“Buddhism” is not a word that we encounter in Asia. Asians simply say that they practice the Buddha Dharma, hence in Japan one will hear the word hõ (法) used which means “Way” or butsuhõ (仏法) which means “the Way of the Buddha.”

Buddhism is the English term used to describe the practice of the Buddha Dharma, the teachings of the historical Buddha, the practice of which will vary according to the type of Buddhism that is practised and it’s locale. In different countries and cultures of the world there are differing traditions with regard to the ways of life of members of the Buddhist order, popular Buddhist beliefs and practices, rites and ceremonies, teacher lineages and affiliations, customs, clothes, diet, and habits.

Buddhism belongs to no single group of people, to no single culture or country. It is defined only by the context in which we, individually and uniquely, experience it. Buddhism is a philosophy, a way of life, and a psychological system. It starts with oneself, continues with others, and expands to cover all living and non-living phenomena.

Buddhism has no single voice, many faces, and many representatives holding many different views. Buddhism recognises no creeds whose uncritical acceptance is expected of its followers. Each of us is unique in our own disposition, aptitudes, abilities, and interests - there is no single path to the Buddha Dharma to conform to.

The Buddha Dharma is a continuous work in progress, it is not fixed or stagnant. Buddhism is always new and fresh, an evolving and ever-changing practice which has no clear definition.

Practising Buddhism means adopting clarity of thought, Buddhism by it’s very nature, represents mental freedom. A variety of different interpretations of the Buddha Dharma has allowed Buddhists to speak for themselves and show that Buddhism is not an orthodox practice with a set dogma. Buddhism is always in motion, adaptable to the needs of men and the temper of the times: no form of practice is ever fixed.

In Buddhist practice there can be no room for blind faith, and all propositions, religious or otherwise should be subjected to analysis and experiential practice. Buddhism is a teaching in which we work toward becoming a “Buddha”, someone who is fully awakened.

Buddha is a Sanskrit word meaning “awakened,” it is the past participle of the Sanskrit word “budh” which means “to know.” The term “Buddha” simply means “awakened,” there is nothing metaphysical or supernatural implied in the term.

In the Blood stream sermon attributed to the legendary Bodhidharma it states:

“Buddha means aware.
Responding, perceiving, arching your brows, blinking your eyes, moving your hands and feet, it’s all your aware nature.
And this nature is the mind. And the mind is buddha. And Buddha Dharma is the path.”

Also it states:

“The mind is the buddha, the buddha is the mind.
Beyond the mind there’s no buddha, and beyond the buddha there’s no mind.
There’s no buddha beyond the mind so why envision one?
You can’t know insight as long as you deceive yourself.
As long as you look for a buddha somewhere else, you’ll never see that your own mind is the buddha.
Buddha is your own aware mind, an awakened mind.”

It should be noted here that some forms of Buddhism today are somewhat distant from the teachings of the Buddha, some may even be considered new religions that are in opposition to the teachings of the Buddha Dharma - with theistic ideals teaching salvation and prayer and considering the Buddha as a god. There are those forms also that contain superstition and magic and require followers to believe in set dogmas and teachings. These cannot be considered Buddhist practice.

Buddhism is very diverse which contributes to its richness. More importantly Buddhism is a teaching that is open to everyone everywhere.

Today Buddhism is practiced in Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Tibet, China, Japan, Mongolia, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, some parts of India, Pakistan, Nepal, some parts of Russia, France, Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The Buddhist population of the world is about 1 billion making Buddhism the world’s fourth largest religion.

The chart below shows the top countries with the highest proportion of Buddhists.

What does Buddhist practice involve?

First and foremost it is a practical path through life. The Buddha stressed that to speculate on things, to invent explanations without investigation is of little value and leads to delusion. Buddhism is not concerned with questions that are supposedly “revealed” by other religions. How the world or the universe was created, how people came into being was considered by the Buddha to be questions not tending to edification.

What matters to Buddhists is life, just as it is, here and now.

Buddhist practice is a continuous refining of both thought and action. An understanding about the way we relate to those around us and the world as a whole. Finally it leads to self-understanding.

The goal of Buddhist practice is to become a Buddha, an “awakened” person. Becoming awakened can be achieved in this very life, the only life we can be sure of living.