The early Buddhist texts assert that pre-Buddha ancient Indian sages who taught these virtues were earlier incarnations of the Buddha.
ðɪ ˈɜːli bˈuːdɪst tˈɛksts ɐsˈɜːt ðæt pɹˈiːbˈuːdə ˈeɪntʃənt ˈɪndiən sˈeɪdʒᵻz hˌuː tˈɔːt ðiːz vˈɜːtʃuːz wɜːɹ ˈɜːlɪɚɹ ɪŋkɑːɹnˈeɪʃənz ʌvðə bˈuːdə.