Siddhartha Gautama began life as a Hindu, and when creating his religion, he kept the principal elements of the philosophical Hinduism of his time - the doctrines of Karma, and rebirth (Samsara). This means that, as in Hinduism, Buddhism teaches that if someone is born into poor conditions in this life, or is born with birth defects or other maladies, it is because of the way they lived in a past life.
For instance:
Majjhima Nikaya - Balapandita Sutta 25
25 "If, sometime or other, at the end of a long period, that fool comes back to the human state, it is into a low family that he is reborn - into a family of outcasts or hunters or bamboo-workers or cartwrights or scavengers - one that is poor with little to eat and drink, surviving with difficulty, where he scarcely finds food and clothing; and he is ugly, unsightly, and misshapen, sickly, blind, cripple-handed, lame, or paralysed; he gets no food, drink, clothes, vehicles, garlands, scents and unguents, bed, lodging, and light; he misconducts himself in body, speech, and mind, and having done that, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in hell.
Majjhima Nikaya - Culakammavibhanga Sutta 7
7 "Here, student, some man or woman is given to injuring beings with the hand, with a clod, with a stick, or with a knife. Because of performing and undertaking such action, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation. But if instead he comes back to the human state, then wherever he is reborn he is sickly. This is the way, student, that leads to sickliness, namely, one is given to injuring beings with the hand, with a clod, with a stick, or with a knife.
However, in rejecting Hinduism, Buddha is left with a major part of his worldview simply assumed, and not demonstrated. Buddha provided no proof that human beings, or any other beings, reincarnate. The religion that came up with that view of reality is false, according to him. Yet, he simply assumes it to be true, and then starts his reasoning from there.
And, not only are Karma and Samsara from Hinduism, they are from a developed form of Hinduism. Originally, Hinduism was focused on ritual and sacrifices, with the oldest portions of the Vedas containing almost nothing at all that could be construed as teaching the doctrine of reincarnation. That doctrine developed as Hinduism became more philosophical. So, Buddha assumes the essential doctrines of early philosophical Hinduism to be true, while rejecting the texts and teachers who invented the doctrines themselves.
Therefore, Buddhism can be viewed as a reform movement within Hinduism, which like an ungrateful child, eagerly borrows doctrines from its ancestor religion, while simultaneously rejecting it, leaving those doctrines floating in midair without the base which created them.
Part of Buddhist doctrine involves believing that the cycle of Samsara has been occurring for a truly unfathomable length of time. Buddhist time is broken into periods called Kalpas, often translated as "eons" in English.
Buddha once described the length of an eon as follows:
Samyutta Nikaya - Anamataggasamyutta Sutta
5 At Sāvatthī. Then a certain bhikkhu approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him: "Venerable sir, how long is an aeon?" "An aeon is long, bhikkhu. It is not easy to count it and say it is so many years, or so many hundreds of years, or so many thousands of years, or so many hundreds of thousands of years."
"Then is it possible to give a simile, venerable sir?" "It is possible, bhikkhu," the Blessed One said. "Suppose, bhikkhu, there was a great stone mountain a yojana long, a yojana wide, and a yojana high, without holes or crevices, one solid mass of rock. At the end of every hundred years a man would stroke it once with a piece of Kāsi cloth. That great stone mountain might by this effort be worn away and eliminated but the aeon would still not have come to an end. So long is an aeon, bhikkhu. And of aeons of such length, we have wandered through so many aeons, so many hundreds of aeons, so many thousands of aeons, so many hundreds of thousands of aeons. For what reason? Because, bhikkhu, this saṃsāra is without discoverable beginning…. It is enough to be liberated from them."
Above, a "yojana" is around 5 kilometers. It would take a functionally infinite amount of time to wear down a solid rock in the shape of a cube 5 kilometers wide by brushing it once with a cloth every 100 years. Suppose that, optimistically, it takes 1,000 brushes to get through a cubic foot of rock. There are about 4.41 trillion cubic feet in Buddha's 5 km wide cubic mountain. So, being very optimistic, it would take:
Throughout his preaching, Buddha assumes that many such eons have passed. According to the Buddhavamsa of the Khuddaka Nikaya, he is said to have taught that the current eon has had three Buddhas before him, Kakusandha, Konagamana, and Kassapa:
Khuddaka Nikaya - Buddhavamsa 27
17 Thirty-one eons ago there were two leaders, Sikhīn and Vessabhū, unequalled, matchless.
18 In this Bhadda-eon there have been three leaders, Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana and the leader Kassapa.
19 I at the present time am the Self-Awakened One, and there will be Metteyya. These are the five Buddhas, wise ones, compassionate toward the world.
20 When these kings under Dhamma had pointed out the Way for countless crores of others, they waned out with their disciples.
Notice that prior to this eon, Buddha said that there was a Buddha 31 eons ago. This is one of many such massive gaps in there being a Buddha that he recounts in this chronicle. For example, he says that there were 70,000 eons between Padumuttara Buddha and Sumedha Buddha. It seems that Buddha wanted people to believe that someone like him only came around once in an unfathomably long period of time, and for some reason, certain eons were apparently deprived of any Buddha whatsoever.
In the Buddhavamsa, Buddha gives a brief biography of the three previous Buddhas of this current eon, wherein he inserts himself in past lives into their stories.
In these biographies, he says that Kakusandha's "life-span was forty thousand years", that he "was forty ratanas (feet?) tall. Golden lustre streamed forth for ten yojanas all round", and that he "awakened thirty thousand crores of devas and men", which is equal to 300 billion (Buddhavamsa 23). He says that Konagamana's "life-span was thirty thousand years", that he was "thirty cubits in height", and that Buddha himself, in a past life, "gave the teacher and the disciples silk from Pattunna, silk from China, Kasi silk" (Buddhavamsa 24). He says that Kassapa's "life-span was twenty thousand years", that he was "twenty ratanas in height", that Buddha himself, in a past life, "was then the brahman youth Jotipala, a famous repeater, expert in the mantras, master of the three Vedas" when he interacted with him, and that after he died, "a Conqueror's (Stupa)" was built for him "to the height of a yojana" (Buddhavamsa 25).
Here, Buddha speaks of developed civilizations like China existing long before they actually did, and gives an antiquity to the "three Vedas" which is likewise completely wrong, historically speaking. The absurdity of the lifespans, heights, and descriptions of civilizations in these biographies reflects a deep ignorance of scientific and historical reality.
Similar teachings can be found in the Digha Nikaya's Mahapadana Sutta:
Digha Nikaya - Mahapadana Sutta 1
4 'Monks, ninety-one aeons ago the Lord, the Arahant, the fully-enlightened Buddha Vipassi arose in the world. Thirtyone aeons ago the Lord Buddha Sikhī arose; in the same thirty-first aeon before this Lord Buddha Vessabhū arose. And in this present fortunate aeon the Lords Buddhas Kakusandha, Koṇāgamana and Kassapa arose in the world. And, monks, in this present fortunate aeon I too have now arisen in the world as a fully-enlightened Buddha.
5 The Lord Buddha Vipassi was born of Khattiya race, and arose in a Khattiya family; the Lord Buddha Sikhī likewise; the Lord Buddha Vessabhū likewise; the Lord Buddha Kakusandha was born of Brahmin race, and arose in a Brahmin family; the Lord Buddha Koṇāgamana likewise; the Lord Buddha Kassapa likewise; and I, monks, who am now the Arahant and fully-enlightened Buddha, was born of Kshatriya race, and arose in a Khattiya family.
6 The Lord Buddha Vipassī was of the Kondañña clan; the Lord Buddha Sikhī likewise; the Lord Buddha Vessabhū likewise; the Lord Buddha Kakusandha was of the Kassapa clan; the Lord Buddha Koṇāgamana likewise; the Lord Buddha Kassapa likewise; I who am now the Arahant and fully-enlightened Buddha, am of the Gotama clan.
7 In the time of the Lord Buddha Vipassī the life-span was eighty thousand years; in the time of the Lord Buddha Sikhī seventy thousand; in the time of the Lord Buddha Vessabhū sixty thousand; in the time of the Lord Buddha Kakusandhu forty thousand; in the time of the Lord Buddha Koṇāgamana thirty thousand; in the time of the Lord Buddha Kassapa it was twenty thousand years. In my time the life-span is short, limited and quick to pass: it is seldom that anybody lives to be a hundred.
Notice that above, some of the Buddhas are spoken of as being from the "Kshatriya" (Khattiya) race, and Kakusandha, Konagamana, and Kassapa are spoken of as being "born of Brahmin race". These are Caste categories which, though they existed at the time of Buddha, are incredibly anachronistic if being spoken of in the context of something that was supposedly taking place tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of years ago. It would have made sense to Buddha that the way things were in his society was the way things always had been. However, historically speaking, these categories from Vedic-era India definitely did not exist at the times he is describing them.
Therefore, if these sayings do in fact go back to Buddha, then he was a deeply ignorant and deceptive man, who invented stories to deceive people who could not verify what can be verified in modern times, namely, that what he was referring to is historically and scientifically impossible.
If, on the other hand, these sayings were invented by the earliest followers of Buddha, and enshrined wrongfully in the Pali Canon, then the earliest Buddhist communities saw it fit to prolifically fabricate the words of their lord, and these fabrications would come to have tremendous influence on the entire trajectory of the Buddhist religion, which views these texts as authentic and authoritative.
In the Numerical Discourses (Anguttara Nikaya) of the Pali Canon, when speaking to the monk Ananda, Buddha is reported to have said:
Anguttara Nikaya - Book of the Eights, 51
"If, Ānanda, women had not obtained the going forth from the household life into homelessness in the Dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, the spiritual life would have been of long duration; the good Dhamma would have stood firm even for a thousand years. However, Ānanda, because women have gone forth from the household life into homelessness in the Dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, now the spiritual life will not be of long duration; the good Dhamma will last only five hundred years.
"Just as, Ānanda, prowling burglars easily assail those families that have many women and few men, so in whatever Dhamma and discipline women obtain the going forth from the household life into homelessness, that spiritual life does not last long.
"Just as, Ānanda, when a field of hill rice has ripened, if the bleaching disease attacks it, that field of hill rice does not last long, so in whatever Dhamma and discipline women obtain the going forth from the household life into homelessness, that spiritual life does not last long.
"Just as, Ānanda, when a field of sugar cane has ripened, if the rusting disease attacks it, that field of sugar cane does not last long, so in whatever Dhamma and discipline women obtain the going forth from the household life into homelessness, that spiritual life does not last long.
This passage is also found in the Khandhaka (Chapters) of the Vinaya Pitaka:
Khandhaka - Cullavagga 10
"If, Ananda, women had not obtained the going forth from home into homelessness in the dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Truth-finder, the Brahma-faring, Ananda, would have lasted long, true dhamma would have endured for a thousand years. But since, Ananda, women have gone forth... in the dhamma and discipline proclaimed by the Truthfinder, now, Ananda, the Brahma-faring will not last long, true dhamma will endure only for five hundred years.
"Even, Ananda, as those households which have many women and few men easily fall a prey to robbers, to pot-thieves, even so, Ananda in whatever dhamma and discipline women obtain the going forth from home into homelessness, that Brahma-faring will not last long.
"Even, Ananda, as when the disease known as mildew attacks a whole field of rice that field of rice does not last long, even so, Ananda, in whatever dhamma and discipline women obtain the going forth... that Brahma-faring will not last long.
"Even, Ananda, as when the disease known as red rust attacks a whole field of sugar-cane, that field of sugar-cane does not last long, even so, Ananda, in whatever dhamma and discipline women obtain the going forth... that Brahma-faring will not last long.
The above can be framed in different ways, however, what cannot be reasonably denied is that he is putting forth a negative view of female monks/nuns (Bhikkhunis), wherein their existence is responsible for the potential dissolution of good teaching at twice the rate it would have dissolved otherwise. That is, he appears to be ascribing a theological deficiency to women on the basis of their gender.
Additionally, in the Anguttara Nikaya, and elsewhere in the Pali Canon, Buddha is reported to have said the following:
Anguttara Nikaya - Book of the Ones, 279-283
279 "It is impossible and inconceivable, bhikkhus, that a woman could be an arahant who is a perfectly enlightened Buddha...
280 That a woman could be a wheel-turning monarch...
281 That a woman could occupy the position of Sakka...
282 That a woman could occupy the position of Māra...
283 That a woman could occupy the position of Brahmā; there is no such possibility. But it is possible that a man could occupy the position of Brahmā; there is such a possibility."
Majjhima Nikaya - Bahudhātuka Sutta
15 "(A person possessing right view) understands: 'It is impossible, it cannot happen that a woman could be an Accomplished One, a Fully Enlightened One - there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is possible that a man might be an Accomplished One, a Fully Enlightened One - there is such a possibility.'
He understands: 'It is impossible, it cannot happen that a woman could be a Wheel-turning Monarch... that a woman could occupy the position of Sakka... that a woman could occupy the position of Māra... that a woman could occupy the position of Brahmā - there is no such possibility.'
And he understands: 'It is possible that a man might be a Wheel-turning Monarch... that a man might occupy the position of Sakka... that a man might occupy the position of Māra... that a man might occupy the position of Brahmā - there is such a possibility.'
Anguttara Nikaya - Book of the Twos, 61
"Bhikkhus, women die unsatisfied and discontent in two things. What two? Sexual intercourse and giving birth. Women die unsatisfied and discontent in these two things."
Anguttara Nikaya - Book of the Fours, 80
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Kosambī in Ghosita's Park. Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said:
"Bhante, why is it that women do not sit in council, or engage in business, or go to Kamboja?"
"Ānanda, women are prone to anger; women are envious; women are miserly; women are unwise. This is why women do not sit in council, engage in business, or go to Kamboja."
Anguttara Nikaya - Book of the Fives, 55
55 "Bhikkhus, while walking, a woman obsesses the mind of a man; while standing... while sitting... while lying down... while laughing... while speaking... while singing... while crying a woman obsesses the mind of a man. When swollen, too, a woman obsesses the mind of a man. Even when dead, a woman obsesses the mind of a man. If, bhikkhus, one could rightly say of anything: 'Entirely a snare of Māra,' it is precisely of women that one could say this."
Anguttara Nikaya - Book of the Fives, 229-230
229 "Bhikkhus, there are these five dangers in a black snake. What five? It is impure, foul-smelling, frightening, dangerous, and it betrays friends. These are the five dangers in a black snake. So too, there are these five dangers in women. What five? They are impure, foul-smelling, frightening, dangerous, and they betray friends. These are the five dangers in women."
230 "Bhikkhus, there are these five dangers in a black snake. What five? It is wrathful, hostile, of virulent venom, double-tongued, and it betrays friends. These are the five dangers in a black snake. So too, there are these five dangers in women. What five? They are wrathful, hostile, of virulent venom, double-tongued, and they betray friends.
"Bhikkhus, this is how women are of virulent venom: for the most part they have strong lust. This is how women are double-tongued: for the most part they utter divisive speech. This is how women betray friends: for the most part they are adulterous. These are the five dangers in women."
If Buddha said the things that early Buddhist scripture attributes to him, then it seems that he held a generally negative, disparaging view of women. After he began his religious life, Buddha himself was a celibate monk, who required his full-time disciples to be celibate as well. Therefore, women to him apparently seemed like a chief temptation, and it is obvious that he viewed them primarily through that lens, which apparently led him to resent them.
Buddha is supposed to have been the most enlightened person to live during this era of time. Yet his teaching on this topic is the opposite of enlightenment, holding a deep and abiding prejudice against approximately half of all human beings, on account of their gender.
Buddhism is nonsense because it is an offshoot of the false religion of Hinduism, which inherits Hindu doctrine while dismissing the sources in which those doctrines originated. It is nonsense because Buddha invented false historical narratives to support his religion. And, it is nonsense because the person Buddha held very unenlightened views towards half of humanity.