Buddhism is the oldest among three main world religions. Buddhism emerged 2,500 years ago in the North of India. It was at this place where a great man, called Buddha Shakyamuni, lived and taught. Buddhism, the word which stemmed from the name “Buddha”, was coined considerably later in the West.
Buddha himself never called his teachings Buddhism. He used to say «Dharma». This Sanskrit word is most commonly being translated as «truth» or «nature of all». Dharma, or the Buddha’s Teachings, is the compilation of 84,000 teachings and methods that lead one from suffering to Liberation and Enlightenment, the realisation of the true reality. Buddha gave so many teachings because he understood that one dogma would not be enough for everyone. Just as each disease requires a certain remedy, different ways of development fit different types of people.
Buddhism is the teaching about mind. Everything best and most perfect is there in the mind, and people can open up its qualities for the benefit of themselves and others. However mind for a Buddhist is not only the intellect, which is the ability to digest information and arrange it into orderly pigeonholes. Mind is the one who percieves and is aware. It is what is listening through our ears and looking through our eyes each moment. Like a scientist explores the world with the experiments, a Buddhist realises the nature of mind.