Once, five Brahmins came to Him and asked to participate in their discussion. One Brahman said: "Teacher, my books say that God is this and that. And here is the way to God."
Another objected: "Your books are lying for there is nothing similar in my books to what is in your books. And here is the way to God." All five repeatedly said the same thing.
Buddha listened to them and asked: "Is it said in any of your books that God is angry or executing judgment unjustly or is he unclean?"
"No, Master," answered the Brahmins,"all books teach that God is the embodiment of purity, kindness and meekness."
"So why do not you first become clean and kind? Perhaps, after that, it will be easier for you to know God," said the Buddha.
If we realize the greatness of the Teacher then we can never be ignorant, selfish or narrow-minded human beings.
Everyone, who has ever been interested in Buddhism, knows that the Buddha came to the conclusion that people themselves are the cause of human suffering. The whole fault is their attachment to material values to the detriment of the values of the spiritual world.
That's the main question: why are we unhappy? The answer is obvious -- we are selfish. We care about ourselves only. Is there any way out? There is and the great Teacher has pointed it out: a man must be freed from selfishness.
Buddhists believe that there is suffering -- dukkha. Dukkha means "impatience, impermanence and intolerance. "But suffering is just an effect. The reason is our eternal craving: desire to possess, appropriate and consume.
The Buddha experienced everything that the mortal could: bliss and luxury of the palace life, yogic meditation, philosophical doctrines, power and poverty, satiety and hunger, loneliness and penance.
The Buddha is the embodiment of love and compassion for all living things. His personality is characterized by breadth of mind, greatness and incredible fearlessness. He was born for the good of people. Buddha aspired to truth, to victory over worldly vanity because people were unhappy. His only concern was to help them. He never cared for himself in all his life.
Buddha was often asked if there was a God and He answered that He did not know. When He was asked about the purpose of the existence of mankind the Buddha answered: "Do good and you will be happy."
