Siddhartha Gautama, also known as The Buddha lived approximately five hundred years before the Christian era. His teachings were fairly simple and quite difficult to attain. He spoke of Nirvana, which is a traditionally accepted Indian belief in the state of perfection of the soul. His teaching was how to achieve that state.

Buddha Book

The concept of suffering was well known as a Hindu religious principle, throughout India before The Buddha. It was believed that through suffering and reincarnation, a person could achieve the blessed state of Nirvana. After practicing the asceticism of this teaching, The Buddha came to the conclusion that neither indulgence, nor abstinence could one reach an end to suffering. This epiphany came to him as he sat beneath a Bodhi tree. Simply stated The Buddha taught: Suffering brings no more enlightenment than Pleasure.

Here is the Eightfold Path which he laid out (with debt owed to various translators, unknown) in place of the Hindu path of asceticism:

1. Right view

2. Right thought

3. Right speech

4. Right action

5. Right livelihood

6. Right effort

7. Right attentiveness

8. Right concentration

This Eightfold Path was clarified to The Buddha by his understanding what he called the Four Noble Truths, which he listed as:

All of life consists of Suffering.

Suffering is attributable to Desire.

[Therefore] Suffering can only end when Desire is conquered.

[And how is this accomplished?] Follow the Eightfold Path.

Buddha life Painting

The Buddha’s teachings include non-violence. The Buddha would “not kill a living thing.” [Apparently this only applies to animals, and does not include plant life as living things.]

As part of this teaching, The Buddha and his disciples did not travel during the rainy season, as the heavy rains and high humidity were apt to cause large numbers o insects on the ground, and walking about would surely crush and kill many of them.

The Buddha taught (or the Buddha’s teachings were taught), through parable. The Buddha taught that we must not hope for what may not or will not happen; as this is “Desire,” and causes suffering.

The Buddha also taught that attachment to earthly existence is painful, and he laid out :

The Five Elements

Form

Sensation

Perception

Consciousness

Maitreya Buddha Statues

Followers of The Buddha are categorized into two classes, Lay Disciples and Monastic Disciples which included Monks and Nuns. The Buddha’s Monastic disciples were taught to beg for their food. During his life, many of his Monastic Disciples followed The Buddha wherever he traveled, it appears.

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