Buddhism is a variety of teachings described as a religion[1] or way of life that attempts to identify the causes of human suffering and offer a set of practices that are claimed to end, or ease suffering. One point of view says it is a body of philosophies influenced by the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as Gautama Buddha.[2] Another point of view says it is teachings to guide one to directly experiencing reality[3][4]. Many scholars regard it as a plurality rather than a single entity.[5] Buddhism is also known as Buddha Dharma or Dhamma, which means roughly the "teachings of the Awakened One" in Sanskrit and Pali, languages of ancient Buddhist texts. Buddhism began around the 5th century BCE in India with the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, commonly referred to as "the Buddha".