Buddha's Teachings...

Buddha's teachings stood out so strongly: the root of suffering is the
misconception of the I to exist in its own right as an independent
entity. This means that nothing - from what we believe to be our own
self to other people, events and external objects themselves - exists
as it appears to exist. Our minds invest all things with non-existent
qualities, good or bad, which we believe to come from the side of the
object, not from our mind. We then react with attachment or anger
according to our projections. Thus the antidote to all suffering - the
path to peace and happiness - is the wisdom that sees through these
mistaken appearances. This wisdom sees that all things are empty of
our mental projections; empty of existing in the way we perceive them
to exist.

Lama Thubten Gyatso