According to Buddhist tradition, Gautama Buddha taught for 45 years after his enlightenment.
Buddhist biographies traditionally place the Buddha’s enlightenment at age 35 and his death, or parinirvana, at age 80. This produces a teaching career of 45 years, during which he traveled through northeastern India and taught the Dharma to monastics and lay followers.
The Buddha’s ministry is associated with important locations including Sarnath, Rajgir, Shravasti, Vaishali, and Kushinagar. He established the Sangha, or monastic community, and taught the Noble Eightfold Path, ethical conduct, meditation, and wisdom. Many traditional accounts describe him spending the rainy-season retreat in one location and traveling during the rest of the year.
The figure of 45 years belongs to Buddhist tradition and depends on the traditional chronology of the Buddha’s life. Modern historians debate the exact dates of his lifetime, so the length should not be treated as a precisely documented modern historical measurement. It is also different from the traditional seven-week period often associated with the Buddha remaining near the enlightenment site immediately after awakening.