Buddhism is the byproduct of Dharma

Dharma means truth, that which really is; it also means law – the law which exists in a man’s own heart and mind; it is the principle of righteousness; therefore, the Buddha advises to man to be noble, pure and worthy of honor.

Dharma, this law of righteousness, exists not only in a man’s heart and mind, but it exists in the universe also.

The etymological meaning of the word is “that which upholds or supports,” therefore, Dharma is every principle on which the cosmos operates.

The entire universe is an embodiment or revelation of the Dharma.

The law of nature which modern science has discovered is the revelations of Dharma, for Dharma is that law within the universe which makes matter act in the way studied in physics, chemistry, zoology, botany, and astronomy. Dharma exists in the universe just as gravity, wind and heat.

The teaching of the Buddha is called Dharma because he explained how natural occurrences take place according to worldly conditions and universal law.

Buddhism is the philosophy of awakening.

Buddhism as a religion or as a science is unique in the importance it attaches to philosophy and metaphysical inquiry. As such, it is often regarded as the most advanced of the philosophic systems of India.

Ethics, science and philosophy are delicately interwoven into a system, which is divorced from mythology and which attempts to unravel the real nature of life.

There is no aspect of the Buddha-Dharma, or the Buddhist teachings, which does not stem from the logical and rational foundations of that philosophy.

The Buddha Dharma is to pave the way for final salvation by leading a noble life.

Buddhism may be defined as a way of life, called the Noble Eightfold Path, leading to a goal called Nirvana.

This goal or deliverance is the state of supreme good, because it is free from defects, and has ultimate peace, purity, and the highest happiness that our minds can conceive.

Yet, it is something, which cannot be conferred by another person, however exalted he or she may be, but must be won by one’s own effort.

Buddhism teaches the principle that everything in the world comes on account of something else. There is no first event or first cause.

Source: Food for the Thinking Mind by K Sri Dhammananda