(1) The Buddha is
Siddartha who was the founder of Buddhism. He was the first to attain enlightenment, and then taught others how to attain it. His first name is Siddartha, his family name was
Gautama . He was a member of the
Shakya clan, and hence is called
Shakyamuni , "the wise one of the Shakyas." He is also known as
Tathagata , "the Enlightened One." (2) Mahayana Buddhism holds that there are five Buddhas who have/will manifest themselves in the earthly realm. The fifth Buddha, who will come in the future, is known as
Maitreya . (3) In Mahayana, a buddha is someone who has attained
enlightenment .