转） can be called， in the appropriate contexts， a Buddha. （4） Buddha as an eternal principle of enlightenment/reality， expressed in the notion of the dharmaka^ya 法身 of the Buddha. （5） Buddha as buddhahood 佛地， the final stage one attains as the result of practices.