The Buddha and his teachings

Siddhartha, later the Buddha, was the son of a chief of the Sakya clan. He grew up in luxury, shielded from the harsh realities of life. One day he persuaded his charioteer to take him into the city, and there he saw an old man, a sick man, and a corpse, and realised that the body decays and dies. He also saw a homeless mendicant who seemed at peace. Siddhartha decided to leave the palace and seek the truth.

He first explored paths of bodily mortification (harsh physical penance), which nearly killed him. He gave them up, meditated for several days, and finally attained enlightenment. From then on he was called the Buddha, the Enlightened One.

His teachings:

• The world is transient (anicca), always changing.
• It is soulless (anatta): there is nothing permanent or eternal in it.
• Sorrow (dukkha) is part of human life.

He taught the middle path, of moderation between severe penance and self-indulgence. People could rise above worldly troubles by individual effort and right action, and attain nibbana, the extinguishing of ego and desire. The existence of god was irrelevant to his teaching.

He advised kings and gahapatis to be humane and ethical. His last words to his followers were: 'Be lamps unto yourselves', each must find their own liberation.