Introduction
About
two and a half thousand years ago, there lived a prince called Siddharta Gautama
in India. After gaining his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Boddhgaya,
India, he became known as the Buddha. Until his death some forty five years
later, he roamed India, teaching people what he had learned. These teachings
were written down after his death, and are found in the Pali texts known as
the Pali Canon, or Tipitaka.
Buddha taught that all life is suffering, and by leading a virtuous life and gaining insight into the reality of all things, enlightenment could be attained.
