Did the Buddha Exist?
Did the Buddha Exist?
It Doesn't Matter.
There is a point of departure that sets Buddhism apart from most other spiritual paths.
It is this: if the Buddha didn't exist, it makes absolutely no difference.
Modern scholarship suggests that some (if not all) of the stories about the Buddha are fabrications from later followers. The story of the four sights, for example, probably didn't happen.
Now, there are other religions that would fall apart immediately if the stories about their founders were found to be untrue. But, in the case of Buddhism, it really makes no difference. Because Buddhism isn't really about the historical Buddha. It's about the Buddha within you.
The man isn't the message. The path is.
Buddhism has a very large canon of texts that teach us about the nature of ourselves and the impermanence of all things. More importantly, Buddhism provides a path for us to follow.
When we practice the six perfections we will come to Awakening. This is a roadmap to Enlightnment.
The Buddha gives us truths, but the real truths are within us.