Seven weeks after his enlightenment, Buddha gave the Four Noble Truths as his first teachings. They explain basis, path, and goal and can be found throughout all levels of teachings.
In enlightenment Buddha realized insight into the relative and absolute truth of all phenomena. He saw, how happiness and pain took turns in people’s lives. Though everybody is looking for lasting fulfilment, nobody manages to gain it. At the same time, from an absolute point of view, he saw how the state of Buddha is innate to all beings as a timeless expression of their own mind. This made him say: ”They all are Buddhas, but they do not know it.” Out of ignorance people experience suffering, although the nature of their mind is highest joy.
In the following explanations he gave the big picture, starting from explaining the limited nature of general experience up to liberation and enlightenment. Buddha’s statements are:

1. Everything subject to conditions is suffering
From an absolute point of view, imperturbability, joy and love are spontaneous expressions of mind, when it is free from limitations. This is what Buddha did experience and what all beings can experience (Buddha nature). Compared to that, even the greatest conditioned happiness is limited and pervaded by seeds of suffering, since everything that is conditioned is subject to change and impermanency.
Buddha describes three kinds of suffering, which are experienced more or less severely depending on the respective consciousness.
1.Old age, illness and death: If we identify with our body, we think old age, illness, and death real, which brings about suffering.
2.Impermanency: Impermanency is a cause of painful experiences, when one clings to happiness which is subject to conditions.
3.Ignorance: As the most subtle form of suffering, ignorance shows itself, among others, in not knowing answers to basic questions, as for example: Who am I? What is the meaning of life? Are there lasting states of fulfilment and happiness? and so on.

2. There is an origin of suffering
Buddha names ignorance as the origin of suffering. Ignorance is the unenlightened mind being incapable of realizing its own nature. This is because mind works like an eye: It senses everything “out there”, without being able to see itself. Thus, every experience is accompanied by the underlying feeling of separation (duality).
Mind (consciousness) that experiences, sees itself as “self” (subject), what is experienced is “you” or something else (object). Looking for this “self” it cannot be found neither in body, nor in emotions, nor in thoughts. Although one only finds a stream of thoughts, emotions, and impressions, which in addition is constantly changing, this idea of a self becomes the basis for all experience (self-illusion).
From this twofold (dualistic) view arises attachment to pleasant things, aversion against unpleasant things, and underlying confusion. Again, from attachment arises greed, from aversion arises jealousy, and from ignorance arises pride. These are the so-called six disturbing emotions. Due to ignorance, they are taken seriously and this brings about difficult actions. Thus, there arise further disturbances and suffering for others and ourselves. When these causes come back to us as effects, most times we think it is someone else’s fault, and again we start something negative

3. There is an end to suffering
Buddha shows liberation and enlightenment as goals. In liberation (lesser Nirvana) the idea of a real existing self is recognized as an illusion. Disturbing emotions are calmed and more insight and clarity arise. One realizes, that consciousness works through the body without being the body. Thoughts and emotions are recognized as free playing of the mind, without the necessity of an existing self or ego having these thoughts and emotions. It is a state of freedom from all limitations and restrictions in one’s own mind.
Enlightenment (greater Nirvana) is full recognition of the nature of mind. In Tibetan it is called Sangye: All veils are removed and all innate qualities of mind are fully developed. For in its absolute nature, consciousness is omniscient, fearless space, its experience is highest joy. In all its actions “not separating compassion” is expressed. Without the idea of doing something for someone else, mind is loving like the sun, that shines on everything all by itself.

4. There is a way to the end of suffering
During his 45 years of teaching Buddha gave 84,000 teachings, that allowed his friends and disciples to make every moment of their life into a step on the path towards liberation and enlightenment. In the Diamond Way he showed them meditations, that enabled them to identify powerfully with the unconditioned qualities of their own mind. In the Great Way he taught the importance of compassion and wisdom as a liberating attitude and view. In the Lesser Way he taught about cause and effect (karma), that we build our lives ourselves, and how, by developing mindfulness, we can use body, speech, and mind for the benefit of others and ourselves.