Dhamma
The Buddha (meaning ‘Awakened One’) gained Enlightenment through the ultimate realisation and understanding of The Four Noble Truths. His teachings became known as The Dhamma, and the Dhamma is taught to us by the Order of Buddhist Monks and Nuns known as The Sangha.
The main duties of the Sangha are to study, teach and live the Dhamma. The Buddha’s teachings are not followed with blind faith. One has to apply them to life, moment to moment. Below is some advice the Buddha gave people (the Kalamas of Kesaputta) who were curious about his teachings:
Now, Kalamas, do not go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, ‘This contemplative is our teacher.’ When you know for yourselves that, ‘These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness’ — then you should enter & remain in them.
Kalama Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya 3.65