The doctrine or philosophy declared by the Buddha is known as Buddhism. It is not a religion or a system of faith or worship.

Buddhism starts from the point of reasoning or understanding. It does not advocate any prescribed system of ritual and worship or supplication of deities or gods. It is distinguished and different from other systems of "religion."

It was at Isipatana in the deer park at Benares (Sarnath) that the fully enlightened one has established the supreme kingdom of truth. At the deer park, Isipatana, he addressed the five monks and set in motion the wheel of truth. This was the beginning of Buddhism in India

The Buddha Shakayamuni or Gautama Buddha founded Buddhism between the 5th and the 6th centuries B.C. Buddhism is regarded as one of the three major and most widespread religions in the world. The teachings of the Buddha are given in the Tripitaka or the three collections, namely, Vinaya-pitaka or the collection of discipline, Sutra-pitaka or the collection of discourses and Abhidharma-pitaka or the collection of metaphysics. The theme of these three pitakas is the development of the three higher trainings of discipline, concentration and transcendental knowledge respectively while their prime function is to cure the three poisons of desire, anger and delusion.