Before the Buddha attained enlightenment during his days as an ascetic, he traveled with five companions. They all believed that enlightenment could be attained through extreme self-mortification and deprivation by fasting, sleeping on stones, enduring all weather conditions – doing all this and more in the belief that making themselves suffering was the path to enlightenment.
The Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) realized eventually that enlightenment couldn’t be attained by punishing the body, but by mental cultivation. So when he started eating again to prepare for meditation, his five companions believed he had abandoned his practices and left him. After he had attained enlightenment, the Buddha continued to meditate and contemplate his realization – concerned that no one would believe or understanding his enlightenment, he hesitated to teach others, but eventually decided that he would teach the way to enlightenment.
The Buddha traveled to Saranath to seek out his former companions and teach them. Upon his arrival, the five ascetics saw a magnificent glow and shine coming and started to prepare a seat for them. When it was the Buddha that showed up, the ascetics were disappointed and did not want to be with Siddhartha since he abandoned his ascetic ways. But the Buddha convinced them to listen to his sermon. The Buddha taught them about the Middle Way and preached the Four Noble Truths. This auspicious sermon became known as the Dhammacakkappavattana; the Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dharma.
In all imagery of the Buddha’s first sermon is the image of him preaching to the Five Ascetics. They became the Buddha’s first disciples: Kaundinya, Bhadrika, Vashpa, Mahanaman, and Ashvajit. They all became Arhats.