Buddhism is the practice of Buddha’s teachings or ‘Dharma’ which means ‘protection’. By practising Buddha’s teachings, we can find permanent protection from suffering and the supreme happiness of enlightenment.
The founder of Buddhism is Buddha Shakyamuni, who showed the manner of accomplishing the ultimate goal of living beings - the attainment of enlightenment - at Bodh Gaya in India in BC 589. At the request of his followers, Buddha then began to expound his profound teachings, or ‘turned the Wheel of Dharma’. Buddha gave eighty-four thousand teachings, and from these precious teachings Buddhism has developed around the world.
Today we can see many different forms of Buddhism, such as Zen and Theravada Buddhism. All these different aspects are practices of Buddha’s teachings, and all are equally precious; they are just different presentations.