Buddhism is a philosophy and a religion. As for me, I consider Buddhism is a philophy rather than a religion. It is the philospy of change, Buddha teaches you to have courage and take respoonsibility for oneself. Buddha does not ask us to bow on our knees or to worship him. He is neither a god nor a saint. He is a human being like us, has family, a young son, suffers and wants lasting happiness just like every other human being. However he uses logical thinking, is compassionate, and concerned about human suffering. therefore, he decides to e a monk and sits down under a bodhi tree until he discovers the key to happiness. Buddha offers his ideas toward living are to be follwed in order to gain the target of peace of mind.
             According to the Buddha, Enlightenment or nirvana is not on the other planets, not after we die, and not so far away cannot reach it. They are in our present life, right here in our body, and inside our mind, but our ego, hatred, and greed are curtains, which ovver our eyes and our minds. The are all involved in the cycle of life, and there are reasons for their existence. Therefore, we live in a sea of suffering. we hurt others and ourselves over and over again. Just look at what happens when someone defraauds someone. The both of them suffer the person who is robbed and the person who is jailed. The point that i get out of Buddhism is to weed out these casualities of oneself and replacing them with their opposites. Once there negative characteristics have been extinguished, a new part of you will bloom and flower. You will see good instead of bad; you will see love instead of fear; and you will see suffering instead of happiness. So each accomplishment made under the Buddhist's wheel of suffering is an accomplishment that is one step higher toward the person's overall happiness and further development towards nirvanan. You are the only one who can make it work. He shows you the door, but ...