Buddha taught the sacred lore (dhamma) that would end all suffering. Many of his students renounced society and became monks (bhikku) and nuns (bhikkuni) of his sacred order (sangha). They travelled everywhere spreading Buddhist ideas. The people they encountered had their own gods—friendly or dangerous spirits who lived in rivers, rocks, ponds, trees, animals, and in cemeteries. These were the devas, asuras, rakshasa, yaksha, apsaras, naga, preta, and pisachas.

In Buddhist literature, we find tales of how Buddhist monks interacted with these beings and eventually converted them to the Buddhist way. These were never seen as false gods as in Christianity or Islam. They were just seen as junior or inferior gods, superior to humans, but trapped in the wheel of suffering and rebirths (samsara), seeking freedom (nirvana).