The word "buddhism" comes from the Sanskrit word "buddha," which means "the awakened one." buddhism, or buddhadharma, is the proclamation of, and journey toward, an awakening of human potential.

The historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was born around 560 B.C. at Lumbini, in present-day Nepal. He was brought up as a prince of the Shakya clan and excelled in all the worldly arts. After realizing the truth of impermanence at the age of twenty-nine, he left his kingdom to seek spiritual understanding.

After studying for six years with many spiritual teachers, Siddhartha realized that neither the extreme of worldly success nor of asceticism could lead him to full awakening. He sat under the bodhi tree on the banks of the Ganges and vowed not to rise until he had attained enlightenment.

Through examining the nature of his body and mind, he attained complete awakening.

The Buddha's discovery of awakened mind cannot adequately be described as a religion, a philosophy, or a psychology. It is better described as a way of living. The buddhadharma provides a practical method for attaining the realization of which it speaks: meditation, which is the practice of mindfulness and awareness.

Meditation is a natural process of allowing oneself to examine the nature of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations and to discover the inherent purity of one's being. It is a practice based on real experience, rather than on blind belief.

A variety of schools of buddhism developed in India after the Buddha's death, or parinirvana. The schools that were prominent earlier, called hinayana, placed primary emphasis on self-liberation through personal discipline.

The schools that were prominent later, called the mahayana or "great vehicle," placed greater emphasis on working for the liberation of society as a whole. Both schools -were disseminated from India throughout Asia. The tradition established in Tibet is mahayana buddhism. It is also known as vajrayana, or "the indestructible vehicle," referring to the particularly powerful and direct methods of realization it employs.